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Burger Grilling Tips and Roasted Green Chile Cheeseburger

It’s summer time and that means gathering together outside around the grill and feasting on some great food. What’s a more classic summer grilling dish than a good ol’ fashioned burger? For those of you who may be a little intimidated by grilling a burger- have no fear ’cause I’ve put together some of my favorite easy tips for grilling up a juicy burger. And after you study up you can get the fire ready and put your skills to the grill with our Green Chile Cheeseburger recipe.

Get outside and share some good food and stories from the grill…

 

Burger Grilling Tips:

80/20 Blend: The beef you choose is important. It has to have the correct blend of fat to lean for great flavor but also to help keep the burger together. 80% lean to 20% fat is a perfect burger blend. In any situation when you’re not sure of a meat choice ask your butcher. They’re there to help and can point you in the right direction.

Chill and Season: After you get your beef and make it into patties- chill the burgers. Chilling will help them stay together on the grill. You should also season right before you put the burgers on the grill, this will prevent them from drying out and give you better flavor. Also don’t store the meat in tinfoil because it can discolor meat- use wax paper instead.

Start the Fire: NEVER, EVER, use lighter fluid. It’s bad for you. It makes your food taste bad. It’ll even make me sick, so I won’t be able to come over and eat with you! Use a chimney, a torch, newspaper or another method to get the fire going naturally. You can also check out our fire starting video here for more tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlQ79DCBc7A

Don’t Mash the Burger: As it’s grilling, you’ll have the urge to mash the burger to move the cooking along. This will just release the juices and you’re left with a dry burger. You’ll notice a liquid releasing as it cooks which will start red and then run clear. When it’s clear, it’s pretty close to being done. You can take the very tip of your spatula and lightly press the middle of the burger to see what the liquid looks like.

Cook to Medium-Medium/Well: Y’all know that I like my steaks cooked no more than medium-rare for the most flavor and juiciness. However, because hamburger is a processed meat and handled more I recommend cooking hamburger medium to medium-well for safety.

 

Check out our video for all our tips...

Print Recipe
 Roasted Green Chile Cheese Burger
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound hamburger meat preferably 20% fat
  • salt and black pepper or Red River Ranch Original Seasoning
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Green chiles, Anaheim peppers or Poblano peppers, roasted
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • Additional toppings: onion tomato, etc. (optional)
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound hamburger meat preferably 20% fat
  • salt and black pepper or Red River Ranch Original Seasoning
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Green chiles, Anaheim peppers or Poblano peppers, roasted
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • Additional toppings: onion tomato, etc. (optional)
Instructions
  1. Form the hamburger into 4 patties and season both sides with salt and pepper or Red River Ranch Original Seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. This helps the burgers stay together better when grilling.
  2. Remove the patties from the refrigerator to warm just slightly before grilling.
  3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the milk and flour over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens just slightly, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheddar cheese until smooth. Stir in the spices until combined. Keep warm until ready to serve.
  5. Place the burgers on a medium-high heat greased grill. Grill about 6 to 8 minutes per side or until there is no pink in the middle. Unlike a steak, hamburger meat should be cooked medium-well to well done because it is a processed meat. Let it rest a few minutes before serving.
  6. Place the burgers on buns and top with roasted chiles, cheese and any additional toppings.
Recipe Notes

To roast the chiles: With a pair of tongs, hold the chile over direct heat/flame from the grill. Rotate until all sides are blackened. Repeat with the remaining chiles. Place in a bowl of cold water for several minutes. Remove the chiles from the water and peel off the blackened skin and discard. Cut the chile along one side to open up. Remove the seeds and inner membrane.

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Seared Ahi Tuna with Blackberry Jalapeno Sauce

I don’t get to fish near as much as I used to, and the only tuna I ever caught came out of the can. But I’m hear to tell you – you ain’t got go deep sea fishing to land this Tuna. Get that cast iron skillet and let’s get to searing.

From my experience, what makes tuna great is also the sauce paired with it. We came up with a blackberry jalepeno glaze that will really bring out the great flavor of the fish with a little sweet kick and no fishing pole required!

Watch the Video…

 

Print Recipe
 Seared Ahi Tuna with Blackberry Jalapeno Sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons blackberry jam
  • 1 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeno
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 4 oz ahi tuna steaks thawed if frozen
  • coarse black pepper
  • sea salt
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons blackberry jam
  • 1 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeno
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 4 oz ahi tuna steaks thawed if frozen
  • coarse black pepper
  • sea salt
Instructions
  1. Add the blackberry jam, jalapenos, dijon and lime juice to a blender or processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  2. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile generously rub the salt and pepper on both sides of the tuna steaks and along the sides.
  4. Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the steaks to the skillet and sear for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Flip and sear an additional 1 minute 30 seconds.
  5. Remove from the skillet and let rest a couple minutes. Drizzle with the sauce and serve.
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Dutch Oven Baked/Grilled Ribs

You don’t have to have one of them fancy smokers to get that smoked flavor you want out of those ribs. Just grab that Dutch oven and lets get to simmering. Simmering these little fellers in chicken broth will keep them really tender. Then we’ll finish them on the grill for that little color and flavor until they fall off the bone.  

 

Watch the Video…

 

Print Recipe
 Baked/Grilled Ribs
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 side Baby Back Ribs
  • lime juice
  • Meat tenderizer
  • Red River Ranch Original Seasoning or your blend
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 side Baby Back Ribs
  • lime juice
  • Meat tenderizer
  • Red River Ranch Original Seasoning or your blend
Instructions
  1. Remove the membrane from the bone-side of the ribs.
  2. Rub lime juice on both sides. Sprinkle meat tenderizer on the meat side of the ribs and rub in. Repeat with the Red River Ranch Original Seasoning or substitute. Cover and place in the icebox for about 4 hours.
  3. Place the ribs in the Dutch oven bone side down- either standing up or on the sides (as described in video).
  4. Pour about 1 ½ to 2-inches deep of chicken broth in the bottom of the oven. Cover.
  5. Cook for about 2 to 2 ½ hours or until fork tender. Add more broth while cooking, if needed.
  6. Remove from the oven and place on a hot grill. Grill on both sides to absorb some smoke flavor and until a dark golden brown color appears. Baste while grilling with the excess chicken broth.
Recipe Notes

1 side of ribs feeds about 3-4 people.

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Deep Fried Strip Steak

It’s a pretty exciting day here at the chuck wagon. Now many of you may have seen my chicken fried steak videos, but this is one of my favorite fried foods ever. Don’t go to the fair to get this great dish- Deep Fried Strip Steak! 

 

Watch the Video…

Print Recipe
 Deep Fried Strip Steak
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 12 oz strip steak
  • lime juice
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 heaping tablespoon Red River Ranch Original Seasoning (available kentrollins.com) or favorite blend
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • Miracle Dip (http://www.decoty.com) 1 cup milk or buttermilk and 1 egg
  • in Fry oil (we prefer creamy liquid shortening found bulk at Sam’s or Costco
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 12 oz strip steak
  • lime juice
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 heaping tablespoon Red River Ranch Original Seasoning (available kentrollins.com) or favorite blend
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • Miracle Dip (http://www.decoty.com) 1 cup milk or buttermilk and 1 egg
  • in Fry oil (we prefer creamy liquid shortening found bulk at Sam’s or Costco
Instructions
  1. Rub the lime juice onto both sides of the strip steak. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the steak and rub in. Wrap in plastic and place in the icebox for about 4 hours.
  2. Remove the steak from the icebox and let warm for about 30 minutes.
  3. In a bowl mix together the flour and seasonings. Set aside.
  4. Prepare the Miracle Dip according the package or whisk together the milk and egg.
  5. Dip the meat in the wet mix and then into the flour mixture to generously coat. Repeat.
  6. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.
  7. Place the steak in the oil and fry on both sides until a rich golden brown. Let the steak rest a couple minutes before serving.
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Perfect 10-minute Cast Iron Filet

It’s intimidating, right? This little filet feller. It’s a thick cut and it’s a little pricey so you sure don’t want to mess it up.
Well folks we’ve got an easy fool proof method to fixing up this cut and the best part- it only takes 10 minutes.
So let’s get some beef, cast iron and dig in because this is going to be good! One thing I will tell you- don’t cook this beyond medium-rare, you’re wasting your money if you do. And like I always say, “He done died once, we don’t need to kill him again!”
WATCH THE VIDEO…

Cowboy Stew

During cold days on the chuck wagon I’ve got to think of a stick-to-your-bones meal that will not only satisfy but keep those fellers warm. When those cowboys come in from a long ride and the wind howling at their necks it sure is important to make them feel like they’re coming home. I get ol’ Bertha a roaring with a good fire, put up all the walls on the fly and it can feel a little more like home in those cold conditions.

Hopefully this will warm your stomach and your soul. 

 

Watch the Video…

 

Print Recipe
 Cowboy Stew
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings
Ingredients
  • 8 regular red potatoes chunked
  • 2 ½ cups sliced carrots
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced
  • 1 large jalapeno chopped
  • 3 14.5-ounce cans stewed tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 10-ounce can Rotel
  • 3 4-ounce cans chopped green chile
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • Canola oil
  • 3.5– 4 lbs. stew meat (elk,beef, etc.) chunked
  • 3 quarts water or beef broth
  • Red River Ranch Original Seasoning or Seasoned Salt and Black Pepper
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings
Ingredients
  • 8 regular red potatoes chunked
  • 2 ½ cups sliced carrots
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced
  • 1 large jalapeno chopped
  • 3 14.5-ounce cans stewed tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 10-ounce can Rotel
  • 3 4-ounce cans chopped green chile
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • Canola oil
  • 3.5– 4 lbs. stew meat (elk,beef, etc.) chunked
  • 3 quarts water or beef broth
  • Red River Ranch Original Seasoning or Seasoned Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients, except the canola, stew meat, water and seasoning to a large stock pot. Set aside.
  2. Pour a thin layer of the canola oil to the bottom of a large cast iron skillet. Add the meat, season to taste and cook over medium-high heat until all the edges have browned.
  3. Stir the meat into the liquid mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat for 20 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for about 1 ½ hours or until vegetables are tender and meat has cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Recipe Notes

This makes enough to feed a crew- or freeze and save for later.

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AMAZON’S Top 100 Cookbooks

BIG NEWS!
We’re so honored that our cookbook,A Taste of Cowboy, was just named on “Amazon’s Top 100 Cookbooks for a Lifetime of Cooking.”
When Shannon and I put together this cookbook, it was a culmination (and that’s a big word for me), of over 25 years cooking whether it was with Mama in the kitchen or at the chuck wagon for cowboys.
As we were putting this cookbook together we knew we had to include a lot of comfort recipes that are easy to make with uncomplicated but bold flavors. But we wanted this to be more than just recipes. the biggest feedback we get from folks is that the thing they most enjoy are the stories and the pictures Shannon has taken from the ranches we’ve cooked for over the years. Even if you never cook a recipe out of this book, you’ll still get something out of it. We’ve had folks just set it on their coffee table.
We’d love for y’all to check it out and share it with your friends and family. It is available at major bookstores and if you’d like a signed copy you can also get one from our website.
Thank y’all for making this adventure so special for us. Keep the fire hot! Kent

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Throwdown Winning Chicken Fried Steak

Check out the recipe that appeared on the Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay. Bobby challenged me to a chicken fried steak while we were cooking on a ranch. Bobby sure got hot that day!
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Ingredients
2 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄4 cup seasoned salt
3 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons garlic salt
Canola or peanut oil for frying
Golden Fry Batter (see below)
4 (5-ounce) pieces tenderized top or bottom round steak or cube steak
1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, seasoned salt, lemon pepper, and garlic salt. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, pot, or deep Dutch oven, pour in enough oil to deep-fry the steaks (2 to 3 inches). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches about 350°F.
3. Pick up one piece of meat with tongs and dip it into the batter and then into the flour mixture. Be sure both sides are well coated. Repeat, or as I call it, “double baptize.” Repeat with the remaining steaks.
4. Fry the pieces for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with the gravy.
TIP: “Tenderized” steaks, which are cut from the eye of round, top round, or bottom round, have been mechanically tenderized by the butcher. They look like a cross between a hamburger and a steak. They are also called cube steaks. You can also buy the cuts and tenderize them yourself with a meat tenderizing hammer.
If using our Original seasoning for the seasoned flour use 3 cups of flour to 1/3 cup of seasoning- or to taste.
Golden Fry Batter
3 tablespoons powdered whole egg
3 tablespoons powdered milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 cups warm water
I used to be a milk or buttermilk and egg fan when battering meat to fry, but it seemed that the coating didn’t want to stick to the meat as well as I needed it to. This creates a thicker, crispier crust that is the secret to my chicken-fried steak and will work to create a golden crust on meats, veggies, or anything you dream of frying up.
1. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, baking powder, and paprika together.
2. Dissolve the mixture in the water.
TIP: You can replace the Golden Fry Batter with a mixture of 2 cups milk or buttermilk, 2 large eggs, beaten, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
For the batter I used to beat Bobby Flay visithttp://www.decoty.com/and search for “miracle dip.”
Watch the Video…

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Seared or Grilled Tri Tip

Sear this easy tri-tip on the grill or in a cast iron pan and then finish it up in the oven for ultimate juiciness and flavor.
Ingredients2 ½ – 3 lb. Tri-Tip
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon
Meat tenderizer
Coarse sea salt
Coarse ground black pepper
3 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 teaspoons onion flake
1 tablespoon bacon grease or canola oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 slices
Trim the silver membrane from the back of the meat.In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Rub the mixture all over the tri-tip.Rub all sides of the meat generously with the sea salt and pepper. Repeat with the smoked paprika and onion flake. Feel free to add more seasonings if needed, depending on the size of your tri-tip.Store in a plastic bag or covered dish and place in the icebox for at least 4 hours.Remove the meat from the icebox and allow to warm close to room temperature before grilling/searing. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. with a rack in the middle.
For pan searing:place a large cast iron skillet on the burner over high heat for about 3 minutes or until completely hot.Place the bacon grease or canola oil in the skillet. Add the meat and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes per side or until the outside darkens. The longer you sear the meat, the more crust you’ll have. Remove from the heat, leaving the meat in the skillet.
For grilling:Clean and grease your grill. Place the meat on a hot grill. Close the grill to capture the smoke flavor, and grill all sides about 3 – 4 minutes/side or until a crust or bark forms. Move the meat inside and warm a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon grease or canola oil. Place the meat in the skillet.
With the backside of a spoon, rub the garlic on the topside of the meat then lay the slices of butter on top.Cover with foil and place in the oven. Cook for 5 – 6 minutes. Remove the foil and cook an additional 4 – 6 minutes or until the internal temperature is 130 – 140 degrees F. (rare to medium-rare).Let rest 3 – 4 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve warm.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO…