Buffalo Buffalo Cheeseburger

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground buffalo
• 4 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Set List:
Snapcase - Caboose (...I never knew they were from Buffalo!)

I'm not sure where the idea for this came from, but I think it was in part a dream I had, and probably some of the feedback I've gotten about the sort of 'food' I've been spotlighting here. I realize that I've never really put out much of a mission statement in terms of what foods I share, and why - basically I'll just put up staples that I like to cook often, like stew and brisket, and things that I want to try because it seems a bit crazy, like Buffalo poutine and today's recipe. Will my experimenting pay off, like Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime? Or will the gamble fail, like pretty much anything they did after Empire? Will this burger come out so badly as to make me go back to my roots and just cook the musical equivalent of Operation: Mindcrime 2 all the time? Should music even HAVE sequels?!?

For the record, I love Buffalo ANYTHING. That guy Frank, with the sauce? He does sick work. So it occurred to me that I could batter and fry a Buffalo burger and bathe it in sauce. Would it be good? Probably not, but I had an idea take hold and refuse to let go. Of course, if it works, I'll be putting everything in Buffalo sauce - sushi, ice cream, spinach...

NOTE - Like the Buffalo poutine recipe, this is one dish where a deep fryer would come in really handy. Fortunately for my heart and arteries, I still can't bring myself to buy one (otherwise I'd do stupid experiments like this all the damn time), but unfortunately for my counter top, I still wanted to make this, so it can get a little messy.



Chop your onion up as finely as you can, and in a large bowl, mix it and some parsley in with your Buffalo meat. Divide the meat in half, ball up each one, and roll into patties. Whisk an egg in a bowl, then combine the flour and bread crumbs in a ziploc (I was lazy and used a paper plate this time). Coat the burgers in egg, and then the flour/bread crumb mix. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, then carefully place the burgers in and raise the heat a little more.

I was very paranoid about frying hamburgers like this, because I like my burgers to be well cooked, and since these were big patties cooking on the stove and not a fryer, I was extra careful to make sure they cooked through. To that end, let the burgers cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, carefully flip them, and repeat. I FACE MY FEAR, BURGERS! Mmm...fearburgers. I let each side cook four times for 4-5 minutes a shot, because again, super paranoid. Remove the burgers from heat and let them sit on some paper towels for a minute or two.

In a small frying pan, heat the butter until it melts, mix in the hot sauce and garlic powder, then coat the burgers.

This came out INSANE! I was really apprehensive about how tasty this would be, and I was completely blown away. The sauce complimented the meat perfectly, it was cooked through just the way I like it, and little touches like the cheddar (I don't like bleu cheese), toasted bun, fresh fries, HP sauce and pickle just wrapped the whole experience up nicely. I can't see myself making this a staple, but I know that once or twice a year I'll cave in and whip another one up - it's a great variation on the burger theme if you want something a little different, like Dio-era Sabbath, or watching the original Degrassi High without pants.