Mesa Grill Burger

This eight-layer, stacked-high burger is the The Mesa Grill burger with double cheddar cheese, and grilled onion. It comes from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook page 162. These burgers just keep getting better and better. Here it is from top to bottom: Layer 1- whole wheat bun that was butter sprayed and toasted on the grill. Layer 2 - thick slice of beefsteak tomato. Layer 3 - thick cut bacon, crispy from the grill. Layer 4 - half a pound of ground Angus beef grilled with canola oil, kosher salt and ground pepper. Layer 5 - two slices of sharp cheddar cheese that was melted over the burgers using the "basting pan" method (see previous blog and video for that technique). Layer 6 - a slice of Vidalia onion that was grilled with canola oil, salt and pepper. Layer 7 - fresh romaine lettuce leaves. Layer 8 - bun top, also toasted from the grill. On the side - Kosher Dill pickle spears. A cheesburger from paradise.


Also on the side are Bobby's Grilled Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Mayonnaise from Grill it! page 179. This was sort of a potato salad, but with a kick. I started by roasting two roma tomatoes right on the grill grates until they were charred on all sides. I slices up the hot tomatoes and tossed them into a processor with mayo, parlsey, chilpole chilies, paprika, three garlic cloves, and ground black pepper. The processor turned all this into a great tasting dressing. I partially cookd the red potatoes and them took them to the grill. In a pan over the grill, I let the potatoes sear and then I threw in some of the Spicy Tomato Mayo. The mayo was so good that we even spread it on the burger buns!

Let the Bracket Busting Begin! Our brackets are all filled out and ready to go. Dorothy and I always fill them out separately and then compare later. For the first time in 20 years, we both have the same two teams in the final game: Kentucky and Kansas, and we both picked Kentucky to win it all. I looked at President Obama's bracket. He also has Kentucky and Kansas in the final game, but takes Kansas to win it all. We will see how smart that is (Kentucky has more electoral votes).

Grillin' and Hoops to come! Paul