For Christmas this last year, my grandma gave me the food grinder attachment for my mixer. I was beyond thrilled. I have been wanting one for a while now and since my parents had bought one, I thought that we would make burgers while I was up in Illinois. As soon as I unwrapped my new grinder, I scrapped the burger plans and decided on making tacos instead, saving the burgers for when I returned home.

I did a lot of research on what cuts were best to use, and while perusing the Chow forums, I found that the unanimous vote was to go with chuck. I decided to use a chuck/rib eye blend (I’m cleaning out my freezer since I am moving and had an extra one in there!), which turned out awesome, but if you don’t have an extra rib eye sitting in your freezer, then definitely go all chuck – you can’t go wrong. During my research, I also came across Shared Appetite’s version of a home-ground burger, and it was what inspired me to make these burgers with a slaw on top. I wanted something just a little different, so I made a romaine slaw to go along with the burger. This “slaw” is so good – I could eat it on its own. It tastes like a burger. Well, without the beef and cheese part, that is. If you don’t have a grinder, I read that you can actually use your food processor, or if you can find a good butcher, they’ll grind up cuts of meat for you. But please, whatever you do, make this slaw. It will be your new lettuce-burger topper of choice from now on. Promise.

Home-Ground Burgers with Romaine Slaw

For the burgers:

1 1/2 lbs chuck roast (I used 1/2 lb rib eye and 1 lb chuck)
Salt and pepper
4 buns
Mayonnaise, for spreading
4 slices of cheddar cheese

For the romaine slaw:

1/4 cup mayo
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp pickle juice
1/2 tsp – 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp pickles, finely diced
1 Tbsp pickled jalapenos, finely diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 hearts of romaine, sliced thinly

To grind the burgers, take the meat out and cut into about 2 inch cubes. Place, covered, in the freezer, for about 1-2 hours before grinding. You can also place your grinder attachment in the freezer as well. When ready to grind, fit the grinder attachment with the coarse grind plate on your stand mixer. Feed the meat through the opening – have a bowl underneath the grinder and the meat should fall right in. Depending upon your preference, feed the ground meat through the grinder a second time, if desired. I only ground mine once. Divide the meat into 4-6 portions and, without handling too much, form the meat into patties, packing lightly. Indent the top of the burger with your thumb. Cover and place in the fridge for about an hour.

Meanwhile, make the dressing for the romaine slaw. Combine all of the ingredients, minus the romaine, in a small bowl. Whisk thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour, then toss with the romaine about 15 minutes before you’ll be serving. You may find that you use less or more of the dressing depending upon how much you like. Keep in fridge, covered, until ready to use.

Take out the burgers of the fridge at least 10-15 minutes before cooking to let the chill come off. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Place the burgers in, working in batches, and sear for 3-4 minutes a side, depending upon the desired temperature (you may cook longer or shorter). During the last few minutes of cooking, place the cheddar on top of the burgers and tent the pan with a piece of tinfoil. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate (covered with tinfoil) to let rest for a few minutes and finish cooking the rest.

While the burgers are cooking and/or resting, turn your broiler onto high. Split the buns in half and spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each side. Broil until golden brown.

To serve, place the burger on the bun and top with the romaine slaw and the other bun. Repeat with remaining burgers and serve.

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