It takes a birthday sometimes to realize the heritage of something, and last week America had a birthday. As a cook, my feelings of admiration are best expressed through food, and a communal sense of enjoyment. Cooking for America on her birthday is no easy task, especially in the city where Paul Revere and history meet to form the foundation of our nation, Boston. For the menu it was simple, oysters, burgers, tots, tunes, family, and friends.
Burgers. Having eaten hamburgers since the age zero, my burger palate has tasted quite a few hamburgers in the development of "my" hamburger. It is a simple recipe of ground meat, salt, pepper, and patience. Hamburger proteins are like coils of a phone line, and when you work them or manipulate the meat it stretches these protein molecules out to form bonds with one another. When the proteins form bonds, the texture of the hamburger is more like a meatball or meatloaf than a hamburger.
Burger Method. When buying meat, my preference is to have as much fat as possible in the chuck, and a little ground sirloin for meat-tastic flavor. Handle the meat gently, forming patties, do not squeeze, just form. Season generously with kosher salt and crack pepper. Using extremely high heat at first, get a good sear or char on the outside, flip and continue cooking over high heat. With both sides seared on high heat, depending on patty thickness, mine are rare in the middle. Move to the low heat side of the grill, and cook until the internal desired temperature, with cheese or without. Toast buns in the oven, serve with the appropriate condiments, and make sure to have amazing pickles. The zing of the pickle, cuts through the fat and cheese of the meat, playing a symphony of America's culinary traditions on the palate.
Tater Tots. Buy them from the store. Cook according to the instruction on the package. Serve with ketchup and hamburgers.
Oysters. Buy a sack of oyster, keeping in mind that oysters harbor the terroir of the sea, and will taste uniquely different from different water spaces. Crank the grill on high, and let roll for thirty minutes, until extremely hot. Make the butter. Combine room temperature butter with fresh thyme, asiago cheese, lemon zest, splash of white wine, and some sea salt. Eat one of the oysters raw, to gauge the salinity and factor it in to the seasoning of the butter. Place the oysters on the grill, and cook until they open. As they open, pull them from the fire with a set of tongs, between the lips. Pull the top shell away and let rest off the grill. Top the oyster with butter, and put back on the flame. Be careful, as the oyster shell shrapnel can be loud and abrasive, it't hot. Be careful. Once the butter is bubbling, in a minute or two, remove and serve with forks.
