Not your average burger

Oklahoma Onion Smash Burger

Comfort in a Classic

by Ryan Donahue for the California Cattlemen's Association

This depression-era creation was born more from necessity than culinary curiosity. At the time beef was relatively expensive, onions were cheap and people were poor. The onions are used to fortify the beef patty in an effort to stretch the meat further. This style continues to delight diners in the midwest and beyond today because of its simplicity and novelty. In this preparation the onions are not caramelized yet the onions do lose their sulfur-like compounds by steaming on the griddle. ingredients• Ground beef - one-half pound per person (assuming people will have multiple) • American cheese (optional but recommended) • Onions (any) - two onions per pound of beef • Burger buns (on the smaller side) • Yellow mustard • Kosher salt tools

• Griddle or cast iron pan • Large spatula • Mandolin (optional)

process

Portion your ground beef into the size of a golfball (about 3 ounces). Don't over work the meat. THINLY slice onions on a mandolin or with a sharp knife. It doesn't matter what shapes you end up with just as long as the onions are thinly sliced. Heat up your griddle (we're aiming for 420 degrees) and toast all of the buns you intend to use while the griddle is coming to temperature. If using American cheese this would be a good time to unwrap the slices (this cook is quick).

Once it reaches temperature place beef balls (as many that will fit while allowing space) and top with a GENEROUS handfull of onions. Using your spatula use both hands (a towel or oven mit could be useful here) and smash the onions into the patty until the patty is about a quarter-inch thick. At this temperture with this method the patty will be ready to flip in under a minute. Once you see beautiful brown edges on the bottom flip the patties so the onion side is down. Season with salt and top with cheese. Once the cheese is melted transfer the patties to the toasted buns and top with mustard. Nothing wrong with eating two or three. Enjoy!

NCBA and PLC: Administration Can't Designate Their Way to a Conservation Win on Paper

On Sept. 30, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) criticized the Biden administration’s unilateral decision to put sweeping federal designations on millions of acres surrounding the Bears Ears National Monument and Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument in Utah.

After months of rhetoric touting their intent to work collaboratively with state governments and local communities, the administration opted to make these designations rather than create a conservation strategy that would incorporate local stakeholder input and avoid the management whiplash of a unilateral federal designation.

By ignoring efforts to reach a constructive, permanent solution, the administration has prolonged the back-andforth political football that occurs with national monument boundaries during each change of administration.

“Rural states and communities across America are, sadly, all too familiar with the federal government’s routine of feigned partnership. Monument designations may bring the White House closer to scoring ‘conservation’ points on paper but in reality, they lead to the kind of preservation strategies that we know from experience do not support healthy ecosystems long-term,” said NCBA Executive Director of Natural Resources and PLC Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover.

“Conservation is more than signing a piece of paper and considering the matter closed. Conservation requires longterm planning. Conservation requires active management. Conservation requires the help and investment of knowledgeable land users, local residents and state leaders who can perform the day-to-day work of maintaining landscapes and ecosystems. We will deliver that message to President Biden and his team as many times as needed,” she added.

Today’s proclamations expand Bears Ears to a total of 1.36 million acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante to 1.87 million acres, directly in conflict with the Antiquities Act’s direction to designate the “smallest area compatible” with the desired protections.

Designations made under the Antiquities Act — now more than a century old — prohibit many land management tools. Restricting local communities’ ability to respond quickly and nimbly to historic drought, record-breaking wildfire seasons and a host of other environmental challenges is not a sustainable strategy for land management.

NCBA and PLC ranchers will continue to work with local Bureau of Land Management teams, conservation and wildlife groups, rural communities and state governments to employ multi-faceted land management strategies that protect America’s most iconic landscapes for generations to come.