VAEATS Weekly | 25 May 2020 issue

WEEKLY

May 25, 2020 FREE FREE

Backyard Burger Tips

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Virginia Eats + Drinks is so proud to donate our time and talents, along with Zoe’s Restaurant Executive Chef Michael Koch, for a very special benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

It's part of the Chefs #ForStJude cooking demonstration series which joins a number of other talented culinarians to raise awareness and funds for St. Jude's amazing mission.

YOU CAN HELP - Sign up for any of the cooking demonstrations (ours and Chef Mike's is on May 30) and you can cook along side us – virtually.

Details and more information www.StJude.org/ChefsForStJude

EATER-VIEW Jim Lantry of Big Ugly Brewing The COVID-19 crisis has affected many aspects of life across the region and across the globe, including dining out. Until breweries, distilleries, restaurants, specialty food stores, and wineries open their doors again for regular business, I’ll be profiling folks in the industry, telling you a little about them and what they do, and how the virus outbreak has touched their lives. I’ll also ask them to share recipes, tips, and tricks. This is part of a series that first runs in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper.

Link to articles: https://bit.ly/EvansHyltonAtVPilot

By Patrick Evans-Hylton I don’t remember the last time I haven’t greeted Jim Lantry, co-owner of Big Ugly Brewing Co., with a big hug. But this time Jim, who began homebrewing about 20 years ago and whose son, Evan, is doing all the brewing now, greeted me with gloves and a face mask, requesting we elbow bump.

“We’ve got to be safe,” he said. I was let into the brewery while others were not; these days folks who crave the quality quaffs from Big Ugly drive up to a tent outside the building, stay in the car, and give their order. Soon, crowlers and growlers of IPAs, goses, porters, and the like are handed to them through the car window by gloved hand.

RSVP Big Ugly Brewing. com

Big Ugly started as a small brewery in a strip mall about a mile away from where they are now in Great Bridge.

“After three years, we built the facility we are in today, tripling our brewing capacity as well as our seating capacity,” says Lantry. “Big Ugly was the brainchild of my partner, Shawn Childers, and I. We wanted to bring a warm, comfortable brewery to our hometown of Chesapeake, which, at the time, lacked anything like it.”

Lantry loves Chesapeake, and the folks who have embraced the brewery.

“The thing I love the most about what we have built here, is the sense of community that you'll find at Big Ugly. It's a place where families gather, friends meet, and occasionally, even a little business get's done, all over a pint of award-winning locally brewed beer.

“Our customers are the best. While my job as a brewer has been relinquished, I have an even better job in that I get to talk to so many of my friends and neighbors, and I do consider our customers as friends. As for the brewing end, being able to be creative and make a product that people enjoy is immensely satisfying,” he says.

“At this point, we have closed our tap room and are offering drive-up service only, selling both crowlers, growlers, and a selection of 16 ounce cans very soon.

Our sales have plummeted, but our customers continue to come buy the beer and support the local food trucks who are offering pick-up meals as well. If it weren't for their generosity, we would be in a world of hurt, and we can't thank them enough.”

RECIPE | BRATS IN BEER Note from Patrick Evans-Hylton: This recipe comes from my cookbook, “Dishing Up Virginia.” I like serving them in large, soft hot dog buns with plenty of kraut or slaw and spicy mustard. I like to use one of Big Ugly’s dark beers, like a porter or triple bock, but consider any of your favorite brews.

Bring the 4 cups beer, 2 large white onions that are chopped, 4 garlic cloves that are chopped, c1 teaspoon araway seeds, 1 teaspoon celery seeds, 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, and 4-5 black peppercorns to a simmer in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the 8 bratwurst, cover, and simmer until a thermometer inserted into a sausage reads 160F, 12 to 17 minutes.

The available list of beers changes occasionally, and can be found on Big Ugly’s website and social media pages.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill or a grill pan to medium-high. Remove the bratwurst from the stockpot and cook, turning occasionally, on the grill or in the grill pan, until the outsides are browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Like others, the COVID-19 crisis has affected the brewery, says Lantry.

Makes 8 servings

IMBIBE | FOUR BEERS FOR SUMMER We asked VAEATS friend Lisa Hamaker of Taste Virginia Tours, www.TasteVirginia.com, which offers a number of culinary tours including beer and brewery tours, for her beer picks for Memorial Day Weekend and early summer. Here’s her findings: Legend Brewing Company - Legend Brown Ale – Brown Ale - ABV 5.8 – IBU 19 - “The Virginia Original”. As a general rule, Legend Brewing brown ale is your best bet for a beer that will pair well with just about everything at a barbecue without having the alcohol overpower the taste of the food. Legend Brewing describes their most popular brew as “rich, malt-forward, with a mahogany tone.

Generous amounts of specialty malts bring flavors of sweet caramel, toasted nuts, coffee, and molasses, all perfectly balanced by cautious hop dryness.”

- Legend Brewing Company has 2 locations at 321 W. 7th St, Richmond, VA and 1 High St. B, Portsmouth, VA. Call 804-2323446 or 757-998-6733 or visit www.legendbrewing.com Devils Backbone Brewing Company -Vienna Lager – Vienna Styled Lager -ABV 5.2 IBU 18 - Say what you want about who owns what, this lager continues to be a top seller in Virginia for a reason. For BBQ, these roasted malts will match the smoky flavor in the meat as well as provide a bit of sweetness to balance out any spiciness in the sauce or match the sweetness depending on which ‘cue style you might be enjoying. DB says their international award winner is, “smooth, mediumbodied, and semi-sweet, while not too heavy or bitter.” We consistently agree.

- Devils Backbone Brewing Company is at 50 Northwind Lane, Lexington, VA. Call 540-817-6080 or visit www.dbbrewingcompany.com Wasserhund Brewing Company - Wasserhund Brewing Shepheweizen – Hefeweizen - ABV 5.9 – IBU 20 - Pork BBQ lovers will go hog wild when they pair their pitmastery with Wasserhund Brewing’s sweet but subtle “Shepheweizen”. A consistent top seller, Head Brewer/Coowner Aaron Holley calls his ingenious Hefe, “cloudy and yellow with an aroma of banana and clove. It is a full of malt sweetness, a little hop bitterness, and containing just enough spice flavor to keep your lips smacking.”

- Wasserhund Brewing Company is at 1805 Laskin Rd, Va. Beach, VA. Call 757-351-1326 or visit at www.wasserhundbrewing.com As heard on The Virginia Eats + Drinks Show on May 22 on AM 790 WNIS Listen every Friday at 6pm live on air in Coastal Virginia or online at WNIS.com

Port City Brewing Company - Monumental IPA – India Pale Ale - ABV 6.3 – IBU 57 - For those diehard hopheads who insist IPA goes with everything, we enjoy the flagship from VA’s own GABF’s Small Brewing Company of the Year 2015 winner. Port City continues to shine in the national spotlight with their Monumental IPA boasting its, “floral aromas and flavors of citrus and pine resin, balanced by toast, caramel malt character. It pours a rich, clear copper with a tight white head that is neither astringent nor sugary sweet”.

- Port City Brewing Company is at 3950 Wheeler Ave, Alexandria, VA. Call 703-797-2739 or visit at www.portcitybrewing.com

EATS | OUR BLUE RIBBON BURGER Although there have been ground/minced beef dishes for millennia, it wasn’t until the 19th century that someone put raw meat to flame (and later, still, nestled it between two slices of bread) to created the predecessor of what we think of as today’s hamburger.

Louis’s Lunch in New Haven, Conn. in 1895 was the first place to serve a burger in the nation, so says the Library of Congress. Then came a succession of sandwiches, with the Golden Age of the hamburger starting with the explosion of McDonald’s after the chain was purchased by Ray Kroc in 1955. Today the hamburger continues to evolve – fast food-style, gourmet-style, vegetarian, sliders – it’s a dizzying array of categories.

We couldn’t think of a better way to kick off Summer this Memorial Day Weekend than with our Blue Ribbon Burger, a classic example of this truly All American dish.

Our burgers are cooked on our trusty grill, but there is nothing to say you can’t cook it on a grill pan or in a skillet (cast iron is best) indoors in case you don’t have a grill or space to cook outdoors, if there is inclement weather, or other factors. Regardless of your cooking method, you will want to grill the burger over mediumhigh heat.

Follow the methods for your grill, whether charcoal or gas, as recommended by the manufacturer.

THE BEGINNING + Follow the culinary method of mise en place which roughly translates to “everything in it’s place.” + Start the charcoal in your grill if applicable in order to have it burn down for the proper temperature + Have all the equipment and other items you need laid out: platters, spatulas, tongs, and the like + Have all the ingredients you need on hand: beef, buns, and fixings. Items like lettuce should be washed and torn to sizes to fit the bun. Items like onions and tomatoes should be sliced.

THE BEEF + For our Blue Ribbon Burger, we want to use the best beef we can. We love visiting with the expert butchers at our official grocer, The Fresh Market [LINK] because we know that the ground beef is produced fresh, in-store daily and is sold only on the day it’s ground.

With burgers, fat is our friend; a leaner burger means a dryer burger. A good ratio is 80/20, or 80 percent beef to 20 percent fat. + The ideal burger patty size is 6 ounces, so 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef would make 4 servings + Roll each 6 ounces of beef into a ball, then flatten it into a 4 inch patty that is about 3/4-inches thick. Minimize handling your meat + Press a small indention, about 1-1/2 inches wide, into the center of the meat. This will help create a more uniform cooked patty. + Keep the seasoning simple: use a generous amount of salt and fresh black pepper on each side. Season just before putting on the grill, as the salt will pull the moisture out of the meat if it sits too long, making a dryer burger. A bonus of salt in addition to the seasoning; the salt also helps create a crust on the burger.

+ Grill over medium-high heat. A hot grill will sear the burger and keep the juices in. + With a clean cotton kitchen towel (or paper towel) held in a tong, oil the grates of grill with a neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, safflower, or sunflower. This will help prevent the burger sticking to the grill. + Place the burgers on the grill with the indentation facing up; cook for about 3 minutes for a medium-rare burger. Medium-rare is the recommended temperature of a burger; cook for a shorter or longer period according to preference. + Flip the burger once; do not press. Continue to cook 3-4 minutes.

At this point add thinly sliced cheese then cover with a lid to allow the cheese to steam and melt evenly across the burger. We like a thinly sliced, sharp cheddar cheese for a flavor boost. We’ll have more about the best cheese for burgers in an upcoming column.

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EATS | OUR BLUE RIBBON BURGER Continued + Do not cut into the burger to check doneness, this will cause the

release of juices. If you are concerned to whether a burger is cooked to your liking or not, use an instant read meat thermometer. A rare burger will register from between 120 to 125 degrees. A medium-rare burger ill read from between 130 to 135 degrees. A medium-well burger will register from between 150 and 155 degrees. And a well-done burger will register from between 160-165. + Remove burgers to a platter to rest for about one minute while you toast the bun.

THE BUN + We like a soft, supple bun with good taste and texture, so we often will use a potato roll with our burger. + Once you remove the burgers from the grill, place both cut sides of buns on the grill for about 30 seconds to toast.

THE FIXINGS + To assemble the burger, put a thin layer of your favorite spreadable condiment, such as mayonnaise or mustard, on the bottom bun and then place the beef patty. Add your pourable condiment like ketchup or steak sauce, on top of the patty and then add your other fixings like lettuce, tomato, and onion. + We keep our fixings simple, and, like our buns, we look for both taste and texture. We like crisp lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced raw onion

We asked VAEATS friend Dylan Wakefield of Pendulum Fine Meats, www.PendulumMeats.com for some hamburger and hot dog grilling tips. Here’s what he has to say: + Preheat the grill or get the charcoal started early. Often people forget how much time it takes to get the grill up to temp or to get the coals smoldering. + Make sure you season the grill with a little bit of oil and a paper towel right before your food goes on. + Try to keep to temperature zones in your grill. One to see year and mark the meat and then a cooler section to cook everything throughout. + You want to get hamburgers very compacted. And as flat as you can. A loose hamburger falls apart or it becomes a giant meatball. + Do not cook hotdogs too fast unless you like them like that. A charred burnt hotdog might be preferential to some. Also cooking a hotdog too fast tends to make them explode or break the casing. A slow roast is nice.

As heard on The Virginia Eats + Drinks Show on May 22 on AM 790 WNIS Listen every Friday at 6pm live on air in Coastal Virginia or online at WNIS.com

EATS | RECIPES FROM THE RADIO

GARLIC HERB POTATO SALAD From Amy Jordan of The Farmers Markets of We Dig Tidewater www.NorfolkVaFarmersMarket.com

ROASTED STRAWBERRIES From Victoria Sgro of Kahiau Bakery + Café www.facebook.com.com/KahiauVegan

“This recipe features baby potatoes, which are available at markets right now, and other simple but flavorful ingredients you probably have on-hand without a special trip to the grocery store,” says Jordan. “It's great with anything you put on the grill or with sandwiches.

“I enjoy adding fresh rosemary or basil before roasting,” says Sgro.

“When done roasting, I can eat them as a snack but adding them to a salad of arugula and spinach is delicious with added dollop of ricotta or mascapone cheese with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.”

INGREDIENTS 3 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed and diced into small even size pieces, about 1 inch Salt 1/2 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoons dijon mustard 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives* 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme METHOD Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by an inch or two. Season water with salt (about 1 Tbsp).

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to mediumlow, cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender all the way through, about 10 - 15 minutes (they should pierce easily with a knife, but you also don't want them really tender/mushy).

Drain potatoes and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes**.

While potatoes are cooking prepare the dressing - in a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, pepper, parsley, chives and thyme. Season with salt to taste (about 1-1/2 teaspoons).

Let mixture rest while potatoes continue to cook and cool slightly, then once potatoes are ready, pour drained potatoes into a large mixing bowl.

Pour dressing over top and gently toss just a few times to coat. Serve warm or chilled.

INGREDIENTS 1 pint of strawberries, tops cut off 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil Pinch sea salt Pinch pepper METHOD Heat oven to 325F. Put all items in a bowl and toss together. Place on a sheet pan or baking dish and roast 10 minutes.

As heard on The Virginia Eats + Drinks Show on May 22 on AM 790 WNIS Listen every Friday at 6pm live on air in Coastal Virginia or online at WNIS.com

GARLIC HERB POTATO SALAD Recipe Notes *Other herbs of choice can be substituted for the chives and thyme. The parsley is a must but the others can be replaced with other herbs such as basil, tarragon, dill or rosemary. Just use what you like or you've already got on hand. **Cooling is recommend so potatoes don't fall apart while tossing.

If you want to serve them hot then plate individual servings of potatoes and spoon dressing over each serving rather then tossing everything together.

DEJA CHEW Celebrating Virginia’s rich eats + drinks heritage

Trappers along the Chickahominy River, 1872