Take me to the Steps

The beef burger is one of the mainstays of the barbecue season, and these rice crispy burgers are a flexible addition to any party menu. Rice Krispies work well in this recipe, because they offer a delicate flavor, light texture, and are a safe alternative to breadcrumbs for most celiacs.

You can make these burgers throughout the barbecue season, starting out during the warm summer evenings with the basic recipe, and then switching to the spicier alternative mix with chili, mace, and dried basil when autumn arrives.

I smile every time I make these burgers, remembering the time that I held a boat party, the time our alcohol-fueled party ran across the open fields hunting for wild jacket potatoes, and the beach party where we all caught a dozen mackerel in as many minutes.

All of my friends love the taste of these rice crispy burgers, and I hope that you and your friends will try them and love them, too.

Project Steps

Gather ingredients.

Chop the onion finely (and the chili, too, if you are using it), and then add all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl.

Crumble the stock cube so that it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Knead the ingredients together thoroughly, squeezing the mixture with your hands until it binds together into a single cake.

Let the mixture rest, so that the flavors of the herbs and spices blend with the meat.

Make a ball of the burger mixture and form it into a patty about 2 inches in diameter and 3/4 of an inch high.

Thicker patties make for better finger food, and hold together better on a barbecue grill.

Grill the patty for about five minutes on each side.

The outside of the burger should be a dark caramel brown, and the inside should still be moist but not pink.

Serve the burger on a plate with a little green salad, adding salt and pepper at the last possible moment.

Conclusion

'''This project first appeared in Craftzine.com