‘Tis the season for that infamous burger. Here are some suggestions that you may like. Have fun with these. Most of the ingredients for the recipes listed below, can be found locally in Boise – Desert Mountain Farms for beef products, Acme Bakeshop for superb burger buns, Purple Sage and True Roots for vegetable products. If in Boise, check out the Boise Farmers Market.

From Burgers Outdoor Grilling, here is the carmelized onion recipe.

Recipe adapted from Angie Mar, The Beatrice Inn, New York, NY
Makes 1½ cups

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb (2 medium) yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 c Cabernet Sauvignon, divided
2 tbsp sugar, divided
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and lightly caramelized, 20 minutes. Add half of the wine and half of the sugar, and cook until the wine has reduced and the onions have caramelized even further, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining wine and sugar, and repeat the process until the wine has evaporated and the onions have caramelized even further, 6 to 8 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

And here is one for Housemade Beet Chup, a sweeter condiment. Roasted beets are blended with apple cider vinegar for a sauce that gives the same sweetness as your typical bottle of ketchup but with a bit more tang. The beetchup – like the name variation? – sings when paired with a burger, cheddar cheese and good crunchy iceburg lettuce on a soft roll from Acme Bake Shop here in Boise. (They can be found on Facebook at Acme Bakeshop or at the Boise Farmers Market, every Saturday 9am – 1pm at 10th and Grove in Boise.)

Recipe adapted from Sandy Dee Hall, Black Tree, New York, NY
Makes 1½ cups

Ingredients:
1 lb (2 medium) beets
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper
5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1½ tbsp sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500º. Layer 2 large pieces of aluminum foil on a clean work surface and place the beets in the center. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Crimp the foil to seal and roast in the oven until tender, 1 hour. Let cool, then once cool enough to handle, peel and quarter. Transfer the roasted beets to a blender with the remaining ingredients and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

How about a tangy sunchoke sauce? Turmeric-stained sunchokes add a bright tartness to this creamy sauce, already with a zing from hot sauce. Slather the pickled sunchoke sauce on a white bun that envelopes a patty topped with American cheese, lettuce and tomato.

Recipe adapted from John Amato, Little Jack’s Tavern, New York, NY
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:
½ c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp sea salt
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp celery seeds
¼ tsp yellow mustard seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
8 oz (4 large) sunchokes, peeled and roughly grated

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients, except the sunchokes. Bring to a boil, then pour over the grated sunchokes. Let cool completely.

Recipe adapted from John Amato, Little Jack’s Tavern, New York, NY
Makes 1¾ cup

Ingredients:
1 c mayonnaise
⅓ c ketchup
⅓ c drained pickled sunchoke relish
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely grated

Directiions:
In a medium bowl, stir all the ingredients together.

And if you are really into the Burger World and need to only make your own, here is a recipe from The Tasting Table, Homemade Burger Blend. Have fun!

Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Yield: Six 6-ounce burgers Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
½ pound beef brisket, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
6 ounces boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for greasing
Buns (Acme Bakeshop in Boise) and toppings, for serving

Directions:
1. Using a meat grinder set up according to the manufacturer’s directions and with a medium die, grind the meats into a medium bowl. Using your hands, mix the meat until incorporated, then form into six 6-ounce patties. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
2. Light a grill. Using tongs and paper towels, lightly grease the grill. Cook the burgers, flipping once, until charred and medium rare, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter, assemble as desired with buns and toppings, and serve.