This is the ultimate guy-burger created by Chef Michael Schlow of Radius restaurant in Boston. Grill some up at your next tailgate.

NOTE: The sauce can be made up to three days ahead; the onions can be prepared early on the day they will be served.

Makes 2 “fat boy” burgers.




YOU NEED:
18 ounces ground beef (Ask the butcher for 80 percent lean. Do not change this part, please!)

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish

Juice of half a lemon

2 thick slices good quality Vermont or English cheddar cheese

2 hamburger buns, split in half (buy the best ones you can get; I like brioche buns)

Crispy Onions (recipe follows)

Fresh ground pepper


• Combine the ground beef with the olive oil, salt, and plenty of black pepper.

• Divide the meat into two 9-ounce patties and refrigerate until the grill is ready. (Don’t do this more than an hour in advance.)

• Combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and season with black pepper. (You can do this ahead of time and store it in the fridge.)

• Heat the grill to high.

• Take the hamburgers out of the refrigerator 5 to 7 minutes before you are ready to grill them.

• Place the burgers on the preheated grill and cook 1 1/2 minutes (for rare).

• Give the burgers a quarter-turn to “mark” them, and cook 1 1/2 more minutes.

• Flip the burgers over and cook 1 1/2 minutes.

• Rotate a quarter-turn to “mark” and cook 1 1/2 more minutes.

• Transfer the burgers to the grill’s top shelf or to a cooler section of the grill and cover each one with a slice of cheese.

• Turn the grill off and shut the lid.

• After 4 minutes open the lid. The cheese will be melted and the burgers cooked rare to medium-rare. Toast the buns, if desired, and place a burger on each.

• Spread plenty of the horseradish sauce on each burger; it should drip down the sides.

• Top with Crispy Onions and season with freshly ground black pepper.

• Slather more sauce on the other half of the bun and place it on top of the burger.

• Grab a cold beer or iced tea and get ready to make a mess. Dainty this ain’t!


CRISPY ONIONS
1 large yellow onion, sliced into very thin rings, 1/3 to 1/8-inch thick

2 cups canola oil

• Place onion rings and oil in a small sauce pot. (Don’t worry if the rings break apart).

• Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to a very low simmer. The heat releases the onion’s natural sugars, and in essence, causes them to melt.

• Turn the onions with a fork every thirty seconds or so, and cook until they turn golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Adjust the heat if needed to maintain a low simmer.

• Remove the onions from the oil and arrange in a single layer on paper towels. (At this point, the onions won’t yet be crispy, but I promise you that after a few minutes, as the caramelized sugars cool and harden, the onions will become deliciously crisp.)

See this and other great recipes in Michael’s new book, “It’s About Time”

www.radiusrestaurant.com