Summer.  The season of burn bans, watering restrictions, mosquitoes, sunburns, drought, heat stroke grilling.  And nothing says “grilling” more than burgers.  If you disagree, well you can just leave.  However, for as much as I love grilling burgers, we don’t do it often enough.  So when we invited friends over for a good ol’ fashioned cookout, it was little more than a formality to discuss what we’d cook.

Because burgers happen only every once in a while, we go big*.  That means cutting no corners.

To the meat grinder!  

I grabbed some steaks at Central Market (a pound of chuck and a pound of sirloin), butchered them like a pro, and got the grinder ready for the carnage to come.  It’s one of the easier things you can do, but I wouldn’t recommend inviting any vegetarian friends over to parttake in the fun.

*We’re already home, so “go big or go home” only leaves us one option anyway.

At this point I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.  I’ll say that the burgers, topped with hatch chiles, were a big hit and devoured by all.  The process takes more time for sure, but no question it’s worth it.  It’s just the burger way of life.

Preparing for battle.

The aftermath.

Taking shape.

The result.