Beer and Burgers - A Winter Evening Treat

Beer and burgers are the basic food at camp, back yard barbeques and fishing trips when you can't catch a fish. It is mid winter now with ice on the pond, the barbeque is put away, and no one in their right mind is camping....(which is not to say I wouldn't be if I could get someone to go with me). But right now I have a real yearning for a beer and a really good burger. That little yearning starts me looking for my big old cast iron frying pan which is the only way to cook a perfect burger in the kitchen in the middle of the winter. But I don't want to get ahead of myself here.....The important first ingredient is beer....Some for the recipe and some for me.

Beer comes in styles and flavors to fit any taste, enhance any occasion and match any culinary effort. For the ultimate beer and burger experience you may want to follow the advice of experts and find a good premium lager....or you may just want to follow your taste buds to your own personal favorite beer. If the gang is coming over to watch the game with you it might make sense to check on personal favorites before the game. I think Nancy likes Bud, Gene likes Miller, John likes Busch, and I like a locally brewed beer from Pendleton, Oregon called Dog Slobber....Hey, I can't be called dull, (yep, crazy maybe, but not dull). I like my burgers a bit rare, with lots of red onion, tomato, lettuce, pepper jack cheese and a mix of mayonnaise, ketchup and hot pepper sauce on a lightly toasted sesame bun. I like a real earthy, somewhat thick, dark beer with it...Dog Slobber does the trick.

Beers are properly served in perfectly clean glasses by placing the bottle against the glass and pouring quickly to produce a tight smooth head of foam. To many folks the niceties of perfectly poured beer are simply an affectation and they prefer you just get on with it. "It" of course means the party. You may offer glasses but you should also offer the choice of drinking from the bottle or can because some prefer their beer served that way.