Homemade 4th of July burgers

This is the 4th of July weekend—barbecue, picnics, parades and fireworks, independence ringing out in the Americas and our island territories. Families and friends gather to eat and socialize.

Most of the home barbecue I have seen in Guam and on Saipan have a wide variety of meats and seafood. But back home in California where I grew up, the staple on the grill was also a homemade hamburger. Every father had his famous recipe, but this version always stood out as one of my favorites. It is always best to have freshly made buns ready for this great burger.

Quick Barbeque Sauce

Yields 2/3 cup

4 tablespoons catsup
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Heat all the ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to boil, then adjust the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from heat, then remove and discard the garlic cloves. The sauce may be used immediately or cooled in an ice-water bath. It will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for several days. Warm the sauce before using.

Homemade Burgers with a Quick Barbeque Sauce

Makes 4 burgers

1 _ pounds ground beef Sirloin
_ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chopped onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
_ teaspoon paprika
_ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
_ teaspoon chili powder
_ teaspoon salt
Pinch Cayenne pepper
2 oz Maytag blue cheese or other favorite blue cheese
Salt and pepper to season
4 onion rolls (cut in half)

In a 5-quart stainless steel bowl, gently but thoroughly combine the ground beef, onions, garlic, cumin, paprika, freshly ground black pepper, chili powder, _ teaspoon salt, and Cayenne pepper.

Gently form the seasoned beef into eight 3-ounce, _ -inch-thick patties. Use a metal spoon to make a small, shallow indentation in the center of 4 of the patties. Place _ ounce blue cheese into each indentation, top each with another patty, and gently form into 1 1/4 –inch-thick burgers, making sure to seal all open edges. Cover the burgers with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed.

Just before grilling, lightly season the burgers with salt and pepper, then coat with Quick Barbeque Sauce. Grill the burgers over a medium wood or charcoal fire. Cook to the desired doneness: 4 to 5 minutes on each side for rare, 6 to 7 minutes on each side for medium, and 9 to 10 minutes on each side for well-done. Frequently baste the burgers during the grilling with Quick Barbeque Sauce. (This burger may also be cooked on a well-seasoned flat griddle or in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook for about the same amount of time as listed for grilling.)

Remove the burgers from the grill, and baste with the remaining Quick Barbeque Sauce. Toast the rolls, cut side down, on the grill or griddle or in a nonstick sauté pan until golden brown, about 1 minute. Place each burger on the bottom half of a toasted roll, and top with Sautéed Mushrooms and the other half of the roll. Serve the burgers immediately.

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Spitzer is the executive chef of the Dai-Ichi Hotel Saipan Beach.