What's on the Grill #304: Thanksgiving Burgers

I stand by my claim: burgers make a great canvas for flavor.  I sent Zoë on a “dinner search” last week, and she immediately pulled up Thanksgiving Burgers from Jamie Purviance’s Weber cookbook Big Book of Burgers.

When she started off the grocery list with “ground turkey,” my eye roll must have been audible.  

“Seriously?”  My head was shaking. Ground turkey sounds…healthy.

“Yes, it will be good."

“I was thinking of something…less turkey."

“It has Brie.”

"OK, I’m in.”  Damn her!  She knows my weak spots.

I love Brie and besides, it was her choice.  Thanksgiving burgers it is.  Not to skip forward too far, she was right.  They were fabulous.  Especially, at least in my mind, because of the brie.

A burger can take on any flavor, or in this case, holiday.  It was simple and incredibly tasty.   Zoë choose wisely.

Thanksgiving Burgers
Adapted from Weber’s Big Book of Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 T minced fresh sage leaves
1 T minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 t minced fresh thyme leaves
2 t minced garlic

Kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups slivered kale
8 ounces brie cut into 8 slices

Make the patties my mixing together the turkey, sage, rosemary, thyme, & garlic.

While I almost always grind my own meat, ground turkey is another story.  I bought it.  It pained me, but I bought it.

The mixture should make about 4 patties.

To minimize the “Dad Burger Phenomenon,” be sure to make a dimple with your thumb in the bottom of each burger.  We want burgers, not meatballs.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and cranberry sauce along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

In another small bowl, whisk together 2 t olive oil, a dash of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add the kale and combine.

Prep the grill for direct medium high heat.

Brush the turkey patties with olive oil and grill over direct medium high heat.

This is ground meat, so cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 F with an instant read thermometer.  Plan on about 10 minutes, with a flip somewhere in the middle.

For the last minute or so, top the burgers with the Brie.  Keep the lid closed to allow the cheese to melt.

Place the burgers on buns and top with cran-mayo mixture and kale.

Serve.

What can I say?  The turkey took on the bold flavors of the sage, rosemary, and thyme.  The mayo-cranberry was a sweet treat, and the brie was icing on the preverbal cake.  These were…great.  So good in fact, I had a burger for breakfast with eggs the next morning.  After all, it’s not Thanksgiving without leftovers.

Note: This post is all me.  The link to the cookbook goes to my Amazon associates page.  I hope your wife is as good as picking dinner as mine.