TORRANCE, Calif. — After a nationwide search for America's best burger, Jennifer Beckman's Screen Porch Burger, made with King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread Sandwich Buns, earned the Falls Church, Virginia resident the $100,000 grand prize in Sutter Home Winery's 21st annual Build a Better Burger(R) Recipe Contest.
Judges looked for highly creative recipes that were packed with flavor, yet not overly complicated or costly to make. Beckman was inspired by the "delicious, late summer dinners [she] enjoyed on the porch at [her] parents' farm." Beckman's burger is thick and flavorful with a nostalgic flair, made with ground chuck mixed with salt, pepper and scallions, topped with a mixture of sweet corn, basil, shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and some of her own bread-and-butter pickles, all seated between the sweetness of a King's Hawaiian Sandwich Bun.
"It's important to choose the right bread for your burger," says Beckman. "I chose King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Sandwich Buns because they add just the right amount of sweetness to any burger. I thought the buns added perfect balance to the savory ingredients in my Screen Porch Burger."
Screen Porch Burger
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
Sweet Corn-Basil Cheese
6 oz. sharp white Cheddar cheese
1 cup sweet corn kernels, from about 3 ears
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Bread and Butter Frickles
1 cup vegetable oil
12 long sandwich-cut (stacker) bread and butter pickles
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
Patties
2 lbs. ground chuck
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 King's Hawaiian Sweet Sandwich Buns
6 slices (1/4 inch-thick) heirloom tomato
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
6 leaves red-leaf lettuce
Instructions
To make the cheese spread, shred the Cheddar on a box grater. Combine the cheese, corn, basil, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl and stir to blend. Set aside until ready to serve.
Heat a gas grill to high.
To make the frickles, heat a large cast-iron skillet on the grill for at least 5 minutes. Carefully add the oil to the hot pan and heat to 350 deg F. While the pan is heating, lay out the pickle slices in a single layer on a kitchen towel. Blot with a second kitchen towel. Arrange 3 small bowls into a breading station: place the flour in the first, beat the eggs and milk together in the second, and mix the cornmeal and panko in the third. Season the contents of each bowl with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and mix to combine.
Bread the dried-off pickle slices by turning in the flour, then dipping in the egg mixture, and finally coating with the panko-cornmeal mixture. Fry the breaded pickles in batches, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 90 seconds per side. Drain on a rack set over a paper-towel-lined sheet pan. Reduce the heat to medium-high.
To make the patties, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix gently. Divide into 6 equal portions and form into 3/4-inch-thick patties to fit the buns.
Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. After turning the patties, arrange the buns, cut side down, around the edges of the grill to toast.
To assemble the burgers, place a patty on each of the bun bottoms. Top each patty with 2 crisscrossed frickles, a tomato slice, and a lettuce leaf. Spread the top half of each roll with a scant 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and close the burgers.
Enjoy on the screen porch, listening to the soothing sounds of a summer evening, accompanied by a crisp, cold glass of Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc.
Check out other recipes perfect for any gathering on the King's Hawaiian website at kingshawaiian.com/recipes.
About King's Hawaiian
Founded more than 60 years ago in Hilo, Hawaii by Robert Taira, King's Hawaiian Bakery continues to be well known as a family-owned producer of irresistible, original recipe foods made with Aloha spirit. After introducing their delicious sweet bread to the mainland, the Taira family opened the popular King's Hawaiian Restaurant & Bakery in Torrance, Calif. in 1988 and launched a quick-service restaurant concept, The Local Place, in 2002. In addition to operating a dynamic 150,000 square-foot bakery facility, the company continues to expand its distribution of bread products into stores nationwide with an appreciation for quality ingredients and great taste. For more information, visit the company's website at kingshawaiian.com, become a King's Hawaiian fan on Facebook or follow King's Hawaiian on Twitter.
Source: King's Hawaiian