Mustard Pepper Burger

I am sure that everyone has meals that remind them of specific times in life. For me, the Mustard Pepper Burger at Village Tavern in Winston-Salem, NC reminds me of high school- a time when sitting down to eat a ½lb hamburger and plate of fries was a weekly occurrence with my best girlfriends. I was fiercely loyal to this burger for many years of my life, so when I was craving a hamburger this weekend I decided to try and replicate this old favorite. To my delight, after a little research, I found the recipe for the marinade and gave it a try. I was really satisfied with the results; it was not exactly like theirs, but pretty close. This not the time to buy lean ground beef, I would stick to 80/20 for the most flavor and to ensure that your burger is not a well seasoned hockey puck. Now all I need is the recipe for their mustard sauce and I will be all set!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Hamburger

1lb ground beef (preferably 80/20)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

4 hamburger buns

Dijon mustard

Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles

Mustard Pepper Marinade

1 ½ tablespoons Soy Sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/8 Tablespoon Cracked Black Pepper

· Place all ingredients for the marinade in a container and whisk or shake until well combined.

· Preheat grill or grill pan to med-high heat.

· Season meat with salt and pepper and form 4oz patties. Once grill is hot, place patties on surface and grill for 5 minutes on each side. Flip the burgers only once and do not press on them while they are cooking.

· When burger has reached desired doneness, remove from grill. Brush with Mustard-Pepper Marinade and add cracked peppercorns. Then place burger on bottom half of the bun.

· Add Dijon mustard to top and bottom of bun. Then add lettuce, tomato, onion and garnish with a pickle.