There is no doubt about it, autumn is here. The mornings are crisp, the leaves are changing and my jacket has been taken out of storage and placed on the hook by the front door, we even purchased de-icer windshield washer fluid. We love autumn, the colors, the weather, a lead up to the holiday season, everything. One of may favorite colors (orange) is seen everywhere from the leaves in the tress to the pumpkins on front steps and even better, in seasonal cooking, like in this particular creation. Inspiration came from the Royal Food Joust Event sponsored by The Leftover Queen. We participated for the first time last month and enjoyed it so much we decided to try our luck again. This month’s ingredient list was stout beer, pumpkin or similar and sugar; notice anything, the colors are black and orange, perfect for Halloween. When I mentioned the three ingredients to Adam, he was pretty excited considering Guinness is a favorite of his, so using any other brand of beer was not an option. I had never cooked with pumpkin, other than out of a can, so I decided to go with butternut squash. For the sugar, we made a BBQ sauce for the burgers with Guinness, molasses, sugar and spices that turned out thick and flavorful. I cannot say this dish is the quickest, you need to spend about 30 minutes making the BBQ sauce and about 20 minutes peeling and cutting (carefully) the butternut squash for fries, but I would definitely say it was worth it. The burgers are incredibly tasty with Guinness, mustard and garlic and the fries are excellent (I would go as far to say they are better than sweet potato fries). We Adam made the burgers outside on the grill, but they could easily be made indoors in a saute pan or on an indoor grill. The fries were fried in canola oil, but they would be fantastic and healthier if baked. The whole dish is an ode to autumn with a slight throw back to summer and is just delicious.
| Guinness Burgers with Butternut Squash Fries |
- Guiness BBQ Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 12 ounce can stout beer (Guinness)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 can tomato puree (small can)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Guiness Burgers
- 1 pound minced beef (80% lean, 20% fat)
- 1 egg, whisked
- ¼ cup Stout beer (Guinness)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
- 2 teaspoons mustard (Coleman’s Mustard)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 burger buns
- Butternut Squash Fries
- 1-2 large butternut squash
- 1 gallon canola oil
- salt and pepper
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat add the olive oil and saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the molasses, beer, vinegar and tomato puree then stir to combine. Add all of the spices and allow the sauce to simmer on the stove for about 20-25 minutes until it has reduced into a thick glossy BBQ sauce. While simmering, keep an eye on the sauce and stir occasionally.
- Preheat the grill or pan to medium.
- Add beer, olive oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper to the beef then lightly mix with a fork. Do not over mix. Separate the mixture into four portions, then lightly roll each portion into a ball and press down to make a burger patty.
- Once preheated, lightly brush the grill with olive oil and place each burger patty down onto the oiled grill. Leave the patties for 4 minutes then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes or desired doneness (4-5 minutes on each side should be cooked to medium).
- Remove the patties from the grill and assemble each burger with desired toppings
- Add the oil to a large dutch oven or pot that is practical for frying and place over medium-high heat.
- Carefully peel and cut the butternut squash into fries. When the oil reaches 320 degrees, carefully place the butternut squash fries in the oil. Working in small batches, fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are floppy. Remove the fries from the oil, drain, then cool to room temperature.
- Increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees. Place the fries back into the oil (again, in small batches) and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on some paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
- Baked Butternut Squash Fries: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the fries in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown, flipping the fries once during cooking.
Toppings: Guinness BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, arugula, tomatoes and red onion
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great Joust entry! Love the idea of using butternut squash for the fries… I’m definitely giving that a try next time I pick up a squash from the market.
Oh my, that looks delicious! Never thought of making butternut squash fries, probably a lot easier to cut than sweet potatoes
This looks very good! I have always wanted to make butternut squash fries. I am a HUGE sweet potato fry fan, so if you say these are even better, then I REALLY need to make them soon!:)
Thanks so much for joining us again this month! It is great to have you back!
This burger looks amazing! I’ll have to make this for my husband seeing that he’s a huge guinness fan.
I saw these over at the Foodie Joust and thought they were a great idea
Those burgers look especially tasty. I have to admit I have yet to try sweet potato fries but they look and sound delicious!
Oh and please take a look @ http://acquiredflavor.blogspot.com/2009/10/wow-blogger-award.html It’s just a blogger award, but I feel you deserve one
What a great burger! Good one for St. Patricks day.
The burger looks very colorful and delicious! Butternut squash fries go very well too. Thanks for the recipe.
This looks fantastic! I will be making them for myself and hubby, though I will have to alter for kids….(celiac’s disease, guiness is NOT gluten free lol but I happen to love it…good thing it’s not ME with the disease!) Thanks!
arrived here via stumble upon. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have some Guinness left in the fridge from another recipe I made and hubby’s been threatening to throw them out because neither of us like the taste of it when drinking it out of a glass. Thanks for posting this!
Sounds delicious! Mind if I re-post this on the Guinness facebook page to let people know?
http://www.facebook.com/GuinnessUS
You have to try it. It is pretty delicious
You are more than welcome to re-post.
I cooked this the other day for my parents and my brothers, it was aweeeeesome! Everyone loved it and had 2nd helpings
Thanks Novelyn, we are so happy you and your family enjoyed them!
Keep those recipes comin’
ACK! What size tomato puree? I have a 28 oz-I’m sure that’s not it though…
We suggest using about half your 28-oz can. We should have specified a smaller can (about 14 ounces).
Sorry for not specifying!! Thank you for commenting.
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