Guinness Burgers with Butternut Squash Fries

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 BBQ Sauce (makes about 2 cups)

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

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

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.

Guinness Burgers (4 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

Toppings: Guinness BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, arugula, tomatoes and red onion

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

Butternut Squash Fries

1-2 large butternut squash

1 gallon canola oil

salt and pepper

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.

  

Tagged as: BBQ, Burger, butternut squash, fries, guinness