Balsamic Onion Burgers

Growing up we had a terrific restaurant in town called The Saratoga Trunk. They had pastas, salads, steaks, and some seafood, but in my mind the real standouts were the burgers. The menu itself wasn’t huge, and I don’t know how many burgers were on the menu, but it must’ve been at least 20. Bacon burgers, mushroom burgers, BBQ burgers, avocado burgers, every kind of cheese you could think of, and they were all served on toasted English muffins instead of regular hamburger buns. (And every burger was served with house-cut-and-fried Saratoga chips, too, which were excellent and a revelation.)

Unless we’re having small children over to eat, I serve hamburgers on toasted English muffins here at home all the time. I do find that children are generally against any innovation in otherwise familiar foods, preferring to remain in their comfort zone, period. And, hey, guests are guests, no matter how small.

Even so, I’ve come to think of a toasted English muffin as a brilliant burger holder, and my own children stopped flinching long ago. Jacques Pepin has my back on this, and so did Anthony Bourdain, by the way, and that’s some sweet vindication right there. First, English muffins are the right size. No half-inch of bun is hanging off the sides of your average hand-formed burger. Second, the texture and flavor are drastically better than typical commercial buns, i.e., they’re not bland and squishy. Further, those crispy toasty edges are a lovely contrast to a juicy hamburger, and the bread doesn’t dissolve mid-meal. Finally, English muffins with their nooks and crannies stand up to condiments beautifully. Whether we’re talking a smear of ketchup and mustard, or a pile of sauteed mushrooms, the English muffin rides herd far better than wimpy white bread buns do. I heartily encourage you to give English muffin burgers a try.

The caramelized Balsamic Onions below are a house favorite, and would have been right at home at The Saratoga Trunk. They’re terrific on burgers, of course, but they’re also outstanding as a steak topping. They’ll keep in your refrigerator for a week or so, assuming they last that long. Use any leftover Balsamic Onions on sandwiches, in tacos or wraps, or as a crostini topping. They REALLY dress up a baked potato. Heck, you can chop them up finely, add them to a quick red wine vinaigrette with a little bacon, and enjoy a top-shelf wedge or spinach salad. (UPDATE: I chopped up some leftover Balsamic Onions with some salt and pepper and stirred that into some sour cream. Commercial French onion dip is CRYING right now. Kraft and Golden Flake: you can reach me on my cell.)

For these burgers I like Swiss or provolone and a little grainy mustard, but you can use whatever strikes your fancy. Cheddar and a dab of BBQ sauce would undoubtedly be a winner, and bacon plus blue cheese would probably net you something sparkly–like jewelry, or a shiny new something for your boat or grill.

Happy easy summertime eating!

Balsamic Onion Burgers

2 large Vidalia onions, cut in half through the root end and sliced ½” thick
2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
½ t. salt
¼ t. black pepper
¼ t. dried thyme
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. red wine
4 ¼ lb. burgers, cooked however you like
4 whole English muffins, lightly buttered and toasted

Sauté the onions in butter and oil over medium heat, add the salt and pepper.

When the onions are very soft and translucent, add the thyme, balsamic vinegar, and red wine. Turn the heat to low and cook very slowly until they are dark brown, and the liquids are completely reduced to a thick syrupy glaze clinging to the onions.

Top burgers with hot onions and serve on the toasted English muffins with your choice of condiments. Any leftover onions will keep in the fridge for a week or so.