This time of year, the grill is a man’s best friend and burgers reign supreme. All around the country, summer evenings are highlighted by a juicy burger consumed with a thick, creamy milk shake.
But by the time July rolls around, routine has settled in; the novelty of grilling a burger has faded, and milk shakes just don’t offer the same excitement they once did.
To inject a little zest into your summer meal routine, chef Richard Blais comes to the rescue. Best known from his stint on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Blais has several restaurants, such as HD1 and FLIP Burger Boutique, where he amps up these summertime favorites with creative customizations.
In the video above, he shows how to make a Juicy Lucy burger (a beef patty with white American cheese inside it), and a pineapple upside-down cake milk shake with foie gras. He also talks about the little things you can do to add outstanding flavor to these dishes, making your backyard summer meal anything but ordinary.
To help you get started, here is Richard Blais' recipe for a Juicy Lucy burger and a pineapple upside-down shake from his restaurant FLIP:
Ingredients
1 pound of chuck
1 pound of short rib
1 pound of brisket
1/2 pound of dry aged beef fat
2 slices of white American cheese
- Create two 4 ounce patties
- Lay 2 slices of American cheese between the patties. Seal the patties around the cheese
- Grill to desired temperature
- Add desired condiments
Pineapple Upside-down Shake
Yield: 4 shakes
Ingredients
For shake:
1 qt vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
8 oz. pineapple puree
2 slices fresh pineapple, grilled
4 oz. pound cake, diced
4 maraschino cherries
For caramel foam:
1/4 tablespoon caramel extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream
- Puree ice cream, pineapple puree and milk in blender until smooth
- Place diced pound cake in bottom of milkshake glass
- Top with shake
- To make the caramel foam, mix the caramel extract, sugar and heavy cream and put it into an iSi canister and charge
- To serve, garnish the shake with foam, grilled pineapple and maraschino cherry