RED ROBIN BANZAI BURGER

MENU DESCRIPTION: “Marinated in teriyaki and topped with grilled pineapple, Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo, Dude, you’ll be like, ready to ride the pipeline on 0’ahu’s North Shore after you chomp on this!”

Here’s customer choice number one from Red Robin’s huge burger menu. According to Red Robin servers, the beef they use for all their burgers is ground from Angus flank steak. That meat makes for a great burger to be sure, but it’s tough to find in the market unless you grind your own.So if you’re not up for some good old-fashioned meat-grinding fun, just pick up ground chuck for this recipe. If you can’t find chuck, sirloin will have to do. Just make sure the fat content is at least 15 percent, since low-fat ground beef makes burgers that are just too dry and short on flavor. I tested a half-dozen popular teriyaki glazes in the stores and nothing comes close to the stuff they use at the restaurant, so I’ve included a recipe here to make your own. Be sure to watch your marinated meat and pineapple slices closely on the grill since the sugar in the teriyaki marinade could burn over the open flame. If you’re grilling outside, keep the lid open. And don’t hit the La-Z-Boy until this puppy’s done.

MAKES: I BURGER

INGREDIENTS:

TERIYAKI MARINADE:

• • 1 ¾ cups water
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

FOR THE BURGER:

• • 1 5.5-ounce ground beef patty
  • 2 canned pineapple slices
  • 2 slices Cheddar cheese
  • 1 sesame seed hamburger bun
  • 4 teaspoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tomato slices
  • ¼ cup shredded iceberg lettuce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. Make the teriyaki marinade by combining all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium/high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Cover and chill the marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
   2. Form the ground beef into a round patty slightly larger in diameter than the sesame seed bun. Pour a little teriyaki glaze into a plastic container with a lid, then carefully drop in the patty. Add enough teriyaki glaze to cover the patty, seal the container, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but no more than 12 hours. Place the pineapple slices into another container with a lid, add the remaining teriyaki glaze, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for the same time as the burger.
   3. Preheat the barbecue or indoor grill to medium heat.
   4. Grill the hamburger patty for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until it reaches your desired doneness. When flipping the burger, add the pineapple slices to the grill. The pineapple will take about half as long to cook as the burger. The pineapple slices are done when they have grill marks on each side. Avoid burning the burger or pineapple due to the sugar in the teriyaki marinade. About 1 minute before the burger is done, place 2 slices of Cheddar cheese on top of the patty to melt.
   5. While the hamburger is grilling, toast the face of the top and bottom sesame seed bun on an indoor griddle or skillet over medium heat.
   6. Spread approximately 2 teaspoons of mayo on each of the toasted faces of the top and bottom bun.
   7. Stack the hamburger patty on the bottom bun.
   8. Arrange the tomato slices on the patty.
   9. Stack the grilled pineapple on top of the tomato slices.
   10. Add about ¼ cup of shredded lettuce, then finish the burger off with the top bun.