Surfers Love Cheeseburgers. Scratch that -- Everybody loves cheeseburgers. Here's One That Was Crazy Good.

First some surf stuff. Last week there was that other big swell from Hurricane Odile so I didn't really get a chance to paddle out, but the weekend looked like things were backing down. For me, that would be good, and Sunday seemed like it might be particularly mellow. However, as I think I've said, sometimes you can't quite trust the Surfline reports and have to see for yourself what's what. This was definitely the case on Sunday. When I got out to the beach, all set to go, the waves were a bit bigger than I expected, and the ocean a bit choppier. Okay, the waves were by no means huge or anything, and I tried super hard to stay calm, be brave and just tackle them, but in the end I wound up doing more swim time than anything else. Which was a bummer because I was so looking forward to a cool mellow day. Well, maybe during the week, because again the reports are looking favorable (if you're a wimp!).

Speaking of things that might be unexpected, how about the use of Wagyu beef in a cheeseburger?  That would be kind of an ultimate cheeseburger, wouldn't it, and it might look something like this:

Honestly, I never expected to use Wagyu to make a burger until one day, at our local butcher McCalls (www.mccallsmeatandfish.com) they were selling some premium Wagyu burger blend. Now, first a word or two on McCall's regular burger blend -- it's awesome! A mixture of chuck, short rib, and I think brisket is what Nathan McCall once told me, with a good amount of fat, it's flavorful and delicious. (Pair one of those burgers with one of the Kobe dogs McCalls sells and it's bbq heaven time, btw). But back to the Wagyu.  So the time they were selling it I think I was set on clams for Linguine with clam sauce, and because I thought it would be there all the time, I figured I'd get it next time we were having burgers. Well, turns out it was only an occasional special -- when they get Wagyu beef and they have trimmings they make up a batch. Since it's only there sometimes, I mentioned to Nathan that the next time he had some of the primo blend to put some aside for me, and he promised he would.  Last week, when I stopped in, I was told that there was something waiting for me.  It was some of the Wagyu, cryovaced and frozen! Here, look--

See, even has my name on it! But wait, you might be asking this: what exactly is Wagyu beef anyway?  Ok, well here's a short primer. The name refers to a breed of Japanese cattle. There is an American Wagyu Association as well.  Here's a link so you can learn more: www.wagyu.org. One standout trait of Wagyu is the intense amount of marbling (ok, fat!), and as you can see from the picture above all those white bits are fat. Of course some will say we shouldn't eat it because of that, but others will tell you that fat equals flavor. It does. These burgers taste unlike any others. Rich and beefy, they are definitely a special occasion treat. If you can get your hands on some Wagyu burger blend, definitely try it.

If we're in on Friday night, it's become a tradition to have Martinis and Cheeseburgers, so here is a recipe for an ultimate Friday Night Cheeseburger!  (I know, some are asking this: who needs a recipe for a cheeseburger? Well, I think you do if you want to do it right!).

For two people

1/2 pound ground beef (Wagyu if you can get it. If you can't, find the best burger blend possible)
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 thick slice white onion
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 slices American Cheese (purchased at the deli counter -- NOT individually wrapped!)
Iceberg lettuce (shredded or left whole, up to you)
2 large tomato slices
Dill Pickle chips (ok you can use bread and butter if you like)
Yellow mustard
Special Sauce (see recipe below)
2 burger buns (again, if you can find really good ones, get them)
1 Tbsp softened butter

1)  Heat a grill to medium heat.  If you like a smoky flavor soak some mesquite chips in water a couple of hours before the burgers are going on. Alternatively, you can heat a grill pan to medium heat. Also, if using coals, bank them to one side so there's a cool section of the grill.
2)  Shape meat into two burgers.  Season burgers with salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides.
3)  Drizzle onion slice with a little olive oil.  Slice burger buns and spread cut sides with softened butter.
4)  When coals are ready (or your grill pan hot) lay burgers on grill.  Wagyu note: because of the high fat contact, you may want to not slap the burgers down directly over the coals as they will flare up a lot.  Start them toward the cooler side of the grill.  Also, lay the onion slice on the grill.  Flip the onion from time to time until it's nicely grilled.
5)  When burgers are done to your liking (we go with medium), about 4 minutes per side, lay the slices of cheese down.  Cover the grill to let the cheese melt, then remove burgers and let rest a minute or so). While burgers rest, quickly grill the buttered buns.  Also, chop the grilled onion.
6)  Assemble burgers: on bottom and top half of buns, slather on some special sauce.  Spoon some chopped grilled onion on the bottom half, followed by a nice squirt of yellow mustard.  Set down some lettuce, then your slice of tomato. Sprinkle tomato slice with a little salt and pepper.  Now set your burger on the tomato.  Top it with the pickle chips.  And there you have it, as pictured above.

They make burger buns at McCalls too.  Don't they look great?

Now how about that special sauce?

For 2 burgers:

1 heaping tablespoon pickle relish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1)  Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate until needed.

That was hard, wasn't it?!

I've already posted about my love for In-n-Out burgers and this is a pretty close at-home version, with much better beef this time of course! I just think there are some things that should always be done when making a cheeseburger.  Some may frown on this but some chefs I know approve -- you need to use American cheese because nothing really melts like it. Just do it. Also, you need to have a special sauce of some kind, and some grilled onions.  Buttering and grilling the buns is also always a good thing. Lettuce, Tomato and pickles are also a must. In fact it's sort of a classic combination that In-n-Out gets right every time.  If you've been to a Shake Shack in NY they do a similar burger there (and their inspiration was, I believe, In-n-Out as well).

So maybe it's time to up your burger game and try something unexpected. Just don't mess with the other classic elements!