Burgers
September 14, 2010
Julia Child
MEAT EATERS are imperialists. Their refusal to trade the fatted calf for edamame or chickpeas is proof of aggressive instincts and fundamentalism, both political and dietary. The meat eater is a colonialist at heart, a supremacist of one kind or another. The vegetarian stands for world peace and tolerance, the carnivore for hatred.
The burger, in particular, is a symbol of all that is wrong with Western civilization. Most everyone likes it anyway.
Julia Child was inspirational in the field of burger cookery, even though she specialized in French cuisine. In general, Mrs. Child reveled in meat and was unapologetically Western compared to today’s fusion cooks. Mrs. Child’s burger recipes are excellent and simple. They are also somewhat counter-intuitive. Adding heavy cream to hamburger is not something that naturally occurs to us, but it works.
The following recipe from From Julia Child’s Kitchen is best when made with beef from a butcher or good meat department. It heavily depends on the quality of the product.
Bifteck Haché, Sauté Nature
2 lbs. freshly ground beef chuck
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 to 4 Tb heavy cream
olive or peanut oil
For the sauce
2 TB minced shallots or scallions
1/4 cup red wine, white wine, or dry vermouth
1 TB tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 Tb minced fresh basil or parsley
Toss the beef with the salt, pepper and cream. Form four patties.
Film a large heavy frying pan with olive or peanut oil and heat to very hot.
Sauté the hamburgers on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on how you like them. Remove burgers from the pan. Spoon all but a tablespoon of fat out of pan, add shallots or scallions, and sauté for a moment. Deglaze with the wine (pour in the wine and boil rapidly, scraping residue from pan). Add the cream and tomato paste, and boil rapidly to thicken slighlty. Add the herbs and pour sauce over hamburgers. Serve on rice or plain.
— Comments —
Randy B. writes:
Mrs. Child was also a blatant socialist who did everything she could to emasculate her husband, and promote radical feminism in America. But it sounds like she was a good cook, and had good tastes in food prep skills.
Laura writes:
I have to admit I know nothing of her politics and very little about her marriage. I only know her recipes. I am saddened, but not surprised.
Eric writes:
Julia was also a spy: she was a member of the OSS during WW2, acting as a secretary or assistant of some sort to OSS head Bill Donovan.
Just FYI. I’m sure her hamburger recipes are still good.
