Friday, July 26, 2013

Parmesan Honey Lager Burger



Time (and a good juicy plump burger) waits for no man. Nor a woman. Nor anyone. In between. Just this evening at work, a colleague of mine who suddenly realised that it was almost 6pm on a Friday evening remarked that before we all know it, life will pass us by without us really living it. He lamented where did the days go and since when did we the week come to Friday. Days, weeks and months sure seem to speed through so much more quicker in this era. Especially so when we get all too consumed with work. During my childhood, days seem to linger on and on and on and dreadful, sleepy-eyed school hours just don't seem to have an ending to it. As kids, most of us can't wait to grow up, as we spent countless time imagining what we would become as adults - teacher, nurse, doctor. One of those traditional roles. Part of that eagerness to grow up was so that we could finally leave school, grumpy teachers and exams! But school years seem to pass by so slowly back then. As we hit adulthood, that's when the years start to swoosh by more quickly. To be more precise, it starts right after you hit the big three 0!! And then, it accelerates further the moment the 0 hits 5. Life is mean. But I think globalisation has redefined the way we relate to the whole concept of time. I mean, time really didn't change, did it. There are still 60 seconds in a minute as there were 50 years ago. But, our spatial sense of time has changed. Technological advances like the internet and social media have made life more busier than ever, and time passing by faster than ever, ever before, or so it feels like it. I don't think we can ever go back to pre-internet days. How can we ever get used to that all over again? We can only go forward from here on. So, I do wonder how that spatial sense of time will be like say, 20 or 30 years from now, with the younger generation and with newer technological innovations. And speaking of time, I didn't realise just how long I've left this blog unposted. Didn't feel that long at all but it has been almost nine months since my last post. Now, where the heck did all the time go to?! I haven't got a clue!

Parmesan Honey Lager Burger (adapted from 'Gourmet Burgers' - no author's name)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef/lamb/pork (or mixed)
3/4 cup lager/beer, stirred with 1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Worcesterhire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsps mayonnaise
3 tbsps ketchup
1/2 tsp yellow mustard
lettuce, cucumber slices, tomato slices, onion slices, gherkins, sliced cheddar cheese


  1. Combine ground meat, 1/4 cup lager, Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce and pepper in a large bowl. Mix lightly. Shape into 4 or 5 patties.
  2. Combine 1 tbsp lager, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard in a small bowl; set aside.
  3. Grill patties over medium high heat, a few minutes on each side. Turn and brush with some of the remaining lager. Repeat turning and brushing over grill and cook to desired doneness. 
  4. Place a slice of cheddar cheese on top a pattie and grill an extra 30 seconds until the cheese melts a little.
  5. Assemble the burger with the pattie, lettuce, tomato, onion, gherkin etc (whatever you like) and topped with the sauce (no. 2). Add other sauces like BBQ, sweet onion etc if you like.
  6. Bite in & enjoy!! 


Happy grillin'!