I’m a bit late to the burger club party but I did make this months burger for the hubby last night. You see, he’s been gone for almost 2 weeks and deserved some home cookin’.
I’m joining Reeni of Cinnamon and Spice, and Everything Nice for her burger club where we are cookin’ up a new burger and giving it a rating about once a month. This months party was hosted by Kim of Stirring The Pot , where you can see the complete round up.
The ratings are based on a four-star rating:
1 Star = Didn’t like and wouldn’t make again.
2 Stars = Liked but wouldn’t make again.
3 Stars = Liked and will make again.
4 Stars = Loved! Will make often.
This burger averaged a decent t rating from the others who tried it, so maybe it was a good thing I’m late. I would have brought the rating down I’m afraid. However, The Hubby gave it a firm 3.5 stars.
Um eh um, no way. Let me explain.
The burger was well seasoned and a great idea but I thought it was rather dry. My husband is trying to convince me that it was his fault because he believes he may have over cooked them. Well, maybe, but…
I think it was also because it was a lean piece of meat. I would like to try the burger seasonings in a ground beef with a little more fat. I think that would help enormously with the dryness factor. My second complaint with the meat portion of this burger burger was the expensive. It was not worth the money per pound for the ground flank steak.
The salad part was O.K, but I guess I’m not a Caesar salad kind of girl so I didn’t care for that part. The hubby LOVED it; hence his high ranking.
The toasted garlic crostini was YUMMY. I will be making many more burgers on that, instead of hamburger buns.
I gave this a rating of 2.5 out of 4 stars. The cost, the dryness, and (me) not liking the dressing was my reasons for such a low score. But if you average it out with the hubby, that’s 3 stars. But…
My burger club, my blog, my decision!
It’s a 2.5.
But if you are a Caesar kind of person, by all means, try this burger. I just suggest you try it with a ground round and skip the flank steak! But that’s my opinion and you know what they say about opinions! 
Caesar Salad with Flank Steak Burgers with Garlic Crostini
Adapted from Build a Better Burger
(Makes 4 large meal-sized burgers)
Estimated Time: 30-40 minutes
Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 flat anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained and chopped (I use 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Patties:
1-1/2 pounds ground flank steak
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Zinfandel (feel free to use any red wine or even beef broth)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for brushing the grill rack
Garlic Crostini:
8 (1/2 inch-thick) sourdough bread slices
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing on the bread
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
You will also need:
1-1/2 cups washed, dried, and shredded romaine lettuce
Shredded, freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese to taste
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium high.
To make the dressing, combine the olive oils, vinegars, and salt in a small jar with a lid and shake until well blended. Mash the anchovy fillets and garlic together on a cutting board until they form a paste; transfer to a bowl. Add the oil and vinegar mixture, lemon juice, and parsley and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
To make the patties, combine the steak, parsley, shallots, garlic, Zinfandel, salt, lemon pepper seasoning, and pepper in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the bread slices.
When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with olive oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference 5-7 minutes on each side for medium. During the last few minutes of cooking, to make the crostini, brush the bread slices to taste with olive oil on both sides. Place the bread slices on the outer edges of the rack, turning once to toast lightly. Remove and rub each side of the toast with 1/2 garlic clove.
To assemble the burgers, combine the lettuce and the dressing in a large bowl and toss lightly. On 4 of the bread slices, place an equal portion of the salad, a patty and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Top with the remaining slices and serve.
Print This Recipe
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Steak and caesar? This is one of my favorite flavor combos!
I agree with you completely! I don’t think it has anything to do with how your husband cooked them. I didn’t overcook mine and I thought they were dry too. Glad you joined the burger club!
Megan.. even though you weren’t 5 stars happy with it.. it’s a wonderful concept and the ingredient list sounds pretty yummy! Although I agree, flank steak has flavor but not enough fat for a juicy burger. And I love the little side crock of beans..
I agree with you about it being on the dry side…I kept dipping mine in the leftover dressing. But I’m glad you made it! And I’m having a burger round-up for Burger Club this time around – would love it if you added this. The link-up is on my latest post.
I like the combination.
Can anyone join the burger club?
I am most definitely “a Caesar salad kind of girl,” and I’m really lusting after this recipe. Based on ingredients alone, it looks sensational, and I’m hoping your husband is right in his scoring. Perhaps using a cheaper, juicier ground beef would make the difference, as you suggest? I hope so, because I really want to make this one for our traditional 4th of Jul holiday. It looks like a winner to me.
This looks great. Grumpy would actually be very happy if he had this meal!
WIll definetly do it. Next week I will do my burger. So excited….Thanks Megan