Barbecued Herb Burgers with Grilled Scallions

I know I mentioned recently that I hurt my back.  When I think about what the hell I did to it, all I keep coming up with is heavy duty gardening/digging up boulders, running, carrying around an almost three year old … and then loading a box containing 1/8th of a cow into my car.  Strangely enough, 1/8th of a cow is very freaking heavy.  When I was hoisting it into the car (with a somewhat sore back to begin with), I did happen to think that I should probably ask for help. But, I didn’t.  And then it got a lot worse.

So, I have been trying to parent young children with a bad back — which is a cruel joke.  All you do all day is lean down, pick kids up, pick toys up, pick clothes up, pick towels up, empty dishwashers, scoop up 30 pounds of tantrum in the grocery store, attempt to help tie shoes, and load groceries into the car.  And basically any time you can’t bend down, there is an unwritten law that you will accidentally drop things ten times as much.

But damn if we aren’t going to have some local, grass fed beef for burgers this summer.

This recipe utilized a lot of fresh herbs that we had growing on the patio, local cheddar cheese, and wonderful grilled scallions from our CSA box.  Served on fresh Honey Whole Grain and Spelt Rolls with a big glass of red wine, I almost forgot about my bad back.  Until I had to load the dishwasher.

Barbecued Herb Burgers with Grilled Scallions

Serves 4

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 t sea salt
Freshly Ground Pepper (about 1/2 t)
3 T chopped, fresh herbs (I used basil, chives, parsley, and thyme)
1-2 T barbecue sauce (a sweeter, Memphis style sauce)
4-6 scallions (green onions), trimmed
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Additional Barbecue Sauce
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1.  In a medium bowl, combine garlic, salt, pepper, chopped herbs, and barbecue sauce.  Gently mix with ground beef until combined (but not overmixed).  Gently shape into 4-6 burgers.  Season with additional salt and pepper.  Chill until ready to grill.

2.  Preheat grill.  Drizzle green onions with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill onions until lightly charred and softened.  Set aside.

3.  Grill burgers until desired doneness.  Top with cheddar cheese and melt.

4.  Serve burgers with soft rolls, grilled scallions (you can chop them into smaller pieces if you like), mayonnaise, and additional barbecue sauce.