Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Unlike most other Feast Days dedicated to Our Lady, today is not tied to an appearance, our Lady of Perpetual Help is tied to a story and a painting.
The story tells us that when our dear Lord was yet a small boy, He loved to play in the garden. On one occasion the Archangels, Michael and Gabriel, appeared to Him and held before His tender eyes the instruments of His future torture – the cross, the nails, the lance. The little Jesus, in terror, fled into the house and sought refuge in the arms of His Mother. In His haste the Child nearly lost one of His sandals.
It is this oral story that inspired the painting. It is one of the most famous images of our Blessed Mother, a 15th Century Byzantine Icon. When in need, we should turn to our Mother to intercede on our behalf. She has been called upon in times of natural disaster. In January 2010 Pope Benedict XVI invoked Our Lady of Perpetual Help for Haiti’s earthquake relief through Archbishop Louis Kébreau. When we are moved, we give. It’s that simple. Often Mary moves our hearts by her example of love and compassion for the whole human race. Amen.
On the National Front, today is National Onion Day. There are grilled onions on a burger and then there are grilled onions on a burger. For National Onion Day, we could not top our amazing burgers with ordinary grilled onions.
First, let’s start with two kinds of onions – one yellow, and one red. Each bring their own texture and flavor to the table. The yellow onion is an all-purpose onion. Raw, they are great on hot dogs. Sautéed and they caramelize beautifully. Red onions don’t caramelize as well and their beautiful color fades when cooked. Yet their distinct, almost spicy flavor remains. Add to the caramelized onions a kiss of A-1 Steak sauce and wow – the flavors all pop.
Hubby is usually the grill master in our house. I do the prep work and finishing work, he deals with the grill itself. That said, when we tried this new recipe for Cowboy Burgers, Hubby came home looking beat. So I decided I’d be the one in charge of grilling the burgers. That meant using the little portable grill. In case you didn’t know, I am short – under five-foot. Short has it’s limits. I cannot reach the lid on the big grill when it’s raised.
However; being short has an upside. All the upper cupboards can be open and I can walk under them. Hubby finds that funny.
Anyway, when I grilled our burgers on the little grill, I didn’t realize that I should have left the gas on High. So they didn’t get that charred outer layer that Hubby gets. To fix this, I turned the grill up at the end of the cooking, to sear the burgers as a final touch. Wow – they were so juice, cooked just right.
Cowboy Burgers
1 Yellow Onion
1/2 Red Onion
1 large Tomato
4 Green Lettuce Leaves
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1-1/2 tablespoons A1 Sauce
4 Third-Pound Hamburger Patties
Hamburger Seasoning
4 slices Pepper Jack Cheese
4 Sesame Hamburger Buns
Mayonnaise as desired
Trim and peel onion yellow onion. Slice into thin rings, separate and set aside. Cut ret onion in half from root to tip. Reserve half for another purpose. Peel and thinly slice remaining half. Set aside. Slice tomatoes, set aside. Break leaves of lettuce from head, rinse and set aside.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover with lid. Simmer 15 minute or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir steak sauce into onion mixture. Keep warm.
Heat gas grill to on high until very hot.
Season burgers generously with Hamburger Seasoning. Place burgers on the grill, lower temperature just a little and grill patties 4 minute per side or until medium doneness. Increase temperature to high, sear for about a minute longer on each side. Shut off the heat, top patties with cheese, cover and let cheese melt.
Split hamburger buns, spread mayonnaise on cut side of buns. Place 1 lettuce leaf on the bottom bun. Top with burger patty, a slice of tomato and a quarter of the onion mixture. Place top bun over the onions.
Serve with fries and enjoy.
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