Indiana and Slowing Down

When people think of Indiana, one of the first things that springs to mind is the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500. You could say that racing is in their blood. Believe it or not, there’s more to Indiana than racing.

Indiana is home to baseball, popcorn and a town named Santa Claus. It’s the childhood home of Abraham Lincoln and the birthplace of Michael Jackson. There are over a hundred wineries in the state. It is the crossroads of America and home to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. It was key in the Civil War, home to Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad.

Progress isn’t always the best. Before the arrival of pioneers, more than 80% of Indiana was covered with forests. Today, only 17% of the state is still truly forested. A high percentage of the state’s income is generated by factories and manufacturing.

Weird but true – in South Bend it is illegal to force a monkey to smoke a cigarette. You would think that would be the law of the land everywhere. But then again, was such cruelty prominent the South Bend that they had to outlaw the practice? For reasons beyond comprehension, in Beech Grove it is against the law to eat a watermelon while picnicking in the park. Hum, wonder if they had a seed-spitting problem. Much to the relief of parents, barbers in Elkhart are not allowed to threaten to cut off a child’s ear. And finally, you are not allowed to catch a fish with a crowbar. Does that mean you can’t use the crowbar as a pole, or that you cannot whack a fish with one?

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Today is also Fast Food Day. Fast is fine, but sometimes in order to truly appreciate a delicious burger, one needs to slow down. Let the onions caramelize slowly. Let the burger form a nice crust in an iron skillet. And most of all, savor the flavors of such a simple yet divine creation – the skillet burger.

Grilled Onion Skillet Burgers
1 medium Yellow Onion
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1-1/3 lb Ground Sirloin
4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Montreal Steak Seasoning to taste
Sliced American Cheese as desired
4 Sesame Hamburger Buns
Ketchup as desired
Mustard as desired

Peel and thinly slice onion into rings. Break apart. Place onions in a skillet over medium heat. Season with Seasoning Salt. Grill onions until caramelized. Keep warm.

Divide ground meat into 3 balls. Press down in the middle of each beef ball to create a well. Add a dash or so Worcestershire Sauce into the center of each well, work into the meat. Shape each ball into a patty just slightly larger than the bun. Season with Steak Seasoning on both sides, set patties aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear burgers on both sides to form a nice crust. Reduce heat and continue to cook to desired doneness, about 10 minutes total. Remove skillet from heat, top burgers with cheese, cover and let melt.

Split hamburger buns. Smear top and bottom bun as desired with ketchup or mustard or both.

Plate bottom bun. Top with burger patty and grilled onions, cover with top bun. Serve and enjoy.