Ground Beef

This is an old-school pasta cooked a new-school way. Grilling the pasta makes it entirely new, adding a smoky flavor and the occasional browned crunchy bit of pasta, which is delicious. For my Harvest Dinner, because I was cooking pasta for 100 people, I vac-packed the meatballs the night before the party. I've given instructions for this method of cooking for those of you who have vac-pack equipment; it's a great way to cook for a crowd. Don't worry if you don't have sous-vide equipment or a vac-packer; we've also included steps for cooking meatballs the usual way. This recipe makes a lot of meatballs. You can halve it if you like; I never mind having some meatballs in my fridge the next day.

These are fairly large and entrée-sized. If you want them smaller, reduce the cook time by a few minutes.

A burger with a fiery twist. This classic cheeseburger gets a tasty update with the addition of GOYA® Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. These chipotle chiles are jalapeño peppers that have been dried, smoked,and then packed in a flavorful sauce made of tomatoes and other spices.

The Perfect Pastry for All Meals

Meatballs are usually the spicy sidekick to spaghetti, but with a crusty roll, zesty tomato sauce, and some fresh mozzarella, they are transformed into hero material. Proving their versatility, these beefy bites from home cook Gayle Gardener of New Mexico also work as hors d’oeuvres. Just add a dipping sauce, and they’ll be the hit of the party. If you’re counting calories, substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef and bake them.

Long the star of South American street snacks, the empanada gets a dinner close-up with this hearty version that puts an entire meal in the palm of your hand. This recipe adapts easily to the stuffing of your choice. Substitute lean ground turkey and bake for a lighter alternative.

“This recipe will prove all meatloaf doubters wrong!” says Epicurious member Jamie Monahan, of Martinez, California. She has perfected it over the years and it combines sweet and smoky flavors harmoniously. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots—and if you have leftovers, slice onto crusty bread for a stick-to-your-ribs sandwich.

These multispiced patties are a step up from basic backyard burgers, infused with a laundry list of herbs and chopped veggies. Grab a handful of napkins and prepare for a messy masterpiece.

Coffee and burgers are not your everyday combination, but you’ll be surprised at the depth and complexity that freshly ground beans deliver when combined with brown sugar, pepper, coriander, and oregano. Bacon, along with the smoked cheese, is added to the patties while they finish up on the grill. Spoon on the Texas Barbecue Sauce, and crack open a brew.

Grilled meatballs, grilled bread, and a peppery arugula-walnut pesto make this sandwich one to remember.

For her holiday party one year, my friend Elizabeth served a row of meat loaves that were presented on her finest China platters and had been stuffed with spinach and cheese. I loved that, and occasionally follow her lead for just a regular Tuesday night meal. To stuff, place half the meatloaf mixture in the loaf pan. Using a spoon, make a well down the length of the middle, then add thawed frozen spinach and mozzarella cheese into the well. Cover with remaining mixture and proceed as directed.

In our never-ending quest for the best burger, we think we've hit on an outstanding version that requires nothing more than a trip to the supermarket and a short sojourn in the freezer for the bacon. Sure, there are those DIY purists who are going to buy several different beef cuts from a high-end butcher—if not butcher the beef themselves from their own grass-fed steer—then coarsely grind it with their own sterilized meat grinder, but most of us just want an easy recipe for a really great backyard burger.
Burger-meisters might be shocked, but this burger does best by being cooked a bit more slowly, over indirect heat. So sit back, pop open a cold one, and let these burgers baste themselves into a sublime place. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Burger Bash. Menu also includes Homemade French Fries with Five Dipping Sauces and Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake.

Five ingredients and five steps will get you to burger heaven.

Briefly blanching whole onions makes them easy to separate and fill.

Delicious on its own, this thoroughly modern meatloaf takes on a terrine-like texture when chilled overnight, just right for deluxe open-face sandwiches with a banh mi-like flavor profile.

Using cinnamon to flavor a beef dish may sound strange to anyone who is not familiar with the cuisine of southern Italy, where the Moorish influence is apparent in the seasonings of many dishes. I promise, though, the spice is a fantastic addition. The cinnamon gives the sauce a little sweetness and a little heat all in one without being spicy, per se. Try it.

This favorite of American households is the usual “starter” taco served at schools, airports, and drive-ins, and undoubtedly what most of us picture when we think of tacos. It’s the familiar fried folded corn tortilla shell layered with shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce, piquant fresh tomato salsa, and a cumin-flavored ground beef filling topped with grated cheese—but this one is so much tastier. As with any taco served in a crispy shell, fill and eat it right away or it will get soggy. Try to buy a high-quality ground beef, preferably pure ground chuck with a 25 to 30 percent fat content. Less expensive hamburger grinds will work fine, but they won’t be as flavorful or juicy.

The hamburger might be an easy weeknight staple, but it can also be a gourmet creation worth serving to company—if prepared right. The best hamburgers begin with top-quality meat. Grinding it yourself is preferable to buying packaged meat because you have a lot more control over the cut and quality of the meat you use. Chuck, with at least 15 percent fat, produces a juicier, more flavorful burger than a leaner cut like sirloin. Start with a top-quality chuck roast from the butcher’s counter. Doing your own grinding also allows you to determine the coarseness of the meat. The technique below was developed after much experimenting. Dividing the meat in half and grinding it two ways, one a bit coarse to keep the mixture juicy and not too dense, and one finer to help bind everything together, results in the very best burger. It’s more work than opening a package and tossing patties into a pan, but the effort pays off in a big way. You can add whatever seasonings you like to the meat, but don’t skimp on salt and pepper—a generous sprinkling of each is imperative. Handle the ground meat as little and as gently as possible—form it into patties with your hands, taking care not to press or condense the meat too much—since overworked meat will yield a tough burger. Make a slight indentation in the center of each patty; this will prevent a “ballooning” effect as it cooks, and help you resist the temptation to press it down with a spatula, condensing the patty and forcing delicious juices to be lost. Also, keep in mind that the meat will shrink while cooking. To ensure that your hamburger will be the same size as the bun, form the patties a half-inch larger in diameter than the size of the bun. Finally, because ground meat cooks relatively quickly, chilling the burger before cooking (especially on the grill, as in the variation below), will make it easy to achieve a burger with a rare, juicy center, if that’s what you’re aiming for. Chilling is also more convenient for entertaining, since the patties can be formed ahead of time and refrigerated and covered until needed.