bison

Ingredients:

1.5 lb ground bison meat

5 T bottled white horseradish

2 T worcestershire sauce

0 coarse salt and ground pepper

4 sli cheddar cheese (about 1.2 ounce each)

4 english muffins, split horizontally

0 toppings: leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced onion, mustard)

Directions

Gently form meat into 4 equal-size patties, 4 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. With thumb, make a 1/2-inch-deep indentation in the center of each patty (this helps the burgers sit flat on the grill with more area in contact). Season burgers with salt and pepper. Grill 4 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare, placing cheese on second side for last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking. Serve on English muffins (toasted on grill, if you like), with toppings.

Notes:

Why does America love burgers?

Why are burgers considered so very American?

What does our love of the burger say about us?

I could easily adopt the burger attitude of the moment and rail against the burger. I could make all the heart attack on a bun jokes that are so trendy right now. But I am not gonnaâ€¦

Because I love a good burger.

Lest you think that I am some sort of fallen foodie. Let me remind you that Julia Child had an In-N-Out Burger delivered to her hospital room after recovering from surgery and Thomas Keller is flipping burgers in Napa County at Ad Hoc now.

So you see burgers are an American Institution whose power lies in itâ€™s iconoclasm and itâ€™s decidedly simple virtues. In other words, a burger is iconic simplicity. Which is the same as â€œmom and apple pieâ€ in my book.

So I do understand that burgers have a well-deserved place in American folklore. And I can believe that the humble hamburger really does say something about being an American.