Stephi Burger

With Stephanie Sokolove

Stephanie Sokolove of Stephani’s on Main and Stephi’s on Tremont shows how to grill what has become a famous Boston hamburger, on their menu for over 15 years. It is a large burger that stays juicy by using an 80% lean, 20% fat beef paddy. It is smothered with plenty of sautéed Portobello mushrooms and Spanish onions, crisp applewood smoked bacon and oversized Brioche buns.

One of Stephanie’s best tips in this video for grilling burgers is simple – once you put the burger on the grill you must resist the temptation – even though it is great – to press the burger down while it is cooking. You must leave it alone and let it grill. If you press on it even slightly the juices will begin to run out and it will become dry.

Ingredients

Stephi Burger

3 Angus hamburger patties, (80% lean, 20% fat)
6 slices of cheddar cheese (Cabot preferred by Chef)
1 sliced Portobello mushroom, sautéed
1 sliced Spanish onion, sautéed
9 slices of Applewood bacon, cooked crisp and crunchy
3 oversized Brioche buns
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1.  Saute onions, mushrooms and cook bacon. Keep warm on higher side of the grill.
2. Heat grill and spray grill rack with oil.
3. Place hamburgers on grill and lightly salt. (For rare to medium rare, 5 to 7 minutes per side according to the temperature of the grill.) Do not press on the patties when they are grilling because this will force some of the moisture from the patties.
4. After turning the patties, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes and then place cheese on each patty. Close grill cover for about a minute.
5. Oil buns and place on grill.
6. Remove everything from the grill. Place onions on bottom of the bun, add burger patty, add mushrooms and 3 half-slices of bacon. Add top of roll and slice in half.

Recipe courtesy of Stephanie Sokolove, Stephanie’s on Newbury and Stephi’s on Tremont, 2010.

Owner and Executive Chef, Stephanie's on Newbury and Stephi's on Tremont

Stephanie has been a food service professional for over 25 years and is highly regarded as one of Boston’s premier businesswomen.

Stephanie was trained by the world-renowned French chef and food educator, Madeleine Kamman, who identified her as a protégée early on. After completing her culinary education in 1980, Stephanie founded the catering company Sidell & Sasse with Bob Sasse.

In 1994, Stephanie Sokolove followed her dream and founded Stephanie’s on Newbury. To date, the 300-seat American Bistro has received innumerable accolades from The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, USA Today and The New York Times. Often touted “The Queen of Patio Dining,” Stephanie’s on Newbury was voted Citysearch’s Editorial and Audience Winner for the “Best Patio Dining” in Boston, three years in a row.

Stephanie has built her business on a style of cooking that she calls “Sophisticated Comfort,” a style that is fresh, interesting, and yet familiar. “Sophisticated Comfort Food” is the next generation of comfort food in that it blends traditional favorites with today’s food preferences. Dishes are imaginatively created with current, fresher ingredients and bolder flavors then artistically presented. At the restaurants, Stephanie spins familiar classics into elegant dishes that comfort and surprise without being fussy or intimidating.