Ima’s Burgers

These are the burgers my mother is famous for — my parents’ visiting day barbecues are the stuff of legend in my extended family. When I asked for exact ingredients, my mother told me that it’s actually my grandmother’s recipe (we call her Ima), and of course, she never measures.

SERVES 8 BURGERS

• 2 lbs (1 kg) lean ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp onion soup mix
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp honey
• ¹⁄₂ cup Italian bread crumbs

ASSEMBLY

• 8 burger buns
• lettuce
• beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced
• red onion, thinly sliced
• avocado, thinly sliced
• ketchup, barbecue sauce, and/or mayonnaise, to taste

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Mix all burger ingredients by hand until just combined. Form into burgers and grill over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, and condiments of your choice.

Tip: My mom makes these burgers for Pesach by grating one small potato per pound of meat in place of the bread crumbs. You can do that easily to make them gluten-free all year round.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 699)