BURGERS NOT THE SAME OLD GRIND.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

The wonderful thing about the great American hamburger is you can always rely on the classic with ketchup and mustard, or add a twist to the old favorite to give it new flavor.

Burgers are upscale and trendy these days, as evidenced in three new cookbooks on the topic. Some expensive restaurant menus are adding foie gras or truffles between the bun.

Creations abound, ranging from a cocoa, chili, and brown sugar-encrusted burger to a tofu-encrusted coconut burger or crab cake burger. A dessert burger can be concocted out of two butter pound cake slices - or two waffles - sandwiched with a slab of chocolate ice cream in between, with strawberry sauce and kiwi slices to simulate ketchup and pickles.

You can fashion burgers at home with ground beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, fresh tuna, salmon or crab, making them as decadent and sumptuous as desired.

``Hamburgers are truly the blue jeans of comfort food, '' says New York City resident Rebecca Bent, author with Tom Steele of ``Burgers: 50 Recipes Celebrating an American Classic'' (Clarkson Potter/Publishers; $16.95), which includes recipes from a dozen celebrity chefs.

``You really can satisfy any culinary preference with a burger, and it's one of the cheapest, fastest meals to put together,'' says Emily Haft Bloom, author of ``Burgers Every Way'' (Stewart, Tabori & Chang; $19.95). ``Burgers are a blank slate just begging for flavors and hints of international (and ethnic) cuisines.'' There are dozens of ways to jazz up a burger. ``Think outside the bun. Experiment and follow your instincts. Be creative with the buns and condiments.''

``I have a pretty hands-off philosophy about burgers,'' notes Bob Sloan, author of ``Great Burgers'' (Chronicle Books; $14.95), his fifth cookbook. ``The whole reason to make them is to take advantage of the meat being ground up, so it is self-basting and foolproof - and easy to prepare.''

Although Bent prefers grinding her own meat (she uses tri-tip) using a grinder attached to a KitchenAid mixer, Sloan finds it impractical. However, Sloan does admit to chopping his own chicken (boneless thighs) for chicken burgers, which turn out highly superior to those using store-bought ground chicken.

``One secret to a good burger is a little bit of fat,'' advises Bloom, noting that she prefers using ground beef chuck, no more than 85 percent lean, for the juiciest, most flavorful burger. Sloan recommends using ground chuck with 20 percent fat if grilling outside and ground round (15 percent fat) or ground sirloin (10 percent fat) if cooking burgers stove-top in a skillet.

``The less you handle the meat (don't pack), the better burgers you are going to end up with,'' he adds.

Don't add ice cubes (ridiculous, says Bloom), water or stock to burgers for moisture. But do season with herbs, spices, Worcestershire sauce, a dash of Tabasco sauce, etc., for flavor.

Wash your hands thoroughly before forming burgers. Six ounces is the best-sized burger for both young and old. After shaping and before cooking, make a 1/4-inch dimple in the center of the burger (beef only) with the tips of your three middle fingers, advises Sloan, to keep burger center from puffing during cooking.

Be sure the grill, grill pan or skillet is hot before adding the burgers. Turn burgers only once to maintain juiciness - and never press down on them with a spatula to avoid pressing out all the juices.

Cooking times vary with the type of meat or fish, the thickness of the patties, the method of cooking and the degree of doneness desired, but generally figure around 9 to 18 minutes total cooking time.

Bloom strongly believes in cooking the meat through. ``The days of enjoying a rare or medium burger are over.''

The USDA recommends cooking ground meats (beef, lamb, veal, pork, venison) to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (in the thickest part) and ground poultry to 165 degrees F. Let burgers stand a minute or two before serving.

Burgers can be served on assorted breads and rolls - including pita bread, focaccia, bagels or tortillas.

Geared to be accessible to all cooks, recipes in the burger books are a mixed bag, ranging from unpretentious and casual to gourmet and upscale, with a smattering of side dishes and condiments also included.

``You don't need a $4,000 oven or a fancy rotisserie grill - just a spatula and a good frying pan and a little creativity - to make a burger,'' says Bloom.

``Burgers, a great American classic, can be anything you make them,'' says Bent.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

DEAN FEARING'S MANSION ROADHOUSE BURGER

This is from Dean Fearing, chef at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas.

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (to season grill OR skillet)

2 pounds ground beef chuck

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

8 slices American cheese

4 burger buns, halved

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

8 iceberg lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried

4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices ripe tomato

4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices yellow onion

16 dill pickle chips

Dean Fearing's Tobacco Onion Rings

Ketchup, for serving

Wipe down a grill or well-seasoned flat griddle with olive oil or use a large nonstick saute pan and preheat over medium-high heat.

Gently form ground beef into 8 (4-ounce) burgers, each about 1/2-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Cook burgers over medium-high heat until medium (cook longer for well done): 4 1/2 minutes per side on the grill, 5 1/2 minutes per side in a skillet. Place 1 slice American cheese on each burger to melt, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, toast burger buns, butter generously and smear each with about 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise and mustard. Top bottom half of each bun with 2 lettuce leaves.

To serve, place 2 burgers, one on top of the other, on bottom half of each bun. Top each stack of 2 burgers with a slice EACH of tomato and onion and 4 pickle chips. Top with other half of bun and serve at once with Dean Fearing's Tobacco Onion Rings and ketchup. Makes 4 servings.

DEAN FEARING'S TOBACCO ONION RINGS: Heat 5 cups peanut oil in a deep-sided saucepan until it reaches 350 degrees F on a candy or deep-fry thermometer.

In a shallow bowl, blend 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Separate 1 Spanish onion, peeled and sliced into very thin rings, preferably using a mandoline and 1 red onion, peeled and sliced, into very thin rings, preferably using a mandoline; dredge onion rings in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Carefully place in hot oil, a few at a time, making sure they don't stick together. Fry 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. Place on a warm platter and keep warm in a preheated 200-degree oven until all rings are fried. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

From ``Burgers,'' by Rebecca Bent with Tom Steele.

JOHN JR.'S GRILLED VEGETABLE BURGER

Even the most devout carnivores need to switch gears. This burger is best when local fresh vegetables and herbs are available and you can grill outside.

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (to season grill) plus 2 tablespoons more olive oil

4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

1/2 fennel bulb, fronds removed, peeled and sliced 3/8-inch thick

1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered

1 small Bermuda onion, sliced lengthwise and layers pulled apart

1 large zucchini, sliced 3/8-inch thick

1 large yellow squash, sliced 3/8-inch thick

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (OR nonfat cream cheese)

2 cups shredded manchego (OR nonfat cheese)

4 stalks rosemary, leaves removed and minced, stems reserved

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preheat a seasoned grill to medium-high. When grill is hot, add portobello and fennel, and grill 10 minutes. Add yellow pepper, onion, zucchini and squash and continue grilling another 5 minutes, or until you can easily pass a knife through vegetables. Remove and set aside.

Soften cream cheese by microwaving about 30 seconds. Scrape it into a work bowl, add shredded manchego and minced rosemary and mix until well-blended.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and make 4 stacks of vegetables, smearing cheese mixture in between each vegetable in the following order (bottom to top): portobello, fennel, yellow pepper, onion, zucchini and yellow squash.

After making stacks, pierce each through with a metal skewer, then replace skewer with a sturdy rosemary stem. (Sometimes a rosemary stem just does not want to go through the veggies. If that's the case, stick it in as far as it will go and also use a short skewer.) Drizzle stacks with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake stacks in preheated 450-degree oven 5 minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve hot on lettuce leaves on a large plate. Makes 4 servings.

From ``Burgers,'' by Rebecca Bent with Tom Steele.

BLUE BIRD BURGERS

3/4 pound ground chicken (preferably a mixture of white and dark meat)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs

Vegetable oil cooking spray

4 poppy seed rolls

Blue Onion Sauce

Red cabbage slaw (optional)

Using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix together ground chicken, egg, cheese and bread crumbs in a large bowl, until ingredients are evenly distributed. Form into 4 patties of equal size.

Lightly spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Pan-fry burgers over medium heat, flipping once, until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Do not press down on burgers with a spatula or they will become dry.

Serve burgers on poppy seed rolls and top each with 1 tablespoon Blue Onion Sauce and red cabbage slaw, if desired. Serve additional sauce on the side. Makes 4 servings.

BLUE ONION SAUCE: In a small glass bowl, whisk together 1 clove garlic, minced, 2 tablespoons chopped Vidalia OR other sweet onion, 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

From ``Burgers Every Way,'' by Emily Haft Bloom.

BARBECUED PORK BURGER

This burger captures the spirit of an authentic down-home pulled-pork barbecue sandwich. Serve with classic cole slaw for a real Southern treat.

1 1/2 pounds ground pork

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons prepared barbecue sauce, plus extra for garnish

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 hamburger buns

Place ground pork in a medium bowl. Add onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, mustard, paprika, chili powder and liquid smoke and gently mix together until just combined. Shape mixture into 4 burgers about 3/4-inch thick and 4 inches across. Make a 1/4-inch dimple in center of each burger with tips of your middle three fingers.

Place a skillet, preferably cast-iron, over high heat and let it get very hot, about 2 minutes. Add oil and spread evenly over pan. Arrange burgers so they aren't touching and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes more or until the meat is no longer pink inside, or about 160 degrees F.

Serve in hamburger buns, topped with additional barbecue sauce. Makes 4 burgers.

NOTE: For charcoal-grilled burgers, make a medium-hot fire. Cook burgers 5 minutes. Turn and cook 5 minutes more. For gas-grilled burgers, preheat grill on high, until very hot, about 500 degrees F. Cook burgers 5 minutes with lid closed. Turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, again with lid closed.

From ``Great Burgers; Mouthwatering Recipes,'' by Bob Sloan.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- cover -- color) JOHN JR.'S GRILLED VEGETABLE BURGER and DEAN FEARING'S MANSION ROADHOUSE BURGER

Photos by Ben Fink from ``Burgers,'' Clarkson Potter/Publishers

(3 -- color) BLUE BIRD BURGERS

Photo by Tina Rupp, from ``Burger Every Way,'' Stewart, Tabori & Chang

(4 -- color) BARBECUED PORK BURGER

Photo by Jonelle Weaver, from ``Great Burgers.'' Chronicle Books