Dadburger DeluxeWell, he's done it! Western Canada's favourite barbecue champion, Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk, has produced the essential outdoor cooking handbook in his latest cookbook Barbecue Secrets DELUXE!

I generally leave the grilling to the men in my life because I know how much they love it, but as I was flipping through the pages of Ron's new book I suddenly found myself considering purchasing a smoker because I was so inspired reading one of Ron's essays about his road to barbecue enlightenment. This book is not only full of mouth watering recipes, but Ron also gives it this amazing personal touch with his stories, learnings and observations about barbecueing, tips and tricks as well as playlist suggestions.

I cannot stop thinking about hamburgers since this book landed on my desk because of the incredible cover photo of a very delicious looking hamburger. So, here's a little sneak peak at the book and Ron's Classic Dadburger Deluxe recipe:

Makes 12-16 patties, depending on how big you like them

This recipe will feed a crowd, or four teenagers. You can easily halve the recipe. If your kids are like mine and don't like bits of onion and garlic in their burgers, substitute 1 tsp (5 mL) each of granulated onion and granulated garlic for the fresh variety.

Burger patties

* 6 lb (2.7 kg) ground beef (or combine equal amounts of ground beef and ground pork)
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 head roasted garlic, cloves squeezed out and mashed with a fork
* 1 Tbsp (15 mL) toasted sesame oil
* 2 Tbsp (25 mL) dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or a combination
* 1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly grated nutmeg
* 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne (or more, if you like more heat)
* lots of freshly ground black pepper
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold water


Fixin's

* barbecue sauce
* 12-16 cheese slices (optional)
* 12-16 hamburger buns


Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Gently combine the burger ingredients in a large bowl with your hands, taking care not to overwork the meat. Wet your hands in cold water before you form the mixture into chunks the size of tennis balls. Flatten them into patties, placing them on the baking sheet. Each patty will be about 1/2 lb (250 g) before cooking. Place them in the freezer for 1 hour to firm them up.

Preheat your grill for medium direct heat. Take the burgers out of the freezer and grill them for 6 minutes per side, or until they are springy to the touch, glazing them on both sides with barbecue sauce. Top each patty with a slice of cheese for the last couple of minutes of cooking. Serve the burgers on buns with your favorite condiments.

Ron also provides a bunch of topping suggestions, but I'll let you use your creativity on this one. I'd be happy to come over and test your version - just let me know. Oh, if you live in the Vancouver area, make sure you come out to Ron's event at Johnstone's Barbecues and Parts (165 Pemberton Ave.) in North Vancouver May 9.