Bad Day To Be A Cow

It just seems like it might be a bad day to be a cow.  Well, dairy cows might be okay, but a beef cow?  You might want to hide on days like this.

On my usual check of various strange holidays and national days, I noticed that today was beef burger day.  It is also hamburger day.  What the difference is, I’m not sure.  The description seemed pretty much identical.  So I’m thinking it’s the same day with different names.  It is also brisket day.  So you have two days featuring different types of beef.

I will say I have eaten my share of brisket.  Usually the type that comes smoked from a deli in Montreal, but it still counts as brisket.  In particular when it’s piled high between two slices of rye bread.

But there are other ways to enjoy brisket.  I have been tempted, but I haven’t tried it yet.  It involves what people to the south of us refer to as “barbecue”.  It is not grilling.  It is a process the involves hours of slow cooking to take a tough cut of meat and turn it tender.  With tons of flavour, a lot of which comes from some sort of secret concoction you have been basting the meat with.

Since I don’t have an old family recipe, or enough patience to grill something that long, I haven’t tried it yet.  But some day.

Burgers, on the other hand, I can handle.  I have grilled and eaten my fair share of burgers.  Whether you refer to them as beef burgers of hamburgers is your choice.  It’s still ground beef, grilled the way you prefer and topped the way you like.

And that last part is what makes almost every burger different.

I have spent time developing the proper condiments for my burger.  Just the way I like them.  A little mayo on the bottom bun, with a dash or three of hot sauce mixed in.  Siracha mayo can work in place of the combo.  Then add some dill pickle relish.  No sweet relish.  If it’s not dill pickle relish, I would instead need an actual dill pickle.  Then a slice of onion, the burger, topped with cheese.  The type of cheese may vary, but cheddar, Swiss or provolone work well for me.  The upper bun receives a coating of Dijon mustard, a squirt of ketchup and a tomato slice.

I could probably allow some substitutions, but at the moment, that is my favourite burger.

I know there are people that may take issues with some of my choice of condiments, but it suits me just fine.

And it’s burger day.  Point me to the grill.

Although on my way in today, I swear I saw a cow holding a sign saying “Eat more chicken”.