Kresge's Chili Burgers
This recipe was in today's paper...when I was young I used to ride the bus downtown and have these at Kresge's....closed in 1977
This recipe was in today's paper...when I was young I used to ride the bus downtown and have these at Kresge's....closed in 1977
- Carbohydrate 8.1978531251361 g
- Cholesterol 76.16 mg
- Fat 17.5646087500069 g
- Fiber 2.98873131012521 g
- Protein 22.359366875023 g
- Saturated Fat 6.70790775000206 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (169g)
- Sodium 98.3887500000924 mg
- Sugar 5.20912181501089 g
- Trans Fat 2.5095487500003 g
- Calories 278 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the ground beef and onions in a large skillet and brown until beef is no longer pink
- Drain fat
- Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer on low for about an hour, or until the liquid has evaporated
Tomato puree provides the critical moisture and body required to sustain a long, low simmer without scorching the lean proteins in six pounds of beef. Unlike thin tomato sauce or overly concentrated paste, puree contains the exact pectin balance needed to emulsify rendering fat into a thick sauce that clings to a toasted bun rather than soaking straight through the bread. Simmering this mixture uncovered for precisely sixty minutes allows excess moisture to evaporate completely, concentrating the chili powder and paprika into a savory paste.
Batch cooking large quantities of meat sauce presents distinct freezing advantages because ground beef maintains its cellular structure remarkably well through thawing cycles. Ladle the cooled mixture into heavy-duty freezer bags in four-cup portions, pressing out all air before sealing to prevent freezer burn for up to three months. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding two tablespoons of water if the reduction has rendered the mixture too thick.
Dividing this massive yield downwards requires careful measurement adjustments because spices do not scale linearly with meat volume. Halving the recipe demands reducing the salt to one tablespoon to prevent overpowering the chopped onions, whereas a quarter-batch requires watchful stirring since smaller liquid volumes evaporate much faster in standard skillets.
