Happy National Hamburger Day – Heck Yea!

We don’t know who came up with National Hamburger Day but we like it! And, according to several websites that offer up what seems to be an endless number of “National” days, it’s also National Brisket Day! So, exchange your burger and brisket gifts and enjoy the day.

Yes, we know it’s a day after the unofficial start of summer and many people have grilled all weekend. You may be a bit burned out… we understand… NOT!

Insert Epic Coach Speech Music Here

Use a “coach” style voice in the locker room from any motivational part of a sports movie when you read the next two paragraphs.

Fellow BBQ Dragon Grilling people! This is your time! This is the time where a pro athlete pushes past the pain and goes for the gold. This is the time where NASA engineers figure out how to save the planet from… well, bad stuff from space… pick any movie. This is the time in a sports montage leads to one heck of a game where the underdog wins. And fellow BBQ Dragon grilling gurus, at this time… on this day of National Hamburger and Brisket Celebration… it’s TIME TO GRILL BURGERS!

We can fill the air with the aroma of charcoal, gas, wood chips, and the smell of grilled hamburgers and brisket… as we will not disappoint! We will not go quietly into the grilling void just because we had a long weekend! Even while others have fallen by the grilling wayside. While they may be burned out… if the smoke from your grill can inspire at least one fellow grilling enthusiast to put a burger on hot grill grates… THEN WE HAVE WON THE DAY!

Shredded Cheese Burgers with Easy Zesty Steak Sauce Ketchup

Ok, that was silly but fun. In honor of National Burger Day, here’s an easy way to do a different version of a cheese burger from my cookbook Great American Grilling. What’s great about this recipe is that you can always top with additional cheese when the burgers are fresh off the grill! And, if you feel like this post ignored National Brisket Day… then check out this AWESOME Beef Brisket BBQ Dragon grilling recipe.

1-1/2 pounds ground chuck

1 cup shredded or chopped cheese of your choice.

Salt and pepper

Soft yeast roll style buns

Combine all of the ingredients and form into 4 – 6 patties. Cook on the grill and serve up with Zesty Ketchup on Yeast buns or your choice of buns.

For the Zesty Steak Sauce Ketchup

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup steak sauce

1/2 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons water

Place all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes. Best served warm!

Burger Tip: You can use any type of cheese that you want with this burger. I prefer something like or pepper Jack cheese or cheddar. However, I did an Italian inspired version with Italian seasonings and shredded Mozzarella cheese and the flavor was amazing but the zesty ketchup was not a good match.

Author Bio: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motor sports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.