Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, lemonade, many consider them the staples of a traditional summer meal. But, have you ever wondered where each was invented? I live near a city that proudly claims that it is the “Home of the Hamburger.” However, interestingly enough, there are three other cities in various parts of the country that make the same claim (more on that later). Each summer, residents of the respective cities celebrate by hosting Hamburger Festivals.
In August, Akron, Ohio, will transform into a “Hamburger Heaven” in honor of the national food icon. During the festival, more than 20 local and national restaurants will converge on the downtown area to serve up a variety of hamburger specialties. If you are a student of hamburger history you won’t want to miss the festival’s inaugural “Hamburger Hearings.” Essentially, a “mock trial featuring representatives from the four cities and families that claim to have invented the beloved Hamburger.” This is a big deal to the residents of each city. For the record, the cities (and families) that claim they are the “real” home of the hamburger are: Akron, Ohio (The Menches Brothers), Seymour, Wisconsin (Hamburger Charlie), Austin, Texas (Fletcher Davis), and New Haven, Connecticut (Louis Lassen). In addition to the “Hamburger Hearings” the festival will include events like the “Miss Hamburger Festival” pageant, “Bobbing for Burgers” (where contestants have three minutes to fish out as many hamburgers as possible from a baby pool filled with ketchup), and the obligatory “Best Burger” contest.
Our local Hamburger Festival is held each summer in Seymour, Wisconsin (just outside of Green Bay). It was recently featured on the Food Network and is a huge event for the relatively small community. The Seymour Hamburger Festival celebrates the summer time classic, with a variety of family-friendly activities. My 10-year-old cousin loves the Ketchup Slide (a massive slide coated with a mixture of ketchup and water that children flock to). Most parents cringe at the sight of it, unless they have come prepared with a fresh set of clothes their child can change into after taking the plunge. Other festival favorites include the “Bun Toss” (a local baker makes a special, hard and heavy bun for festival-goers to throw like a discus) and a hamburger-eating contest.
The city is also home to the “Hamburger Hall of Fame,” a makeshift museum filled with hamburger paraphernalia. Its prize artifact dates back to a recent fair when Seymour grilled the word’s largest hamburger weighing in at a whopping 5,220 pounds. The mammoth patty was cooked on a grill the size of a two-car garage. To this day, the burger remains in the Guinness Book of World Records. Another big draw to the Hamburger Festival is the “Top This Burger” Cook-Off, where contestants try to come up with the tastiest way to top off their meaty masterpieces. Last year’s winner was Erika Wasielewski who created the Muffaletta Burger, a take-off of the popular sandwich found throughout New Orleans. Here’s her yummy award-winning recipe:
Burgers:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 pounds ground beef
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive salad, recipe follows
12 slices provolone
3/4 cup aioli (garlic mayonnaise)
6 hamburger buns
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill with melted butter.
Season ground beef with salt, pepper and other favorite seasonings. Form into 6 patties and grill, brushing with melted butter several times as burgers cook. Grill, turning once, to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium.
On bottom half of each roll, place 1/4 cup olive salad, followed by 2 slices provolone. Top with burgers. Spread 2 tablespoons aioli on each top bun half, and then place over burgers. Serve at once with your favorite frosty cold beverage.
Note: Leftover olive salad may be used with pasta, as a dip with pita chips or in a wrap with cold cuts.
Olive Salad:
1 (13.4-ounce) bottle roasted red peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
1 (13.7-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup green olives, without pimientos, coarsely chopped
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil