Low Calorie Steak Burgers

By Mike Hubbartt, © Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved.

I use 93% lean ground beef in my Guiltless Hamburger, but I have to confess I really love steak burgers. I bought a meat grinder and started grinding chuck steaks, chuck roasts, round roasts, and chuck mock steaks for my burgers. The meat is so juicy and tender, and the flavor just rocks.

Grinders can be expensive or inexpensive – we bought our powered grinder at Cabelas for $49.99 and have saved a bundle of money by grounding meat for hamburger recipes (like Spicy Hot Chili). I also feel freshly ground meat is better for us because it doesn’t need the preservatives that are used in packaged ground meat at the grocery store.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

• 1 lb of chuck steak (585 cal), chuck roast (585 cal), round roast (680 cal), or chuck mock steak (485 cal)
• 4 burger buns (90 cal)
• 4 slices of bacon (center cut – 160 cal)
• 4 thin slices (1/8”) of onion (40 cal)
• 4 tsp mustard (12 cal)
• 8 dill pickle slices (Gedney’s – 20 cal)
• 4 pinches of no fat cheddar cheese
• 4 pieces iceberg lettuce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Total calories:
Chuck Steak, Chuck Roast – 585 /4 = 147 + 90 + 40 + 10 + 3 + 5 = 295 calories/serving
Round Roast – 680/4 = 170 + 90 + 40 + 10 + 3 + 5 = 318 calories/serving
Chuck Mock Steak – 485 = 122 + 90 + 40 + 10 + 3 + 5 = 270 calories/serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice the meat into 1 inch thick strips and process with the meat grinder. Please follow all safety advise from the grinder vendor.
2. Preheat a burner on the stove to medium (5 – 6).
3. Spray the skillet with no stick spray and put it on the burner.
4. Add 4 slices of bacon to the skillet and begin frying it.
5. Separate the meat into 4 stacks, then carefully and gently (SK, please forgive the use of excess adverbs) form the meat into 4 patties.
6. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of each patty.
7. Add the patties. Yes, you are cooking the burgers in the same container as the bacon, which really kicks up the flavor.
8. Flip the bacon when it is ready and remove to a plate covered with a paper towel.
9. Flip the patties when the first side is done – probably around 6 – 8 minutes.
10. Put a piece of bacon on top of each patty, then add a pinch of cheese on top of the bacon.
11. Cover the skillet and wait 2 minutes.
12. Remove from the stove and put the 4 burgers to a plate with a paper towel and let rest 5 minutes.
13. Add the rest of the condiments to the buns, add burgers and then serve. Now enjoy a real treat.

Tip! You can use other cuts of meat like rib eye, porterhouse, T bone, and even fillet mignon. Fillet mignon has 1116 calories/lb, so a quarter pounder would have 427 calories, but the cost would be a lot higher than the price charged by Burger King. The 4 cuts I use keep the calories between 270 and 318 calories per burger and I buy the meat when it goes on sale, so you can eat a burger and french fries without breaking the calorie bank or pocket book.