Bobby Flay's Napa Valley Burger

I love watching Bobby Flay's shows.  He's got such a great presence on tv, and his food always seems so yummy.  That said, I've never made one of his recipes before.  They always seem so complicated that I don't even try.  I'll just stick to watching yummy Bobby Flay...  wait!  Scratch that, reverse... Bobby Flay's yummy food.... on tv.

But when Lisa at Lisa's Cooking Adventures posted a rave review (for the Celebrity Chef Challenge; her thoughts on that in a minute!) for Bobby's Napa Valley Burger, I changed my meal plan for the week and added it.

Wow, all my pictures came out poorly.

Clearly, I forgot to melt the goat cheese.  I really can read, I promise.

My first bite was...  weird.  I think it was a bit too heavy on the Meyer lemon, but the burger itself was pretty good in all the other spots.  I did think it was strange that the burger was so simple; it was ground turkey sprinkled with salt and pepper, that's it.  It seems that there could have been more complexity or interest if there was more to the burger itself, though I guess doing so might distract from the other flavors.  Hubby complained that when he got a bite of just burger, it was plain because it was just turkey.  He went on to say the burger was good, but way more "sophisticated" than he typically likes.

I was a little disappointed in the process of the burger itself.  Not only was it just ground turkey, but there really aren't any instructions for cooking it.  I'm an inexperienced burger fryer, so really had no idea how or how long to cook these buggers.  I guess it came out ok, since they were juicy but brown throughout.

So, we enjoyed this, but probably won't go to the effort of making it again.  Thanks, Lisa, for bringing this one onto my radar!

Napa Valley Burgers
Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries and Shakes, via Lisa's Cooking Adventures

Meyer Lemon-Honey Mustard
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 heaping tablespoon Clover honey
1-1/2 teaspoons grated Meyer lemon zest, or 1 teaspoon grated orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1-1/2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, or 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Burgers
1-1/2 lbs ground chuck (80% lean) or ground turkey (90% lean)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil
8 round slices fresh goat cheese, each 1/2 inch thick
4 sesame see hamburger buns, split, toasted
1 handful of watercress

To make the Meyer lemon-honey mustard, whisk together the mustard, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 oz each).  Form each portion loosely into a 3/4 inch thick burger and make a deep impression in the center with your thumb.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers, using the canola oil, and topping each one with 2 slices of goat cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms, drizzle with some of the Meyer lemon-honey mustard, and top with watercress.  Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.