ROUSES_Summer2022_Magazine.indd

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR BURGER? THE PERFECT RATIO OF FAT TO LEAN FOR YOUR BURGER ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Rare, medium, well-done, or somewhere in between? Your answer will determine the burger blend you want. If you like a rare or medium-rare burger, choose a leaner grind, like sirloin — sirloin is about 93% lean by weight (we refer to that as 90% lean/10% fat on the package) — or our 93% or 96% lean ground beef, because the cooking process is so fast that most of the fat in the meat doesn’t have time to melt. We also offer Great Range premium ground bison with a 90/10 ratio. It is lower in calories and cholesterol than beef, too, but still high in flavor. A medium to medium-well burger is good with slightly fattier ground beef because the longer cooking time renders the fat down. You can go with ground round, which is 85% lean, or chuck, which is 80% lean and full of flavor. Medium-well can be a little too dry for burgers, and that extra 5% fat you get with ground chuck gives your burger a great texture. We also offer premium grass-fed ground beef, which is 85% to 90% lean. A well-done burger has most of the fat cooked out of it, so start with an even fattier grind, like 73% lean, to keep the burger from being dry. And add an extra ounce to the patty — a fattier burger will shrink a little more when you cook it.

CREOLES & LOCAL TOMATOES ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Creole tomatoes are grown in the fertile fields of the

southeastern part of Louisiana, particularly in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. The unique river soils and warm climate of these parishes produce sugar-sweet tomatoes with an exceptionally intense “tomatoey” flavor. Ours come from farmers Matt Ranatza and Joey Liuzza. Creole tomatoes get most of the press — and their own festival — but a variety of tomatoes are grown here on the Gulf Coast. Tomatoes usually hit their peak during the hottest days of summer.

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

42 ROUSES SUMMER 2022