New York State Fair: Winning recipes for burgers, pies (2024)

View full sizeSubmitted photo Ice Cream All Beef Burger created by Shirley Gawlik, of Oakfield, winner of Perfect Burger contest at 2012 NYS Fair

Today's column features several contest winners from the New York State Fair, including the Pillsbury Pie Crust Pie Baking Championship, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship and Creat the Perfect Burger contest, sponsored by the New York Beef Industry Council. More recipes will be coming next week.

Ice Cream All Beef Burger
From Shirley Gawlik, of Oakfield (see note)
2 pounds 90 percent lean fresh New York state ground beef
1/4 cup parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Perry's vanilla ice cream
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 hard seeded or onion rolls
1/2 cup roasted red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red sweet roasted pepper, finely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach
2 tomatoes
Sauce:
1 cup pesto
1/4 cup vanilla ice cream

Mix together the beef, parsley, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, 1/2 cup ice cream, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and form into patties. Cook on medium heat until each burger's internal temperature is 160 degrees.

Mix together pesto and 1/4 cup ice cream.

Toast hard roll or onion roll. Pile high with fresh spinach, peppers, tomato and onion. Top with the pesto ice cream sauce.

Note: This recipe won the Perfect Burger Grand Prize, as well as the Juiciest Burger and Consumer-Friendly Burger prizes, from the New York Beef Industry Council at the 2012 New York State Fair. Shirley Gawlik is a first-time finalist who grew up on a dairy farm in Western New York. Her mother demonstrated dairy products years ago at the state fair. Her thoughts on putting ice cream in the burgers: "Why not? My brother put maple syrup in his milk! Yummy!"

Poblano Onion Garlic Gouda Cheeseburgers
From James Meier, of Batavia (see note)
8 ounces chuck
8 ounces sirloin
8 ounces brisket
Grill Mates Steakhouse Onion Burger Seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons compound butter (see below)
Caramelized balsamic onion jam (see below)
2 poblano peppers, roasted
4 tablespoons garlic mayonnaise (see below)
4 slices of smoked Gouda cheese (or aged Gouda)
4 tablespoons shredded aged Gouda (or sharp cheddar)
4 bakery-fresh hamburger buns or ciabatta buns
Extra virgin olive oil
Caramelized balsamic onion jam:1 large onion halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Agave syrup to taste
Compound butter:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped/minced parsley
1/2 shallot, minced
4 cloves roasted garlic
Garlic mayonnaise
4 tablespoons olive-oil-based mayonnaise
3 to 4 cloves of roasted garlic

Chill beef in the refrigerator. Grind beef through meat grinder, then regrind it. Separate into 4 equal portions and form 2 patties from each portion. Take the 2 patties and place between them half a tablespoon of the compound butter and a tablespoon of shredded cheese. Press 2 patties together and seal the edges. Repeat 3 more times. Place formed burgers into fridge to chill while you preheat your grill.

On preheated grill, place the 2 poblano peppers and the onion foil packet. Turn the peppers every few minutes until nicely charred. Remove, place into brown paper bag, seal and set aside. Remove onion packet after around 20 to 30 minutes, when the onions are nice and tender. (see caramelized balsamic onion jam).

Remove chilled burgers from fridge and season both sides with seasoning, salt and pepper. Cut buns in half and brush inside lightly with olive oil. Place on a hot oiled grill. Grill first side for 4 to 5 minutes. Place buns on grill for 2 to 3 minutes and remove when nicely toasted. Grill burgers for another 3 minutes, place cheese on top of burger and close the lid. Grill for another 1 to 2 minutes or until internal burger temperature is 160 degrees. Remove from grill.

When the burgers come off, open the paper bag with the peppers, remove and remove skin and stem/seed pod and slice in half.

Brush the inside of the top and bottom of the bun with garlic mayonnaise, place burger on bottom bun, top burger with onion jam and poblano pepper and top of bun.
Caramelized balsamic onion jam: Place sliced onion, olive oil and garlic on a sheet of foil, fold into a packet and heat on a medium-hot grill for around a half-hour. Remove from grill, empty into food processor, add balsamic vinegar and agave syrup and process into a thick, jamlike consistency.

Compound butter: Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Spoon out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, roll into a log and place in fridge or freezer to harden.
Garlic mayonnaise: Add garlic and mayonnaise together and whisk.

Note: This recipe won award for Best Southwest Flavor from the New York Beef Industry Council at the 2012 New York State Fair. James Meier is a first-time finalist.

Almond Joy Tarts
From Elaine Reilley, of Jordan
Crust:
11/2 cups crushed crispy coconut cookies
1/4 stick butter, melted
Filling:
8 ounces Ghirardelli white chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
11/2 cups shredded coconut
1 tablespoon almond extract
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
Chocolate glaze:
4 ounces Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Decoration:2 ounces Ghirardelli white chocolate, melted
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar

For crust: Combine crushed cookies and melted butter. Press into 6 4-inch round tart pans with removable bottoms. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

For coconut filling: Place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream just to a boil and pour over the white chocolate. Let it stand for 30 seconds, and then whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Remove the white chocolate ganache from the fridge and put in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at a medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Do not over-whip. Fold in the coconut and almond extract. Spread approximately 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam on the bottom of each tart shell and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chopped almonds. Divide the filling between the 6 tart shells and place them in the fridge while you make the chocolate glaze.

For chocolate glaze: Place the semisweet chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Put the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Let the mixture set for about 10 minutes, then pour over the filled tart shells.

For decoration: Melt white chocolate in microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Drizzle white chocolate over tarts and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Whip together heavy cream and sugar until whipped cream forms. Remove tarts from molds and pipe whipped cream around edges to serve. Yield: 6 tarts.

Note:This recipe won first place in the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship at the 2012 New York State Fair.

Apple Maple Cream Pie Cups
From Donna Case, of Mattydale (see note)
Crust:
1 package Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts
Filling:
4 to 5 apples (6 cups) peeled, cored (sliced thin and chopped)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
4 tablespoons flour
Crumb topping:
3/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon granulated cane sugar
2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/8 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/8 cup walnuts, chopped
Maple cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup pure granulated maple sugar
Dusting:
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

For filling: Combine apples, lemon juice, sugar and flour. Set aside.

For crumb topping: Combine flour, sugars and butter. Stir in oats and walnuts. Set aside.
For maple cream: Stir cream and maple sugar together in a mixing bowl and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

To assemble pie: Roll out 2 pie crusts. Cut 8 circles of about 6 inches each. Gather up remainder of pie crust and roll out again. Cut 2 more circles and cut out shapes with very small cookie cutters.

Place a circle of dough into a muffin cup, press it into the pan, adjust and crimp the top edges.

Fill each cup with about 1/4 cup of apple filling. Top with about 1 tablespoon of the crumb topping.

Place the cutout shapes on a cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake pies for 25 minutes or until pie cups are golden brown. Bake shapes for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool both the pie cups and the shapes. Top cups with maple cream and then garnish with shapes. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 8 pie cups.

Note: This recipe won first place in the Pillsbury Pie Crust Pie Baking Championship at the 2012 New York State Fair.

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