|
Author: Ron Scott Article source: http://socal.com/. Used with author's permission.
I grew up in a little town back in Indiana along the Wabash River during the tumultuous 60s. West Lafayette was then, as it is now, the home of the Purdue Boilermakers.
The town is also home to an old fashioned, drive-in restaurant called the Triple XXX, located midway up the hill from the levy, a low lying area that separates most of the town from the river just five blocks east of the main Purdue campus. At least I think the restaurant is still there.
One might think the name a bit risque, but when I was growing up X was just another letter in the Greek alphabet so the restaurant was known back then as the "Tri Chi" not the Triple XXX..
Several years ago I was sitting at my desk reminiscing about my childhood when I recalled how great the hamburgers were there. The buns were buttered and toasted, of course, but that wasn't really what made them special. There was something about that hamburger that made my mouth water even as I recalled the experience.
Sitting back in my chair, I closed my eyes and recalled sitting on one of the aluminum, black leather topped stools along the left side of the horseshoe counter inside. There weren't any tables, the place wasn't large enough for that. Eyes closed, I looked to my left. There he was, the back of that anonymous, short order cook, standing a few feet away at the grill just below the big picture window facing the parking lot.
I was having an out of body experience that day, you know one of those amazing mental trips everyone occasionally takes to another time and place without the use of synthetic drugs. "I wonder what made these hamburgers so exceptional," I asked myself.
I recalled watching him closely, thinking to myself. "Could it be that it really wasn't hamburger they were using? Maybe they had a secret pact with Purdue's School of Agriculture to test some new sort of hormonalized meat product." Eyes still closed, I remember shaking my head and mumbling something barely coherent like "Nope, couldn't be that."
"Did he put seasonings on them? No, no, and no." That wasn't the answer either.
Then it struck me. After 40 years, I actually saw what I had failed to see when it was staring me right in the face. The burgers weren't red. They were white.
Driven by the desire to test the merit of my recollections, I quickly drove to the supermarket to pick up some hamburger and flour. An hour later, my tastebuds were reintroduced to the wonders of the Tri Chi burger. I'd succeeded in duplicating the hamburger of my early childhood.
I've experimented from time to time and discovered that the closest I can come to replicating the Tri Chi's recipe is to make sure that I use hamburger with at least a 10% fat content. The greater the fat content, the juicer the burger. Lean meat just doesn't cut it.
Second, it's imperative that the entire patty be covered with flour, not just the top and bottom but the sides as well. Flouring not only adds an incredible taste and texture, it keeps the burger juicy and hot.
Lastly, the hamburger has to be prepared on a flat grill on a medium heat setting. If you use high heat, you burn the flower and this creates a less than desirable taste. This recipe will not work on an open outdoor grill unless you use a flat baking sheet. I personally prefer cast iron.
I don't know if the Tri Chi actually prepared their hamburgers in this manner or for that matter still cooks them this way, but it makes an interesting story to tell my guests while I prepare my favorite short order dinner.
If you ever have a chance to visit the Tri Chi, watch the cook. If he's flouring the patties, I would love to know. If not, I guess I was just hallucinating which, as it turns out, is a good thing even if it is an early sign of dementia. Ron Scott, Advantages of Playing Online Poker
Some reasons why so many people love to play poker online.
Health & Longevity With BelAir Aromatherapy
Clean and Fresh Air
Wheres The Plastic In Plastic Surgery?
Plastic surgery - Read this informative article and discover what's plastic in plastic surgery and how it differs from cosmetic surgery.
How To Skyrocket Your Chances Of Winning The Lottery
Want to know the secrets to winning the lottery? It's easier than you might think once you understand the secrets those in the know use. Read this article to ...
Get Free Payroll Forms Download from the Internet
Having a successful business means also having a good working relationship with your employees, and nothing more makes it sour than having problems with the pay...
Website Traffic: 10 Blazing Secrets To Increase Your Sales
The more traffics you get at your website, the
more your chances of making a sale increases.
How to Pay Less and Get More: Discount Broker vs Professional
How do you invest? What do you really pay? At the end of the day, what are your real results? These are questions smart investors should be asking themselves (b...
Failure To Pay Employment Taxes – Penalties
As an employer, you must pay employment taxes if you have employees. Fail to pay and the IRS will rain all over your parade.
What Keeps You From Your Destiny
Many people find themselves in the place of having money and all the trappings, yet still feeling unhappy and not knowing why. Here Jo Ball offers you a practic...
How to Create a Profit Pulling Unique Selling Proposition in 4 Easy Steps
Here's a little exercise that will help you get a good start on creating your unique selling proposition.
Religious Fanaticism and Poly-behavioral Addiction
What are the factors that result in the phenomenon of religious addiction? What is adaptive and what is damaging within a religious environment. Compulsive reli...
Can A Golfer Do Without Golf Fitness And Exercise
Just how important is golf fitness and exercise to a golfer today in the modern game? Can a good amateur or even professional golfer do without it and still be ...
Seven Essential Color Concepts for Designing Spaces
Understanding a few essential color concepts will help you design your living and work spaces more purposefully. Embrace the colors that work best for your spec...
Business Community Relations 101 - Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership
Secrets to small business public relations and winning local markets. A how to guide to help you get the most out of your Chamber of Commerse Membership.
Proven Secrets to Keeping Your People and Increasing Your Profits
Why are people changing jobs so quickly these days? Here are a few reasons why: They have a boring job therefore they feel they are not achieving anything. ...
How to Generate Leads on the Internet
In the last decade, the Internet has become a major commercial force. Not only do online sellers like Amazon.com have huge sale numbers, but nearly all success...
Dont Be A Reciprocal Linking Turkey!
I had an email exchange with an SEO client today after his webmaster called him pushing reciprocal linking software (when all this web designer was after was to...
Dealing With Difficult Tenants
Dealing with difficult tenants is the most challenging task facing any letting agent. There are ways and means of countering the activities of these six difficu...
Website Traffics: 10 Sizzling Hot Secret Phrases To Ignite Your Website Traffics
For many months after I put up my new website,
my traffic was low and sales almost zero.
Why a Negative Calorie Diet for Weight Loss?
The problem of obesity and overweight has become very serious in recent years. This is due do poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. Best way to tackle ob...
Hair Loss Types and Treatments
A description of hair loss types and treatments. From Alopecia Areata to male pattern baldness, from Propecia to Revivogen.
A Baby Shower Cake is the Highlight of the Baby Shower
When you're holding a baby shower one of the most important items that you'll serve is the baby shower cake. Cakes should be the highlight of the food lineup a...
What I Learned from a Cocker Spaniel
The way you approach your dog while you are grooming them can be the key to cooperation.
Getting Better Looks with Cosmetic Surgery Loans
Cosmetic surgery loans are a convenient way to fund those costly cosmetic surgeries. Various types of surgical procedures that enhance the look and self-esteem ...
|
Print this page