Gorgeous Burger With Crab Guacamole. In Mad Men season 4, the appropriately titled episode “The Suitcase” sees baggage come to the forefront. Don and Peggy’s relationship boils over. These frustrations and fears largely come from life outside the office, with Don avoiding a necessary phone call and Peggy realizing what she knows she should want from life is not what she desires. Ultimately, both use work as a means to escape the trials and tribulations of the real world, a world where individually they might fall but united. They may just stand a chance.
What intrigued me most about this episode, and yes, I may have a “foodie” bias, is how simple it can be to bond over a meal. Don offers to take Peggy out for dinner since it is her birthday, and they end up in a diner, where a hamburger and fries can sometimes be the greatest comfort life has to offer. I love how casually they share a meal and how comfortable Don is as he steals a fry or two from Peggy’s plate – a subtle hint that the walls of Don Draper are coming down.
In a nod to the ultimate Diner comfort staple, I give you the “Burger With Crab Guacamole.” A “float like a butterfly” quarter-pounder seasoned with that nostalgic packet of dry ranch dressing and then griddled to perfection. Then add a dash of retro by topping the burger with crab guacamole, a “sting like a bee” approach to the classic crab salad served in those lovely avocado boats. Slide this baby on a bun, and you, too, will be out for the count.
Gorgeous Burger With Crab Guacamole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2½ teaspoons powdered ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
Crab Guacamole:
- 1 large avocados ripe
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 can crab (6 ounces) shelled, cooked, and drained
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 4 medium hamburger buns
- 4 medium red leaf lettuce leaves
- 1 medium tomato sliced
- 1 small red onion peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Hamburgers tend to shrink during cooking. Make sure to make them larger than your bun, and using a spoon to press a shallow well into the center of each patty will promote a sexy, even-cooked burger.
- Combine the ground beef in a large bowl and ranch seasoning. Using your hands, gently mix in the seasoning until just incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix. Divide hamburger mixture into ¼ pound portions and shape into patties, about ½-inch thick. Using a spoon, gently press a shallow well into each patty. As the burger cooks, the patties tend to shrink, and this will help ensure a more even burger. Keep hamburger patties covered in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Preparing the crab guacamole. So easy and so delicious!
- Slice the avocado in half and then remove the seed. Using a small knife, gently cut the avocado flesh in a cross-hatch pattern, being careful not to break through the skin. Use a spoon to scoop out the diced avocado into a medium bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Stir in the lemon zest, crab, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep guacamole in the fridge until ready to serve.
- These burgers are great in the skillet and even better on the grill.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add hamburger patties to the pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Place patties onto hamburger buns, garnish with red onion, sliced tomato, and lettuce, and top with a generous dollop of crab guacamole. Serve with a dill pickle and a nice cold beer or chocolate malt.