Burger Au Poivre

Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon dried whole green peppercorns

1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns

1 tablespoon whole pink peppercorns

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds

2 pounds coarsely ground New York strip or sirloin steak, chilled

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 large baguette-style French bread

2 cups salad mix

2 small ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced

1. In a small bowl, mix together the green, white, pink and black peppercorns with the coriander. Enclose the mix in a clean kitchen towel and, with the edge of a heavy pan or the flat side of a meat tenderizer, crush the peppercorns. You want fairly large, crunchy pieces, not a powder. Shake the mixture into a small bowl.

2. Handling gently to keep the texture light and juicy, divide the meat into 4 evenly sized, elongated patties about 1 inch thick. Generously brush the patties on both sides with the mustard, reserving 1 teaspoon. Press about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cracked pepper onto the top and bottom of each patty. The burgers can be shaped and refrigerated, covered, for several hours or overnight.

3. When ready to cook, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Generously season the meat on both sides with salt.

4. Cook the burgers in the skillet, turning once or twice, 7 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare. Do not press down on the patties. With a large spoon, baste the burgers several times with the fat in the pan. (You can also preheat the oven to 450 degrees and brown the burgers on top of the stove, then finish them in the oven.) Remove the burgers to a warm platter and keep warm while making the pan sauce.

5. Pour off the fat remaining in the skillet and return it to medium-high heat. Add the cognac and the red wine and stir and scrape all over the bottom and sides of the pan to loosen all the browned bits. Cook until the pan is nearly dry, about 2 minutes, and then add the stock. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and simmer to meld the flavors, another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard and immediately remove the pan from the heat. You should have about 2 tablespoons of sauce per serving.

6. Cut the baguette into four equal slices and cut open to form buns. Toast the buns in a toaster oven or under the broiler, about 5 inches from the heat, until lightly toasted. Moisten the inside face of the buns with a little of the sauce; top with the salad mix, tomatoes and then the burgers. Pour the remaining sauce over the burgers and cover with the bun tops. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 568 calories; 18.5g fat (29 percent calories from fat); 5.5g saturated fat; 120mg cholesterol; 53g protein; 47.5g carbohydrate; 3.5g sugar; 4g fiber; 1,392mg sodium; 63mg calcium; 310mg potassium.

Las Vegas

Vegan Burger

Yield: 4 servings

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon very finely chopped garlic

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 large portobello mushrooms (3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter)

1 pound fat zucchini (about 2 inches in diameter)

1 pound plum tomatoes, thickly sliced

2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 large (about 1 pound) eggplant cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, or 8 slices jarred marinated eggplant

4 cups arugula

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (omit if using marinated eggplant)

1/3 cup Cilantro-Arugula Pesto (see recipe)

1. Build a medium-hot fire in a barbecue grill. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup olive oil, thyme, rosemary, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

2. Scrape the gills from the portobellos and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers and fresh eggplant, if using, on the baking sheet. Brush vegetables with some of the herbed oil.

3. Brush the grill rack with olive oil, transfer the vegetables to the grill and cook until tender, turning as needed and being careful not to let the olive oil flame up. The zucchini and tomatoes will be done first, needing about 2 to 3 minutes per side. The peppers will be done next. If you have been careful just to brown them, they will not need to be peeled. The mushrooms and fresh eggplant will need about 5 minutes per side.

4. In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with a little of the eggplant marinade, if using jarred eggplant. Otherwise, toss arugula with some of the remaining herbed olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasoning and set aside.

5. To build the burgers, generously spread the gill side of 4 mushrooms with pesto. Top with zucchini, eggplant slices and several strips of bell pepper. Drizzle another small spoonful of pesto over all and close with another mushroom. Arrange some of the arugula salad on the side and serve immediately.

Per serving: 707 calories; 64.5g fat (82 percent calories from fat); 9.5g saturated fat; 1mg cholesterol; 8.5g protein; 25g carbohydrate; 11.5g sugar; 9g fiber; 70mg sodium; 113mg calcium; 1,590mg potassium.

PESTO BEEF BURGER

Yield: 4 servings

2 pounds coarsely ground chuck, chilled

1/2 cup Cilantro-Arugula Pesto, divided (see recipe)

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 large sweet onion, ends removed, cut into four thick slices

Sea salt

4 thick slices (about 6 ounces) provolone cheese

4 buns, preferably ciabatta

1 large tomato, cut into thick slices

1 large handful arugula

1. In a bowl, mix together meat, 1/4 cup pesto and about 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Handling lightly, divide the meat into 4 thick patties. The burgers can be refrigerated, covered, for several hours or overnight.

2. Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, mustard, honey, vinegar and pepper to taste. Season onion slices with salt and pepper to taste. Cook in a skillet or on a hot grill, brushing the tops with the mustard mixture after browning both sides. Flip and brush the other side with mustard mixture; cook until tender throughout and outsides have caramelized, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

3. When ready to cook burgers, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until very hot or build a medium-hot fire in a grill. Generously season the burgers on both sides with salt and pepper.

4. If using a skillet, cook burgers, turning once or twice, a total of 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare. Do not press down on the patties. With a large spoon, baste the burgers several times with the fat in the pan. (You can also preheat the oven to 450 degrees and brown the burgers on both sides on the stove, then finish them in the oven.) Or grill on an oiled grate, covering the grill and turning once or twice.

5. During the last minute or two of cooking, drape a slice of cheese over each burger. Remove the burgers to a warm platter; keep warm and let rest for several minutes before serving.

6. Lightly toast buns in a toaster oven, under the broiler or on the outer perimeter of the grill rack. Spread each face of the buns with about a tablespoon of the remaining pesto; top burgers with tomato slices and arugula.

Per serving: 954 calories; 62g fat (59 percent calories from fat); 20.5g saturated fat; 168mg cholesterol; 59g protein; 40.5g carbohydrate; 14.5g sugar; 2.5g fiber; 974mg sodium; 486mg calcium; 821mg potassium.

CILANTRO-ARUGULA PESTO BURGER

Yield: About 11/4 cups

1 large bunch fresh cilantro

12 roasted, salted macadamia nuts

1 garlic clove or more to taste

2 cups packed arugula

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 teaspoon grated lime zest (colored portion of peel)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Trim the larger stems off the cilantro and discard. Put nuts and garlic in a food processor; pulse until they are finely chopped. Add cilantro, arugula, lime juice and lime zest; process until a coarse purée forms.

2. With the machine running, add olive oil in a thin stream; process until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Pulse in the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer the pesto to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed, for up to 2 days.

Per (2-tablespoon) serving: 110 calories; 11.5g fat (94 percent calories from fat); 2g saturated fat; 2mg cholesterol; 1g protein; 0.5g carbohydrate; no sugar; 0.5g fiber; 55mg sodium; 44mg calcium; 29mg potassium.