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Welcome to the first country of the 195 Country Cooking Challenge - where I cook a popular dish from all 195 countries around the world! I was inspired by the Olympics, but not to go for a run (haha). Along the journey, I will be sharing these recipes with you along with some interesting facts about each country. My goal is to teach you a bit about each country while you eat or cook their cuisine!
The National Dish of the United States of America
Up first is the United States of America - where I live! When I researched the national/most popular dish in the United States, the answer was pretty clear from the beginning. However, because the U.S. is such a melting pot of cultures, it can be difficult to pinpoint whether or not a food actually originated here. After some digging, I finally found the most popular (and coined National Dish) of the United States of America. For this country, I will be making... A CHEESBURGER! Although the invention of the hamburger is widely disputed (some think it was created in Hamburg, Germany OR Hamburg, New York), the cheeseburger has a clear origin story. The cheeseburger was invented in 1924 in Pasadena, California by a 16-year-old named Lionel Sternberger. He worked at his father's sandwich shop (The Rite Spot) and decided to put a slice of cheese on a hamburger patty. This invention was put on the menu and called "The Original Hamburger with Cheese." Fun fact, it only cost 15 cents!
I decided I would make my favorite type of cheeseburger (with fried onions and mushrooms). The best part about this cheeseburger is you can make it at home and without a grill! I will go through the recipe below, but if you would like a more streamlined approach, you can check out the official recipe here.
Facts About The United States of America
As I mentioned before, The United States is a melting pot of cultures, but what is it about this country that makes it so unique? The United States of America adopted its' name on September 9, 1776 when it gained independence from Great Britain. The flag of the United States of America is red, white, and blue. Red symbolizes hardiness, white symbolizes innocence, and blue represents justice. The flag has 13 red and white stripes to symbolize the 13 original colonies and 50 stars to symbolize the 50 states in the country today.
The United States is 3,805,525 square miles of land and water. Because of the large size of the country, the climate varies drastically from northernmost to southernmost point. In Alaska (the northernmost state) temperatures can reach -50 degrees Fahrenheit (-45 Celsius). In Florida (the southernmost state), temperatures can hit 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius). The United States is also famous for Death Valley in California, where temperatures have hit 134 degrees Fahrenheit (57 Celsius).
The most popular job in the United States is retail sales, with an estimated 3.76 million people earning an income from this title. The Statue of Liberty is the most famous landmark. Sitting in New York City on Ellis Island, the 305 foot statue was a gift from France and represents freedom, inspiration, and hope.
There are many different languages spoken in the United States (between 350 and 430), but the most popular is English (with Spanish second). Christianity is the most common religion in the country with an estimated 63% of the population following these religious beliefs.
What You Should Know if You Plan to Visit The United States of America
If you plan to visit the United States, here are some general things you should know (based on Hotels.com):
The portion sizes are big
Tips are expected
Tax prices vary from state to state
People are very talkative
Don't be afraid to visit the lesser-known areas
The country is huge
The metric system does not exist
The country loves sports
Health care is expensive, so make sure you have good travel insurance
Public transportation is not widely available
Now, we move on to cooking the cheeseburger! Although a classic cheeseburger is only burger patty, cheese, and buns, I'm going to add some extra toppings. I also researched popular side dishes in the U.S. and the most common answer was potatoes. I decided to add fried potatoes to this recipe. If you do not wish to cook fried potatoes with your cheeseburgers, you will only need 2 yellow onions, you don't need potatoes, and you can skip steps 2,7, and 10. Happy cooking!
Cooking the National Dish of The United States of America
Ingredients:
1 pound of 85/15 ground beef
1/4 Pound of American Cheese thinly sliced
3 yellow onions (2 if not making fried potatoes)
8 medium redskin potatoes (if making fried potatoes)
8 white or belle mushrooms
4 burger buns (I like Martin's Potato Bread - affiliate link)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Steps:
Step 1:
Wash and dry the potatoes and mushrooms. Also be sure to remove the mushroom stems.
Step 2:
Peel all potatoes. Instead of just using a knife, which takes away a lot of the potato, I prefer to use this vegetable peeler. Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch coins. It is important to get them to all the same thickness so they cook evenly. I use a mandoline slicer to slice my potatoes. Place the peeled and sliced potatoes in a bowl of water to prevent oxidation.
Step 3:
Remove all skin from the onions and cut both ends off. Then cut them once in half and place the flat side down. Slice the onions into 1/4 inch thick slices. Set aside.
Step 4:
Cut mushrooms into thick slices and set aside.
Step 5:
Open ground beef and put it into a bowl. Pull the meat apart but do not squish it. Add salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning and mix thoroughly with your hand. Squish meat together into one clump. Divide into 4 equal parts and form them into burger patties, putting them on a plate.
Step 6:
Add olive oil and 1/2 the onions to a small skillet. Sauté on medium high heat for 3 minutes, mix occasionally.
Step 7:
Add potatoes to a large skillet with the vegetable oil. Add lid and cook for 10 minutes on medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 8:
Add mushrooms to the skillet with onions and turn the heat to medium low. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, mixing occasionally. Once the 10 minutes is done, turn the burner off.
Step 9:
Warm a pan on medium-high heat for the burgers. Add burgers once the pan is warm. Cook burger for 5-6 minutes on each size. There should be slight char marks on both sides. (NOTE: it is important to cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit)
Step 10:
Change temperature of the potatoes to medium and add the other 1/2 of the onions. Cook for 5 minutes then turn to low until potatoes are soft enough to break.
Step 11:
While they are still in the pan, top burgers with mushroom/onion mix and cheese.
Plate and enjoy!
Which country should I do next?
Follow @thatcountrycook on Instagram to see a video of me making this recipe!
This article contains affiliate links.
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