The Grind, Miami's home town burger competition, is only three weeks away and the competition is heating up.
On March 31 at 7 p.m., 30 local restaurants will showcase their best burgers at Wynwood's Miami Entertainment Complex -- and you get to eat your way through all of them.
But professionals aren't the only ones who will be grilling their way to victory. The Short Order Best Backyard Burger Competition allows backyard grillers to showcase the burgers that made them famous in the hearts and stomachs of their friends and family.
The Grind received almost 100 burger entries from Miami kitchens and backyards. It was a tough decision, but these entrants have been whittled down to a lucky 17 finalists. Take a look at the burgers (and their descriptions), then vote here for your favorite.
Remember, you can only vote once, so make it count. Here are the burgers (in alphabetical order):
Alex A: "A-Burger"
Onion
and Mushroom infused, premium ground chuck beef burger. Topped with bacon, lettuce & vine tomato, and
premium Kraft Deli American cheese. Served with seasoned fries with
melted shredded cheese.
Bone L: "Bone Lee Burger"
Olive oil mayo, maple syrup bacon (trimmed of excess
fat), provolone cheese, egg (fried in bacon grease), 8oz. 80/20 ground
beef patty (soaked in hot sauce), mustard on a Kaiser roll.
Daljeet S: "Surf & Turf"
Half
of Florida lobster tail seasoned with butter, lemon juice, Old Bay
seasoning and lightly grilled, 6 ounces of fresh ground chuck combined
with chopped Scotch bonnet hot peppers, fresh thyme leaves, cooked hickory smoked bacon bits, crushed plantain chips and kosher salt. Topped with semi-ripe mango grilled, scooped and
pureed with Jalapeno and fresh cilantro, relish made with sliced red
onions, English cucumber, key lime juice, cayenne pepper
and Kosher salt, lettuce leaves. Served on a deli-style sub roll that's split, brushed with
olive oil and lightly grilled.
David B: "Beef/Chorizo
Beef chorizo slider with parmigiano-reggiano pecorino romano frico. Topped w/smoked paprika & fresh herb compound butter.
Evan Z: "Beef/pork/lamb Burger"
Ground
beef, pork and lamb with egg and breadcrumbs (meatloaf style), stuffed
with jalapeños and topped with applewood smoked cheddar, Nueske bacon
and all the fixings on an asiago bun.
Jeremy B: "Rosemary Bolognese Burger"
Burger is a blend of ground beef infused with
red wine braised vegetables, grilled to juicy perfection. Topped with Manchego cheese, roasted
tomato relish, fresh arugula and sandwiched within a toasted French
roll.
Lazara R: "Cubanazo Burger on Pan de Gloria"
Mix of Sapito meat and chorizo with egg white, white chopped onions, crushed sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes with a cheese center. Served with jalapeños, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, fried
Cuban Mariquitas on Pan de Gloria.
Manuel A: "The Hot Mess"
A
half pound of ground beef married with diced yellow bell peppers, red
bell peppers and jalapeños. Served on a toasted buttered french roll;
smothered in colby-jack cheese; then topped with crispy, pressed bacon
and a fried egg. Finished with a pineapple banana pepper
jalapeño salsa.
Marien L: "The Miami Vice"
Minced
sweet peppers and jalapeños folded into one hundred percent ground beef
and served on toasted buttered Cuban bread. Layered with grilled
pineapples, roasted jalapeños, pickled banana peppers, sweet and spicy
salsa, and topped with round cut fries.
Olga M: "Caprese Burger"
Marinated turkey patties and turkey bacon, topped with fresh mozzarella, fresh
basil, heirloom tomato, crushed sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. Served on spicy, crunchy, and
garlicy ciabatta bread.
Pablo L: "Kosher Burger"
Prime
sirloin ground beef with a variety of spices, Glatt Kosher supervision--
the highest level of Kosher certification, served with Lettuce, tomato,
sautéed onions and mushrooms, (can add soy cheese), Served with fries
on a homemade bun.
Phoebe P: "Gyronator/Beefteki"
A gyro inspired burger with feta, homemade Tzatziki sauce, fresh Florida tomato and red onions
Roly M: "Bacon Jam"
The
burger is a 90/10 chuck and chorizo blend topped with a slice of Gouda
and homemade bacon jam. The meat is simply seasoned with kosher salt and
pepper. The bacon jam is made with coffee, maple syrup, apple cider
vinegar, onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.
Steve S: "The Bacon + Egg"
The
"Bacon + Egg" comprises of a custom chuck grind formed into 4-ounce burgers
which is then cooked sous-vide at 56.5 degrees Celsius. The burger is then topped with
an egg yolk 'slice' and bacon powder crumbs while sitting atop a
toasted English Muffin and garnished with crispy bacon chips.
Susie W: "My Big Fat Greek Burger"
A lamb and pork belly ground patty folded with
traditional Greek seasonings, including toasted coriander, fennel and
garlic, slathered with a feta, cilantro and mint puree. Topped with pickled cucumber and carrot over an onion poppy seed
bun.
Thomas R: "The Mexican"
Mexican
style burger with 80/20 ground beef with black beans, corn,
bacon bits, caramelized chipotle onions and a blend of seasonings.Topped with Haas avocado slices and American cheese (sliced fresh
from the deli), and crumbled Mexican cheese.
Get your tickets to The Grind now. Advanced purchase general admission tickets are $75, VIP tickets are $125 and include an extra hour of eating. Use code NTIMES for a $10 discount on tickets, while supplies last.
Or win a pair of tickets, courtesy of the Grind and Short Order. Just go to our Facebook page and tell us which of these burgers you voted for -- and why! A winner will be announced on Thursday.
Follow Short Order on Facebook and Twitter @Short_Order.
