Milledgeville Burger Week Will Inspire You to Add Global Flavors To Your Summer Grilling

If you’re looking for creative ways to prepare hamburgers as you fire up the backyard grill this summer, you might find some inspiration from Milledgeville Burger Week. The Georgia Beef Board, Visit Milledgeville and Milledgeville Main Street partnered with 13 restaurants in Baldwin County in May to showcase imaginative ways to eat the classic all-American burger.

The Georgia Beef Board, which represents Georgia’s 15,000 beef cattle producers, is funded by the Beef Checkoff, a national marketing and research program designed to increase the demand for beef at home and abroad, The Board celebrates “beef month” in Georgia each May, which coincides with Milledgeville Burger Week,

This year’s participants represented a number of different cuisines including Mexican, Italian, Indian, Thai, and Mediterranean. For nine days, the restaurants offered a $9 burger special (plus tax and gratuity). The chefs reimagined the definition of burgers, with added twists of flavors and unconventional dough options. For example, Milly Grub offered grilled cheeseburger calzones made with two BBQ-Sriracha-seasoned grass-fed patties, topped with shredded cheddar, mozzarella, bell peppers, diced jalapenos, tomatoes, and sauteed mushrooms and onions, wrapped in a calzone.

At nearby Buffington’s, the highlight was a fried pickle patty melt with caramelized onions, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and, of course, fried pickles, on grilled Texas toast. At Metropolis, the featured burger – called the Metropolis Magic – consisted of a beef patty stacked with a steak souvlaki patty, tahini, provolone, and mango sauce, on a toasted burger bun. And at The Brick, customers could try a bourbon burger, made with a 100% Angus beef patty topped with mushrooms, provolone, cheddar, sauteed onions and bacon crumbles, drizzled with a sweet Jim Beam bourbon glaze, and cooked inside the dough.

The burger that took top honors for the second straight year was the Thai royal burger from Kai Thai. The seasoned Angus beef patty, topped with homemade curry mayo, a hashbrown patty, white cheddar, bacon, caramelized onions, avocado and lettuce, won Milledgeville People’s Choice Award and Most Beef Sold Award.

Supranee Sritan, the chef and co-owner of the Thai and sushi restaurant, says she had her first burger at a McDonald’s in Bangkok when she was in high school. After moving to Milledgeville from Thailand, she and her sister opened Kai Thai in 2008. The restaurant’s flavorful fried rice, pad Thai, curries and hibachi dishes instantly won the heart of local diners.

When Milledgeville Burger Week rolled around, Sritan wanted to showcase the flavors of her native country. “I was inspired to create a burger that contained elements of a classic American comfort food but also one that was influenced by Thai cuisine, particularly Thai street food that some people here likely never experienced before,” she says,

To create your own burger recipes at home, Sritan advises using the ingredients your family and friends would appreciate, but also step out of your comfort zone. “Don’t be afraid to try something new. And remember that good things come from trial and error. Most importantly, always remember to balance the elements you already like and the ones you want to incorporate into your cooking,” she says.

For more beef recipes, industry facts, and nutrition information, visit georgiabeef.org.