Best Hamburgers in Texas

We rarely eat out for burgers anymore, since my guy has perfected the art of hamburger making. Granted, his service times are a little slower, but his charcoal with mesquite wood chips grilled offerings are head and shoulders above anything a fast food restaurant has to offer. He labors lovingly over his tailgate hibachi grill, as the smoke filters out the carport, and down the street, enticing everyone within a 3 block radius. I am constantly surprised the billowing cloud doesn't alert the local fire department.

In addition to grilling over coals and wood chips, seasoning the meat with adobo seasoning and his favorite bbq sauce, he insists that the perfection is attributed to his careful layering of everything inside of the whole wheat buns -- (from the bottom up) special sauce, tomato, lettuce, meat patty, chopped onions, cheddar cheese, and more special sauce. In particular, he's pleased the the onion bits are melted into the cheese over the meat patty, at the last minute, on the grill.

Here's our recipe for our special sauce. 

"In n Out-ish" Sauce:

Mix together in bowl:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons finely minced white onion
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Place in refrigerator for at least two hours.

If you've never tried grilling with wood chips, here's a handy guide from Yahoo to selecting the right one:

Apple Wood Chips Apple naturally pairs well with pork as well as chicken. When grilling, use apple wood chips to add a fruity taste to any pork product including pork chops, pork ribs, pork sausage or ham.

The apple wood chips also enhance chicken breasts, and even salmon steaks.

Apricot Wood Chips

Use apricot wood chips to cook chicken or pork.

Cherry Wood Chips

Cherry Wood Chips enhance different poultry and fowls when grilled. Cherry wood chips add a fruity flavor to meats, but with an added tartness. Use cherry wood chips when grilling duck or chicken.

Cherry wood chips also complement game meats like venison. Lamb pairs well with cherry wood chips, as does a beef steak.

Hickory Wood Chips

Hickory wood chips are perfect for grilling and flavoring pork chops. BBQ chicken is also delectable and rich when grilled with hickory wood chips.

Maple Wood Chips

Add some sweetness to grilled meats, without adding sugar-laden condiments. Cook chicken or your favorite seafood steak with maple wood chips.

Mesquite Wood Chips

Mesquite wood chips add a Tex-Mex flavor to beef and chicken. Use Mesquite wood chips for meats that will be served with corn, or tortillas.

Oak Wood Chips

Oak wood chips are versatile and can be used to enhance chicken, beef, and even seafood.

Pecan Wood Chips

Add a nutty pecan taste to chicken, duck and turkey cooked on the grill.

Gas Grilling Tip: Add the soaked but drained wood chips to a smoker box attached to your grill.