Even Rain Can't Stop the Best Burgers in Bolingbrook

We woke up to the sound of a downpour this morning, but we still enjoyed one of life's guilty little pleasures. Two or three days each week, we buy freshly-ground chuck, fire up the charcoal grill and make some delicious hamburgers.

I kept checking the weather radar all morning, but it didn't look as if we were going to get a break from the showers for several hours. Lunch can't wait that long, so it's burgers in the rain.

Even our two dogs get burgers. It's a Skopick family ritual. We found the driest spot on the patio, to set up the barbecue grill, protected by our leaning elm tree. While Gary was lighting the hickory charcoal briquets, I sliced up a jumbo sweet onion and started the famous Skopick "caramelization" process on the stove.

I also sauteed fresh, mushroom slices in butter and tarragon, using the same pan. Today, the coals fired up fast because my husband propped the lid open with a stick, and that brought more oxygen to the fire.

He always makes his two thin patties first and takes a big handful out with him, to make the pups theirs. Then he waits for the smoke. Then he flips. That's our test of real ground chuck—it smokes.

Sometimes, the butcher sneaks leaner ground sirloin instead and we can't tell until we notice it's not pink or it doesn't smoke. Once his two skinny burgers are medium-well done, they're ready to be topped. American cheese in the middle is a must and it's white, not dyed yellow. The onions are ready and he piles them on top, nice and high. Then some dill pickle chips, a wafer-thin raw onion slice and the warmed top of the bun. I forgot to make our usual maple-flavored bacon. Such is life.

We have had all the burgers in joints around town but nobody can match ours.

While his burger is resting in a safe place, the two dogs get hamburgers of their own, cut into small pieces and served on paper plates. Nothing else can be done until the pooches are finished. Our German Shepherd, Wolfy, gobbles hers down as fast as she can. At the same time Kai, our Bedlington terrier, just watches her eat. The little guy won't touch his, until she's completely done, and starts eyeing his plate. Keeping one eye on Wolfy, he slowly starts to eat his. The entire time, we are blocking the sneaky shepherd as she creeps up on Kai's prized meal. He's growl and snap if she gets too close. Blink, and she's on it in a second, so that's why we have to watch and scold. Eventually he's done, but not until he picks up his plate, and carries it to his blanket, to savour the last licks.

Now, I can make my big single patty and Gary can eat his hamburger. I had enough to make a spare small patty for the dogs, instead of just making one big one, and sharing it with them anyway. My toppings include the browned mushrooms, BBQ sauce, caramelized and raw onions. Our only side is potato chips, along with a healthy dose of rock radio. When I've had my fill, I remove any onions, break up the leftovers into tiny pieces and feed the rest of the beef to Kai and Wolfy. She'll stare me down when I've devoured all but the last quarter, because she knows what's coming next. Wolfy can catch anything that's tossed her way, and it gives me just enough time to place the next piece in Kai's mouth. What a circus.

Funny, just as I finished cleaning up the kitchen, and unplugged the tunes, when Gary made the announcement, "I think the rain's stopped."

We had "burgers in the snow" at Christmas time, so a little monsoon isn't about to stop us.

Best darn burgers in Bolingbrook.