Lettuce is not a very good value for the buck in terms of either nutrition or satiating qualities. Neither is an apple, but at least you can make a pork and apple stewed dish that is delicious, scales and will freeze amazingly well. US Southerners have a rich culinary tradition of meat and "greens" stews that do the same. When I was at grad school at UF almost 40 years ago the Hare Krishnas cooked vegetarian Indian lunches at scale free for anyone right on the main quad. It was good, we ate it, even though we could afford a burrito (with lettuce) from Burrito Brothers whenever we wanted.
If you look at what either José Andrés or the cooks for the Sikh Temple are serving, they cook for the purpose, not for ephemeral desires. My point, I want to emphasize, is that we culinary plebes can cook for the purpose and it be delicious and nutritious, with a freezer and a plan.
Ship the difference in fundage to the World Central Kitchen (or wherever) and your karma goes up too.
So what to do with hamburger at scale. As it happens... I have a great recipe for ground beef, potatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and stock that everybody I've ever fed it to, including my MIL, gets addicted to. It freezes perfectly. Here's a tip: grill a bunch of hamburgers on a nice hardwood fire, seasoned however you like. Eat a fabulous hamburger dinner with friends (and lettuce). Freeze the leftover burgers, and then... use them in this dish. We call it 4-Layer Dinner.
(edited to fix some nits and omissions)
If you look at what either José Andrés or the cooks for the Sikh Temple are serving, they cook for the purpose, not for ephemeral desires. My point, I want to emphasize, is that we culinary plebes can cook for the purpose and it be delicious and nutritious, with a freezer and a plan.
Ship the difference in fundage to the World Central Kitchen (or wherever) and your karma goes up too.
So what to do with hamburger at scale. As it happens... I have a great recipe for ground beef, potatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and stock that everybody I've ever fed it to, including my MIL, gets addicted to. It freezes perfectly. Here's a tip: grill a bunch of hamburgers on a nice hardwood fire, seasoned however you like. Eat a fabulous hamburger dinner with friends (and lettuce). Freeze the leftover burgers, and then... use them in this dish. We call it 4-Layer Dinner.
(edited to fix some nits and omissions)