Build a Better Burger

I haven’t quite gone the intervention-required path of Wimpy or Jughead, but like most people, I crave a good hamburger now and then. There are a few places that make a nice burger around town, like Patati Patata or La Paryse, and since I am not inclined to make my own fries and don’t have access to a grill, these are definitely nice options. But I’m certainly not destined to dining outside my home every time I want to sink my teeth into a burger.

A grill typically has two advantages over my stove: high heat and smoke. The heat forms a nice crust and the smoke a nice flavor. Both of these things are relatively easy to mimic. Anyone with a cast iron skillet and a bunsen burner can get a surface hot enough to nicely sear a patty, but it doesn’t always form the nicest crust. Don’t worry, I have learned a technique for that.

Smoke can be implemented in various ways. Liquid smoke seems like an obvious option but, despite being a concentration of natural smoke condensation, tastes somewhat artificial to me. I could, of course, build a smoker out of my oven, but I somehow doubt I want my apartment smelling like a sausage hut while I set off the smoke detector. My favorite option to implement smoked flavor at home is by using bacon, and/or smoked cheeses on my burger. My favorite is smoked Gouda, but smoked cheddar or Gruyère are nice as well. If the cheese is naturally smoked (a lot aren’t – check the label), it lends a very nice flavor reminiscent of actual grill to the burger.

Obviously there’s more to a great burger at home than just mimicking grill flavor. A typical burger patty might consist of ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, Worcestershire and steak spice. What do all these things contribute to the overall product? And, if they contribute anything at all, what’s so important about 100% all-beef patties, then?

The primary component of a burger should be, of course, the beef. The obvious benefit of a 100% all-beef patty is that it tastes like beef. A good burger should require little more than salt to bring out its flavor. A burger of any other meat (or meat alternative) is just not the same in my opinion, as beef has a unique ability to stay juicy on its own and just tastes, well, beefy. Other options require more help to boost the flavor or moisture content.

Flavor is fairly subjective, but few people prefer a dry, tough burger over a moist and tender one. When you start to reduce the fat content in the primary ingredient you’re using, such as substituting ground turkey or chicken for beef, you need to add binding agents to help retain moisture. Eggs are wonderful at helping to bind ingredients together, which will keep your burgers from falling apart, and bread crumbs, or a mixture of bread and milk (called a “panade”) will not only help extend the volume of your meat, but will help your burgers stay moist.

Worcestershire sauce and steak spice are common burger flavoring ingredients, but to me, salt alone is sufficient. I like my burgers to taste like beef. Of course, sometimes it’s nice to be creative with your burgers and add diced jalapeños, Dijon mustard, coriander seeds, coleslaw, or whatever. Whatever you add, make sure if you’re adding spices that you toast them first to bring out their flavor, and if you’re adding vegetables, to finely chop and sweat or sauté them first, because they will otherwise taste “raw” in your hamburgers.

There’s something to be said for unadulterated beef as the base of a good burger, so I’ve since come to employ this unique technique when making burgers at home for two:

Salt-Seared Burgers

• 1 pound lean ground beef, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet with a thin layer of the salt over medium-high heat.
2. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
3. Press the meat into two fat ovals, trying not to press more than necessary to hold their shape. The ovals will fit in the pan better than circles and still fit in most buns.
4. Place the patties directly onto the salt and cook, without flipping, 3-4 minutes per side. Finish in the oven to your desired doneness

Since the only ingredients here are beef and salt, it is important that the beef you buy is of good quality. Kosher salt, or a coarse salt, is necessary to ensure that the beef develops a nice crust rather than an extremely salty exterior. Any less than 10-13% beef fat and you’ll end up with a dry burger. If you’re buying pre-ground meat, it’s likely best to cook your meat to 160 degrees to avoid any potential food borne illness from all those mixed meat scenarios that may have taken place. If you have the luxury of grinding your own Angus or something though – good for you!

This recipe, more or less, was originally found in What Einstein Told His Cook.

I intend to write a follow-up article on condiments (how to make your own ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo, barbecue sauce, etc.) by the end of barbecue season.