In honor of National Hamburger Day this past week (it was the 28th in case you missed it, at least on most calendars) and the fact that May is National Hamburger Month, it’s high time to talk nuts and bolts about what makes a great burger.
In doing so, I fully recognize that:
(a) foodies are every bit as opinionated and pedantic as fly fishers, perhaps even more so,
(b) that posting such an article with open comments invites anonymous mental midgets to splay their ‘wisdom’ about with abandon,
(c) burgers are being made today with just about every meat (and lots of meatless protein alternatives) under the sun, though we’re talking about beef today,
(d) the concept that simple is most often the optimal choice (think Occam’s Razor here) has been long forgotten in our society, and finally,
(e) the average American wouldn’t know good food if it bit them in the ass, much less food they actually have to take a hands-on role in preparing.
And with that said, after enduring a minor sh*t-storm slaw-storm of opinion regarding our spin on an uptown slaw dog a few weeks ago, I’m holding up the All-American cheeseburger as the pinnacle of burger greatness.
Deviating from our normal recipe routine, let’s chat about what makes a great burger a culinary work of art.
The Perfect Burger Meat Patty.
Entire books could be written on this subject; internet search results bring up millions of citations. Here are a few gems to remember…
Grind your own meat. There are a host of lesser reasons to do so – safety and controlling what the hell you’re eating among them – but we’re really talking about controlling taste and texture here.
Embrace the fat. Great burger grinds have a ratio of at least 80% beef / 20% fat, though you’ll find many great burger minds argue that it should be in the 70/30 range. Adding beef marrow is a trick of many a burger genius.
Blend your grind. An entire new world of burger goodness opens up with the artful combination of different cuts of meat in your burger grind. Our fave is chuck / brisket / short ribs in a 2/1/1 ratio with fat trimmings mixed in (by weight, and pending the fattiness of the cuts listed) to get to a 25% fat ratio.
Minimize handling. Grind meat cold (meat chilled, grinder in the freezer first), use course grind settings, pack meat loosely and dimple those thicker / larger patties in the middle.
Season liberally, but just before grilling. Good salt and fresh ground pepper are essential, though don’t salt until the patties are formed. Salt impacts muscle protein and ultimately causes new cross-linked chemical bonds to form, toughening meat (see it here).
Can’t / won’t grind your own? Next best is a fresh 80/20 grind from a reputable butcher; better yet, pick your cuts from the display and have them do a coarse grind for you as you wait.
One flip vs. multiple? Surprising results here.
Perfection with internal temperature – medium rare at 130. Get an instant read thermometer and make consistently sized patties to simplify grilling.
The Perfect Burger Bun.
For the average sized burger, a toasted potato bun / roll is probably the gold standard, though if you’re into giant sized burgers off the home grill, you’ll need something sturdier. True aficionados steer clear of highly flavored buns so as not to overwhelm that meaty goodness.
The Rest of the Burger Story.
Trying to envision the perfect burger, I see a melty American cheese, sliced raw sweet white onions (like a 1015, Walla Walla or Vidalia) – on the bottom to soften just a bit with the burger’s juices, tart dill chips, mayo on one side, ball park mustard the other and a single leaf of fresh, crisp lettuce (iceberg holds its texture better). Tomatoes too, but only if they’re very fresh , very, very tasty and sliced thinly.
Some say the best burger experience is simply going commando – your fresh ground patty, a toasted bun and a dab of mayo or mustard.
Never let anyone tell you what ‘has to be’ on your burger.
Now get out there and grind up the perfect burgers this weekend.
Enjoy.
Image via Bon Appetit.
