I’ve done this article before, but it’s worth repeating. With backyard chefs bearing tongs and spatulas and heading for the grill, here’s my take on how to make the Perfect Burger.
Be forewarned. This isn’t a recipe for the healthiest burger, just the tastiest.
You really wouldn’t want to serve a steady diet of these burgers unless you had a death wish, but at least once this summer, indulge yourself and cook a few burgers in exactly this manner.
First, forget about the ground round, ground sirloin, ground chuck and all the “leaner” blends of hamburger, and get a package of the 70/30 hamburger blend. That’s 70% meat and 30% fat. Thirty percent is a lot of fat but it makes damned good hamburgers.
In some recent Foodie Magazines, chefs have admitted to adding some of the more fat-laden burgers to their menus because they simply taste better.
In the Bible, when the Prodigal Son came home, his Dad said, “Kill the fatted calf.” He did not advise the servants to kill the lean calf, because he knew that the fatted calf would taste better. Simply put: fat adds flavor to meat.
Begin about an hour before you cook the burgers by shaping them into anywhere from 1/3- to ½- pound patties. I think an ideal size is to get 5 burgers out of 2 pounds. Don’t squeeze the burgers tightly, rather shape them gently. If the meat is not firmly packed, it allows the fat to drip all the way through the patties. This will render full flavor, but not full fat. Next, and this is critical, thoroughly coat both sides of the burgers with Kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper. Thoroughly! You want enough salt and pepper that when the heat hits the fat and seasonings, it forms a crust on the outside. The crust will be packed in flavor and it’s hard to over-salt any meat.
Let the freshly formed patties rest at least 45 minutes, then put them over a hot flame for a few minutes on each side and cut back on the heat, bringing them along slowly until they are done to your satisfaction.
I don’t care what the government says, I like my burgers pink on the inside. You gotta’ die sometime.
Try this recipe, a method really, and you’ll agree. This is truly the Perfect Burger.
Perfect Burgers
Two pounds 70/30 hamburger
Shape gently into 5 patties
Kosher salt and coarse pepper to form a crust
Add a slice of cheese – if you must!
Get regular checkups from your Cardiologist