Cook a Better Burger
What do you put in your burgers? That's what everyone always asks. They want to know if you add chopped onions or Dijon mustard or if you doctor your ground beef with a few dashes of Worcestershire or barbecue sauce. There's gotta be something in them, no? Well, no. No, there doesn't. A great burger doesn't need help. It needs salt, pepper, and the right kind of ground beef—specifically, ground chuck, with a fat content of about 20 percent. Although, for a truly great burger, you'll want to ask your butcher for 25 percent: more fat, more flavor, more juice. Forming the patty is also important. As David Walzog, chef of New York's Strip House and Michael Jordan's The Steak House N.Y.C., points out, you want to pack it just enough to keep the meat together. The burger should have a loose consistency; this isn't meat loaf you're making. Once you've formed the patty (about an inch thick), make a well in its center with your thumb. When burgers cook, they tend to contract and bulge in the middle. Making an indentation prevents this from happening. Finally, skip the fancy-pants brioche or sourdough roll and opt for a moist, squishy grocery-store bun. And because a burger is an American classic, go with American cheese. The orange kind, of course.
The Perfect Burger
Makes three
1 lb ground chuck
Salt and pepper
American cheese
Buns
Step 1
Remove ground beef from the fridge an hour before cooking. Gently form three patties, each about an inch thick (don't overpack). With your thumb, form a small well in the center of each. Season on the outside with salt and pepper.
Step 2
To cook indoors, place a cast-iron skillet (see below) or a nonstick or regular frying pan over medium-high heat. When it is nice and hot, add a dash of vegetable oil and add the patties. Do not move them and do not press down with a spatula. Let cook for about 4 minutes, or until nicely browned. (An open window or a vent over your stove comes in handy at this point.) Flip, add the cheese, and cook for about another 4 minutes. You may have to fry a few patties to get the timing and heat level right. You want your burger well browned on the outside and juicy in the middle.
Step 3
Remove the burgers. Drain excess fat from the pan. Place the buns in the pan, facedown, and let them get crispy. Assemble the burgers. Go easy on the condiments. Repeat.
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