Don't let the fast food chains hold a monopoly on America's hamburger culture. A great burger is worth slowing down for.
For celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who has a new book on the subject and has recently opened Bobby's Burger Palaces in several locations, making the perfect burger involves treating "each component with the thought and respect it deserves."
That means making wise choices on the type of ground beef, patty making technique, cooking method, and bread and topping selections.
Start with the beef. Most chefs agree that ground chuck, usually labeled as 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat, is the way to go.
That's because fat equals flavor and moistness. Going with anything leaner will produce a dry and tasteless burger.
Flay recommends purchasing the meat from shops where it is ground fresh daily. Stay away from pre-packaged or pre-formed patties, which Flay says can be inconsistent in freshness, texture and flavor.
Bruce Aidells, author of "The Complete Meat Cookbook," agrees that ground chuck is the way to go, but says that for the ultimate burger you can grind your own at home using a food processor.
He suggests purchasing boneless chuck with the outer fat (called the fat cap) attached. Chuck meat often is sold with most of the fat trimmed, so you may need to ask your butcher to do a custom cut or sell you some extra fat.
Aidells recommends making sure the beef is very cold before grinding it. He even suggests chilling the food processor blade for 30 minutes in the freezer before starting.
Cut the meat and fat into 3âÑ4-inch chunks and grind in small batches using the pulse function. Combine the batches and gently mix. Using this cut of beef and grinding in this manner should produce a ground beef that is roughly 80 percent lean.
When it comes to shaping the burger, both Aidells and Flay call for a fairly flat, uniform patty no more than 3âÑ4-inch thick. Try not to overwork the meat or pack the patty too tight or your burgers may come out tough or dry.
Flay takes the extra step of making a deep thumbprint in the center of each burger. This helps keep the burger from swelling into a football-like shape while cooking.
For seasoning, Flay sprinkles the outside with kosher salt and ground black pepper, sometimes a spice rub, too. But he never mixes into the meat any spices, condiments, onions, garlic or fillers, such as bread crumbs. Do that, and you've got meatloaf, he says.
Aidells finds that gently mixing kosher salt and ground black pepper into the meat itself gives the burger a superior flavor.
A great burger can be cooked in a cast iron skillet or under the broiler, but a grill lends an unsurpassed smoky flavor to the beef.
Real lump charcoal burns the hottest and longest, and adds the best flavor, but if you are using briquettes make sure they are a high quality and made of hardwoods.
A gas grill is more convenient, especially when cooking just a few burgers. You can boost the smokiness with a few water-soaked hardwood chips wrapped in a foil pouch (poke some holes in it) placed directly on the flames. Wait until it is smoking, then cook.
Flay says that the perfect burger should be a contrast in textures, which means a tender, juicy interior and a crusty, slightly charred exterior. This is achieved by cooking the meat directly over very hot heat, rather than the indirect method preferred for slow barbecues.
He also advises flipping the burgers only once in order to give the heat a chance to form a good crust on the outside.
And as tempting as it is, says Flay, don't press down on the burgers with your spatula; it not only squeezes out the flavorful juices, but also can cause dangerous flare-ups.
To keep burgers from sticking, oil your grill grates with oil-soaked paper towels.
A good, sturdy spatula with a thin edge is essential for getting under the burger and easily separating it from the grill grates.
Federal guidelines suggest cooking hamburgers to an internal temperature of at least 160 F (medium-well) for complete safety. If you want to risk (and many do) a burger that's more on the pink side, be sure to get the freshest possible meat.
So many burgers, so little time
BLUE CHEESEBURGER WITH FRIED PICKLED ONIONS
The tangy, homemade pickled onion rings are great with the pungent Gorgonzola or Stilton cheese on this boldly flavored burger. If you like, an extra-sharp cheddar makes a good stand-in for blue cheese. Serve with steak fries and fresh tomato and cucumber salad.
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 4
For the onions:
11âÑ2 cups white vinegar
1âÑ2 cup sugar
2 bay leaves
2 cups water
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced into rings
1âÑ2 cup Wondra flour (also called instant flour)
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1âÑ2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
For the burgers:
11âÑ2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
3âÑ4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
Salt, to taste
1âÑ2 cup crumbled Stilton or Gorgonzola blue cheese
4 seeded hamburger buns
To prepare the french fried onions, in a medium saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in second medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the onions and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer to a colander to drain, then add the onions to the vinegar mixture and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and let cool in the pickling liquid for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the Wondra flour, dry mustard and salt.
In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high.
In small batches, shake the onions to remove excess liquid and dredge them through the flour mixture so they are completely coated. Fry the onions in the hot oil, turning them once, until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the onions from burning. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
To prepare the burgers, heat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a charcoal fire.
In a large bowl, gently but thoroughly mix the ground beef and pepper. Shape into 4 patties, each about 3âÑ4 inch thick.
To oil the grill grates, coat a folded paper towel with oil, hold it with tongs and rub it over the grates.
Grill the burgers, with the grill covered, until well browned on the underside, 4 to 5 minutes. With a metal spatula, carefully flip the burgers. Grill for another 3 minutes,
Top each burger with blue cheese crumbles. Grill 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the burger registers 160 F at the thickest part.
Meanwhile, toast the buns at the edge of the grill. Season the burgers with salt, top with the onions and serve the on the toasted buns.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 743 calories; 320 calories from fat; 36 g fat (14 g saturated; 2 g trans fats); 125 mg cholesterol; 65 g carbohydrate; 43 g protein; 3 g fiber; 906 mg sodium.
ARGENTINE BURGER
This burger, created by Bobby Flay, is topped with chimichurri sauce, a zesty sauce of parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil that is used to garnish grilled meats in Argentina. Slices of red onion and slightly salty Spanish manchego cheese give the burger a strong, savory finish.
Start to finish: 45 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 4
For the chimichurri sauce:
2 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1âÑ2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For the burgers:
11âÑ2 pounds 80 percent lean ground chuck
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
11âÑ2 tablespoons canola oil
4 slices manchego cheese (4 to 6 ounces)
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
1âÑ2 medium red onion, sliced 1âÑ4 inch thick
To make the chimichurri, in a food processor, combine the parsley, oregano and garlic. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
Add the paprika, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. The sauce can be made 8 hours in advance, tightly covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Heat a gas grill to high or burn coals in a charcoal grill until they glow bright orange and ash over.
Divide the meat into 4 portions. Form each portion into a 3âÑ4-inch patty and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.
Brush the burgers with the oil. Grill the burgers, with the grill covered, until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes more for medium rare, or until cooked to desired doneness.
Add the cheese to the tops of the burgers during the last minute of cooking. Serve immediately, on the buns topped with a large dollop of the chimichurri sauce and sliced onions.
(Recipe from "Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries and Shakes," by Bobby Flay, 2009, Clarkson Potter)
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 869 calories; 575 calories from fat; 64 g fat (21 g saturated; 2 g trans fats); 145 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrate; 41 g protein; 3 g fiber; 1,307 mg sodium.
GARLIC BUTTER BURGER
Using garlic butter to baste the burgers as you grill them and the buns before you toast them is a simple way to improve upon the classic burger. If you like, add fresh herbs or Worcestershire sauce to the butter to boost the flavor even more.
Start to finish: 45 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 4
12 tablespoons (11âÑ2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 cloves garlic
1âÑ2 small shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
11âÑ2 pounds 80 percent lean ground chuck
4 hamburger buns, split
11âÑ2 tablespoons canola oil
In a food processor, combine the butter, garlic, shallot and parsley. Process until smooth, then season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the butter mixture to a bowl, then cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before using.
Heat a gas grill to high or burn coals in a charcoal grill until they glow bright orange and ash over.
Divide the meat into 4 portions. Loosely form each portion into a 3âÑ4-inch patty and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.
Brush the cut sides of each bun with about 1âÑ2 tablespoon of the butter.
Brush the burgers with the oil. Grill the burgers, brushing them every 30 seconds with the remaining garlic butter, until golden brown and slightly charred on the bottoms, about 3 minutes.
Flip the burgers and cook until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, about 4 minutes more for medium rare, or until cooked to desired doneness. Meanwhile, toast the buns. When the burgers are done, serve immediately on the buns.
(Recipe from "Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries and Shakes," by Bobby Flay, 2009, Clarkson Potter)
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 760 calories; 521 calories from fat; 58 g fat (25 g saturated; 3 g trans fats); 165 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrate; 34 g protein; 1 g fiber; 563 mg sodium.
How to make a mean lean burger that tastes good
Pervaiz Shallwani
For The Associated Press
Josh Ozersky has strong feelings about low-fat hamburgers.
"A lean burger is an abominable object," says Ozersky, author of "The Hamburger: A History."
"Everything that is valuable in the meat lies in the fat. The way I think of it is, the fat is the meat and meat is the vegetable," he said.
The prevailing wisdom in traditional burger making is using an 80 percent lean ground beef. This fatty variety of meat creates a sublime patty that oozes meaty juice with each bite. Low-fat varieties too often result in patties that are lean, but lousy.
"You can go 90âÑ10, but it doesn't have the same sort of bite to it, and doesn't make a great burger," says Frank Proto, executive chef at Landmarc, a New York bistro.
He also isn't impressed by most efforts to add fillers or other ingredients to moisten lean beef. "You put that stuff in and it's not only a binder but also an extender. Does it make the texture any better? Yeah, but it starts to taste like a meatloaf," he says.
Ozersky says the best way to make a lean burger is to make a smaller burger. A quarter-pound patty of 80 percent lean beef has 290 calories and 23 grams of fat. The half pounders served at most restaurants pack 580 calories and 46 grams of fat.
Not willing to downsize? Cut 85 percent beef with lean ground buffalo, ostrich or emu. A half-pound burger made from a 1-to-1 ratio of 85 percent beef and buffalo, for example, sports 450 calories and 30 grams of fat.
LEANER BEEF BURGER
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound ground buffalo
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Heat a grill to medium-high.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Form the mixture into 4 patties.
When the grill is ready, coat the grates with cooking spray or rub them with an oil-soaked paper towel held by tongs. Grill the burgers for 5 to 8 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 450 calories; 266 calories from fat; 30 g fat (12 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 147 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 42 g protein; 0 g fiber; 723 mg sodium.
What to drink with hamburgers
Victoria Brett
For The Associated Press
From fast food joints with uniform patties to fancy burger bars offering gourmet toppings, the hamburger has a certain nostalgia.
There's something about holding that squishy white bun with two hands and biting down into that perfect juicy burger that brings people back to childhood. So when looking for a beverage to pair with a burger, go back to your early years.
George Motz, documentary filmmaker of "Hamburger America" and author of "Hamburger America: A State-by-State Guide to 100 Great Burger Joints," suggests staying true to the classics — shakes and crafted root beer.
"Many times I've pulled up to a drive-in and I'm compelled to order a chocolate shake or a homemade root beer because nostalgically they go well with a burger," Motz says. "Or if I'm in a dark bar, a beer helps to round out that burger experience."
Motz, who has tasted thousands of burgers across the country and eats several burgers a week, is a believer in what he calls the "whole burger experience." By that he means burgers taste best when enjoyed in the right atmosphere with the right people.
"So yes, the chemistry of a perfect burger moment has a lot to do with nostalgia. And if it takes a root beer to reach that moment, then that's what I'm having," he says.
