Everyone has an opinion on which restaurant makes the best burger. Some prefer a specific fast-food chain and others have a local burger joint they simply can’t live without.
Other folks, however, are more discerning in their burger tastes, and this is usually because they’ve learned to make the ultimate burger at home. Once you do, every restaurant burger will pale in comparison. Here’s what you need to know.
It’s All in the Meat
Ok, so it’s not ALL in the meat, but you can’t make a great burger if you don’t start with top-notch beef. Some high-end restaurants sport ground filet mignon and kobe beef burgers on their menu. You don’t have to go that far, but know that when you’re making a burger, the word “lean” on the package of beef is absolute blasphemy. You need at least 20% fat content to make this happen right.
Don’t Overfill or Overwork
Bigger isn’t better when it comes to the perfect burger. Six ounces of meat will put you in your happy place. Once you get the ideal amount of meat measured out, pat it into a patty and don’t mash and overwork it. Make a little divot in the middle of the patty to keep it from expanding into a monstrosity, season it with salt and pepper, and you’re ready to cook.
Cook It Right
Once you put that patty onto the grill or into the pan, for the love of all that is holy, RESIST THE URGE to mash it down; you’ll push out all the lovely juices and fat that make it taste amazing. Three minutes on one side, then three to four minutes on the other side – and you’re ready to eat.
Whether you do a low-carb burger on a lettuce wrap, a simple burger with basic burger toppings, or an over-the-top, out-of-this-world burger with bizarro condiments (chunky peanut butter, banana, and bacon, anyone?), your patty will be the one that people dream about at night.
