What's your favorite burger and how do you make it?
So, it's my best friend's birthday today and I am having a bbq for her at my house tomorrow evening. She hasn't suggested a main meal yet so I was thinking of doing bugers on the grill. This is my first time with that so...YIKES! Hope all goes well. The only items requested were my Hummus and Guacamole. I'll come up with more at some point.
So, this is why I wanted to know what your favorite burger is and you make it. Come on Serious Eaters-It's Burger Show n Tell time! :)
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22 Comments:
Excellent beef
Salt and Pepper
Toppings are personal preference, but for me...cheese, lettuce and mustard.
derosa at 12:51PM on 06/12/09
I like, with particularly lean turkey or beef, to mix in shredded smoked cheese (esp. monterey jack), about 1 cup per pound of ground meat. Then I season the patties with salt and pepper and grill to medium rare. The cheese helps keep the burger juicy and gives the meat an awesome flavor! I also like to top my burgers with a runny fried egg. Yum!
Amandarama at 1:12PM on 06/12/09
I dont have a favorite burger, but this thought did occur to me:
since you're having hummus and guacamole, maybe you can do two different burgers to complement those? As in, a Mediterranean inspired burger with cumin/coriander/garlic. and then a Mexican-ish one involving cilantro or lime??
engmcmuffin at 1:16PM on 06/12/09
You can't go wrong with a bacon/guacamole burger. Whenever I make my burgers, I will mix in whatever cheese I have in the fridge and add some crushed crackers or bread crumbs along with worcestershire, soy sauce, thyme, etc.
sousvide at 1:30PM on 06/12/09
i'm 100% with derosa on the salt/pepper/excellent beef starting point
as for my preferred toppings?
blue cheese and bacon....mmm
gastronomeg at 1:35PM on 06/12/09
Don't over handle the meat, and I like to make mine a little thinner in the middle of the patty or else they puff up a bit. Also, make them a little bigger in diameter than you think you want them as they can shrink on you a bit. mmmm burgers.
joyyy at 1:50PM on 06/12/09
For a group I like to do "design your own" burgers. I'll put out a plate with tons of options. All the standards (lettuce, ketchup, etc) but then I like to add a couple of kinds of cheese (esp. blue because I love it), carmalized onion, bacon, avocado, flavored mayos (chipotle and curry are favs), barbecue sauce, etc.
It's also fun to do sliders with this type of presentation because then guests can make a couple of different kinds of burgers for themselves.
ChefDJen at 1:52PM on 06/12/09
One of the best burgers I ever had was at a bbq in high school. My friend's mom seasoned the beef with cumin and jalapeno (can't do the swung dash on a mac) along with some other spices. All the additions were diced really small so it wasn't like meatloaf.
gingercookiewithlime at 2:49PM on 06/12/09
I just made Lamburgers from Michel Richards cookbook "Happy in the Kitchen". The lamb is from a local farm which we just bought the whole lamb from. Amazing "burger".
Janis at 3:02PM on 06/12/09
I love making buffalo burgers with either turkey or beef. I just add onions and poultry seasoning to the meat, grill it, and then at the very end douse it in hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot Sauce is the best) and sear it one more time. Top with a homemade blue cheese/sour cream sauce. Celery sticks on the side...just like hot wings.
Goldilox at 3:05PM on 06/12/09
@gingercookie - yes you can!! i just figured out how to do it the other day! hit "option +n", then n again. ñ!
guacamole on a burger is my favorite way, especially if there is a bit of cheese and cilantro in the buger patty!
listener at 3:48PM on 06/12/09
I like thick, juicy burgers that are charred on the outside and med rare in the middle. Seasoning is just s& p, anything goes on the burger except tomatoes.
pjracz10 at 4:32PM on 06/12/09
Always had a fondness for the olive burger. It's just a grilled burger with a salty mayo/olive combo on top. Nice on a grilled toasty, but slightly greasy bun.
Sounds dreadful. Tastes fabulous.
smallkitchen at 4:50PM on 06/12/09
Don't forget to get good buns--- you can have the best toppings in the world, but if the bun is crappy, no one will notice. Also, don't forget that burgers shrink, so make your patties slightly larger than te buns.
Embackus at 4:59PM on 06/12/09
Maybe because it beckons memories of childhood but my all time favorite burger is what we call the Fair Burger 'cus that's where they came from. Basically it is thick and juicy covered with slow sauteed/caramelized sliced sweet onions and maybe some brown mustard. When you want to be really decadent, top it with a rasher of bacon and sauteed mushrooms.
I will agree with @Embackus, you have to have a great bun to make a great burger.
czken at 5:13PM on 06/12/09
goat cheese, grilled portobello mushrooms, fresh basil and maybe some slices of sundried tomatoes ... on a toasted bun, of course.
gbania at 5:21PM on 06/12/09
Portobello mushroom burgers are my new favorites... on a sprouted wheat bun.
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 5:42PM on 06/12/09
beef, bacon, relish, red onion, mustard, ketchup, and PEANUT BUTTER.
I tell ya, you have to try it!
smokey07 at 6:41PM on 06/12/09
Have a butcher fresh grind your beef (if you decide on a beef burger) it is sooooo worth it. Never cook the burger to more than medium rare to at the most medium (eeeks)...If someone asks for a well done burger (either because of diminished mental capacity or because they are an ecoli nazi) tell them to please leave immediately!
Pavlov at 8:45AM on 06/13/09
My husband's grilled burgers are the best! I add cheddar cheese, mustard on one side of the bun and real mayonnaise on the other side, a little lettuce, 3 dill pickle chips, a couple of rings of raw onion, and salt & pepper for my perfect one. But I also like different types of cheeses (pepper jack or provolone), and guacamole sometimes.
My husband uses a lean ground beef and cooks them to a medium doneness on our gas grill. Yum!
Pinotnana at 10:50AM on 06/13/09
For a smokey burger with a twist, try this Cola Burger. It's simple, easy and quick to make and sure to please everybody @ your BBQs this summer.
paolita at 8:49PM on 06/13/09
80/20 ground chuck, sprinkle of Montreal steak seasoning on each side, grilled over ripping hot charcoal for about 4 minutes per side and dress as you wish (mine always include some kind of cheese).
dmcavanagh at 1:27AM on 06/14/09