Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I like great meat cooked medium well, average meat cooked well. Charred, even. I figure, our ancestors worked to harness fire, and I'm not going to diss their memory - or my digestive tract. Pink is good in other circumstances and locations, but my burgers? No way.

I am a rare burger man myself (ever since the server at P.J. Clarke's mistakenly swapped my medium burger with a coworker's 6 years ago) but I think this is less about individual preferences than documenting well made, exceptional burgers.

Like it or not (I don't), a rare or even medium-rare burger is an exception these days, and worthy of photographing for reasons beyond aesthetics. Probably 75% of the time that I order a cheeseburger, not counting places like 5 Guys, my request for rare is received with a nod and a smile, after which I receive something that's gray and flavorless all the way through. My experiences have also been that outside of NYC, "underdone" burgers are even harder to procure. Well-done burger eaters, be content with the knowledge that outside of this site and a few accommodating spots, it's your world that we are all living in. Let me smile at the blood-dripping meat on the screen, even if you think I'm insane and/or risking my health.

(also, the idea of a well-done sirloin burger, mentioned above, is horrifying. Rare ground chuck, please, with a slice of American.)

Sprout, have you ever been to London? At most fairly respectable places, you will get a medium burger, and at most good places, you will get a medium rare burger as standard.

@Sov: I'll replace "come out" with "leave the burger."

Congrats to our winner aespsg, and thanks to everyone who entered! The winner has been notified and the Contest Winners page has been updated.

The Pumpkin Pie Brulee sounds amazing!

maybe the squash with sesame, maybe not for Thanksgiving day but the days to follow

I can't stop thinking about Bittman's turkey. I think I'm going to try that this year!

bacon brussel sprouts

I wouldn't eat most of the burgers pictured. They look raw not undercooked,

I make hamburgers at home with ground sirloin cooked through and they are not dry. The secret is cover them with onions while you are cooking them.

The Brussels Sprouts and Apples with Brown Mutter and Cream look amazing.

Pumpkin pie brulee ftw.

Sautéed brussels sprouts with bacon