Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

@HerbyN Beef shank might be an interesting cut to try. In my experience, it's less fatty than oxtail, so you'd probably need to add another fat in there somehow. They'd certainly be easier to butcher. I should have thought to try them, but the butcher didn't have any when I went shopping. But, the quest for the perfect burger is a never ending one, so I see another grinding party coming up!

@CharlesAssam That's a big question, and I think it really depends on what you're going for. If it's an all-American, thin, griddled burger, gooey melted American cheese is a must - it adds texture and fat to the mix. If you're going for a thick, grilled, fancy-pants burger, then the sky is the limit. The proper blending of meat is something that I think helps all types of burgers, thin and thick, grilled or griddled. The right cheese, on the other hand, is defined more by the exact situation at hand.

what might be the pros and cons of substituting center cut beef shank meat for the oxtail meat? i think the shanks might be easier to handle and separate from the bone and the composition and characteristics of that cut should be relatively similar to the oxtail... thoughts?

I first wrote about Cassell's in the L.A. Times Sunday Magazine, West, callling it "best in city." I wrote two more pieces, one in Oui, still posted on the wall, and in Rolling Stone (of all places). I spent a lot of time with Al Cassell, and know a thing or two about the history of the place. He started it after WW2 on Wilshire, across from the wonderful building then known as Bullock's Wilshire (now home to Southwestern Law School). When the landlord made it impossible for him to stay, he moved to the SE corner of 6th and Berendo. It was as bare-bones an operation as it is today in terms of decor: Al said that after his experience with that landlord, he would never invest in furnishings: all he prized was his double broiler (and his food). It was then known as Cassell's Patio, because Al made a deal with the apartment building next door to set up tables on a little patio on the apartment building's south side.

About 20 years ago, a family of butchers made Al (who was pretty tired of arriving at 5:30 to trim and grind the meat, make the mayo, etc.) what sounded like a great offer: they'd maintain standards, and expand, and he would share in profits from the new locations. Well, they started serving fries. (When I asked Al why he didn't, he said, "It isn't my picture." He saw himself as a painter.) Worse, they didn't cut him in on any revenue from the other locations (I remember one on Wilshire, in the mini-mall at Crescent Heights). Al got the place back...and sold to Koreans. They kept the standards pretty well at first...but expanded the menu to turkey burgers and veggie burgers.

There was a slide, I think, but at my most recent (albeit infrequent) visit, younger Koreans were at the register, and the quality was clearly back.

About what Al did and didn't make. Yes, mayo (!), yes lemonade (from Grade A lemons, he pointed out), yes potato salad (putting in a liberal dose of Colman's English mustard powder), yes a ketchup relish (but not ketchup itself -- that was Heinz), and yes, Roquefort salad dressing (using real Roquefort cheese).

If the "best days" seem behind Cassell's, in part that's a demographic issue: way back when, the mid-Wilshire area was filled at lunchtime with middle-class shoppers and office workers.

Is Cassell's burger the "best in the world"? Now that upscale luxe restaurants are serving up Kobe beef burgers, I guess not, although I believe that for a "commercial" burger, Cassell's is still in the money in any best burger race.

my mother in law makes fried ribs. i sneered at the very idea ...until I tasted one. as the caption goes "what doesn't benefit frm being deep fried" so even if you don't use cajun seaso9ning try frying a rib. season with pepper, garlic powder and seasoning salt, dredge in flour and fry. Good Eats!!!

Great stuff Nick.

Next time, definitely order a second slice of cheese. You'll be glad you did.

I have used the same cast iron skillet for years..its not a fancy brand, bought at Walmart, seasoned it by rubbing oil into the bottom and sides of the skillet and putt into a warm (around 250 degree) oven for a few hours; then I let it sit until cool, rubbed off the excess oil with a paper towel. I worried so much about ruining the seasoning over the years and use two different methods to clean..NEVER use soap on the skillet..I sometimes use hot water which removes most everything..and another method I read about in a novel I was reading. Pioneers used sand to clean their pots and pans but now I use salt..the cheapest table salt..pour into the bottom of the skillet, put over low heat and let it warm until a crust forms and then scrape off and wipe out. It works..and I use salt without placing over heat as well and that works.