What’s Cooking: The Best and Juiciest Burger You Ever Tasted!

About a week ago Chris brought home 4 lbs package of ground chuck beef. I looked at our tiny and over-stuffed refrigerator then gave him the “Whatcha talking about lewis?” face. He replied to this look with,

Hamburgers? Could he possible want one after weeks of home cooking? As he stared at me with those”please say yes” eyes. I knew that in the coming week he would be looking for one. So I resigned myself to create a burger recipe that was sure to impress. As I laid out my battle plan I thought about the keys to a good burger:

If you leave out anyone of those three you will fall short of perfection. You see most people like to get fancy with toppings which can go from cheese to pineapples (I am not kidding). As great as all these maybe you must always start with a good patty. I don’t care what you stack between those buns…if the foundation is shaky the whole structure will fall

Cooking a juicy and tasty burger is not an art but a science. It’s about the right amount of fat and seasoning. Just like in making a biscuit, you want the fat to remain cold. If the fat in the meat warms up it will dissolve prematurely. This will leave you with a dry and rough textured burger.

The seasoning should be to a minimum, only highlighting the beef not overpowering it. No one wants meatloaf on a bun! Over seasoning and breadcrumbs are a burgers enemy. You want to focus on fat when making one. In case your wondering, YES, this is a diet buster. If you want a low fat version, this is not the recipe for you. If you want to see juice run down your arm when you bite, then you have come to the right place.

Moving onto the bread, a key element that most people overlook. If you are carelessly just grabbing anything in the bakery aisle then prepare for the consequences. You want bread that is dense and flavorful. The density needs to be able to withstand the moisture and weight of your burger. No one wants a soggy limp bun. Or worse yet one that falls apart in your hands and causes a mess! You also want to to have some zip to the flavor. Just simple white buns could do, but you must

them before you even think of placing them on a plate.  Your bread can make or break all the hard work you have put into your patties. Don’t even think about sliced loaf bread!

I have just made Chris his long awaited hamburger and a side of onion rings, which I will post after this one. His response to me was as follows:

Those we’re his departing words as he stretched and made his way to the couch to recover. Much to my pleasure this burger recipe was simply fabulous. It wasn’t pretty to look at, but it was “muy bonita” to our stomachs. This is what I did.

INGREDIENTS

From The Pantry:

1. 1 pack of Lipton’s Onion soup dry mix
2. 1 tbl smoked paprika
3. Hamburger Buns * I used Challah egg buns…but Brioche are my favorite.

From The Fridge:

1. 2 lbs ground beef
2. 3/4 cup of milk
3. 1/2 stick of butter of butter chopped
4. 2 eggs
5. 3 ice cubes
6. Butter for skillet
7. Toppings of your choice *I used cheddar and my secret sauce (no you can’t have the recipe )

METHOD

Part 1: The Burger mix

• Place hamburger in a bowl
• Add onion soup seasoning, smoked paprika, eggs, milk and ice.
• Mix lightly together with hands. The ice will keep the mixture cool and will not fully melt while mixing.
• Add diced butter.
• Quickly mix the butter throughout the beef. *Do not over mix or the butter will melt and kill the recipe.
• Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

Part 2: The Griddle

• Heat skillet to medium high heat.
• Take the beef mixture out the refrigerator. There will be excess liquid int he bowl from the ice and the milk, but DO NOT drain it. It keeps the burger juicy.
• Form meat into patties. *The patties should have a 1/2 larger circumference than your bun as they will shrink as they cook.
• The height should be about a 3/4 in. *Do Not squeeze or work the meat too much or you will let out the juice and melt the butter.
• Make sure all the butter cubes are covered by the meat and not exposed.
• Make a small dent in the middle of the pattie with your finger.
• Place butter in the skillet.
• Place the pattie down and cook for 2 minutes. *The timing will depend on how well you want it cooked.
• Turn it over and cook for four minutes. *Place cheese on this side as soon as you turn it over.
• Add butter to the grill
• Cut bun open and place face down on the butter until toasted.

Part 3: The Finish Line

• Turn off the skillet
• Remove the bun.
• Place the burger on the bun.
• Add toppings.
• You know what to do next.

HUSBAND RATING:
10

THEN COMES WIFE IS THE ONLY BLOG THAT GIVES YOU RECIPES, HOMEMAKING TIPS, MARRIAGE   ADVICE AND SO MUCH MORE! JOIN THIS “WIFE IN THE CITY” TODAY!

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