Best Old-Fashioned Burgers
By America's Test KitchenPublished on May 9, 2011
Time
45 minutes, plus 35 minutes freezing
Yield
Makes 4 burgers
Ingredients
Classic Burger Sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon ketchup ½ teaspoon sweet pickle relish ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon white vinegar ½ teaspoon ground black pepperBurgers
10 ounces sirloin steak tips, cut into 1-inch chunks6 ounces beef short ribs (boneless), cut into 1-inch chunks1 teaspoon Kosher salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided4 hamburger buns, soft ½ teaspoon vegetable oil 4 slices American cheese thinly sliced onionBefore You Begin
Sirloin steak tips are also labeled “flap meat” by some butchers. Flank steak can be used in its place. This recipe yields juicy medium to medium-well burgers. It’s important to use very soft buns. If doubling the recipe, process the meat in three batches in step 2. Because the cooked burgers do not hold well, fry four burgers and serve them immediately before frying more. Or, cook them in two pans. Extra patties can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Stack the patties, separated by parchment, and wrap them in three layers of plastic wrap. Thaw burgers in a single layer on a baking sheet at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. It's unnecessary to temp the burgers because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (But for more information on food safety, check out this guide.)
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Arrange beef in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and freeze until very firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, 35 to 45 minutes.
- Pulse half of meat in food processor until coarsely ground, 10 to 15 pulses, stopping to redistribute meat as needed. Transfer meat to baking sheet and repeat grinding with remaining meat. Spread meat over sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle and large chunks of fat.
- Divide beef mixture into 4 lightly packed mounds. Without picking meat up, gently shape each mound into loose patty, ½ inch thick and 4 inches in diameter, leaving edges and surface ragged. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Refrigerate while toasting buns.
- Melt ½ tablespoon butter in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add bun tops, cut-side down, and toast until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining ½ tablespoon butter and bun bottoms. Set buns aside and wipe out skillet with paper towels.
- Heat oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Using spatula, transfer burgers to skillet and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Flip burgers and cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with slice of cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute longer.
- Transfer patties to bun bottoms and top with onion. Spread 2 teaspoons burger sauce on each bun top. Cover burgers and serve immediately.
for the classic burger sauce
for the burgers
Time
45 minutes, plus 35 minutes freezingYield
Makes 4 burgersIngredients
Classic Burger Sauce
Burgers
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Classic Burger Sauce
Burgers
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Classic Burger Sauce
Burgers
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a classic drive-in burger recipe that would produce an ultra-crisp, ultra-browned, ultra-beefy burger perfect for catching dripping juices, melted cheese, and tangy sauce, we learned that freshly ground beef was essential. We also found that the meat must be very loosely packed to prevent rubbery, tough patties.
Before You Begin
Sirloin steak tips are also labeled “flap meat” by some butchers. Flank steak can be used in its place. This recipe yields juicy medium to medium-well burgers. It’s important to use very soft buns. If doubling the recipe, process the meat in three batches in step 2. Because the cooked burgers do not hold well, fry four burgers and serve them immediately before frying more. Or, cook them in two pans. Extra patties can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Stack the patties, separated by parchment, and wrap them in three layers of plastic wrap. Thaw burgers in a single layer on a baking sheet at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. It's unnecessary to temp the burgers because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (But for more information on food safety, check out this guide.)
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Arrange beef in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and freeze until very firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, 35 to 45 minutes.
- Pulse half of meat in food processor until coarsely ground, 10 to 15 pulses, stopping to redistribute meat as needed. Transfer meat to baking sheet and repeat grinding with remaining meat. Spread meat over sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle and large chunks of fat.
- Divide beef mixture into 4 lightly packed mounds. Without picking meat up, gently shape each mound into loose patty, ½ inch thick and 4 inches in diameter, leaving edges and surface ragged. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Refrigerate while toasting buns.
- Melt ½ tablespoon butter in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add bun tops, cut-side down, and toast until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining ½ tablespoon butter and bun bottoms. Set buns aside and wipe out skillet with paper towels.
- Heat oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Using spatula, transfer burgers to skillet and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Flip burgers and cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with slice of cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute longer.
- Transfer patties to bun bottoms and top with onion. Spread 2 teaspoons burger sauce on each bun top. Cover burgers and serve immediately.
for the classic burger sauce
for the burgers
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