Name: Paleo Ultimate Burgers
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak tips , trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon ghee , melted and cooled; Kosher salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to develop a recipe for perfectly tender, juicy burgers. But we faced a challenge: The quality of store-bought ground beef can be unreliable. We decided to “grind” our own grass-fed meat, and tested several different cuts; sirloin steak tips worked best. We cut the steak tips into small chunks and froze the pieces briefly before grinding them in the food processor. Freezing ensured that we ended up with distinct pieces of meat, not paste. Since the fat content of the meat varied widely from batch to batch, we trimmed the meat and then added a set amount of fat to ensure uniform results every time. We tested a variety of fats including ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, and rendered bacon fat. Melted ghee worked best: It solidified when it came into contact with the cold meat, creating small particles of fat throughout the patties. This improved the flavor and juiciness of the naturally lean meat. Finally, to make sure that our burgers were perfectly cooked, we seared them in a skillet using more ghee as our cooking medium.

Before You Begin

Sirloin steak tips, also known as flap meat, can be sold as whole steaks, cubes, and strips. When stirring the ghee, salt, and pepper into the ground meat and shaping the patties, do not overwork the meat or the burgers will become dense. Serve in Paleo Sandwich Rolls (see related content), or lettuce leaves with your favorite toppings. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your burger to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.

Instructions

Place beef pieces on rimmed baking sheet in single layer. Freeze until meat is very firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, about 35 minutes.

Place one-quarter of meat in food processor and pulse until finely ground into rice grain–size pieces (about 1/32 inch), 15 to 20 pulses, stopping and redistributing meat around bowl as necessary to ensure beef is evenly ground. Transfer meat to baking sheet. Repeat grinding with remaining meat in 3 batches. Spread mixture over sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat or fat.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons melted ghee over ground meat and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Gently toss meat with fork to combine. Divide meat into 4 balls. Toss each between your hands until uniformly but lightly packed. Gently flatten into patties 3/4 inch thick and about 4 1/2 inches in diameter.

Season 1 side of patties liberally with salt and pepper. Using spatula, flip patties and season other side. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon ghee in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Using spatula, transfer burgers to skillet and cook, without moving them, for 3 minutes. Using spatula, flip burgers and continue to cook until burgers register 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 3 minutes. Transfer burgers to plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.