The Better Burger

Ingredients (Makes 3-4 burgers)

1 lb. - 80/20 Ground chuck

4 - Burger buns (go wild)

4 - Slices of cheese of your choice (American is my go-to)

1 - White onion sliced (optional)

½ Cup -Sliced pickles (I’m Kosher dill man myself)

1 - Large Tomato sliced (optional)

½ lb. - Bacon (optional but I hate to say it)

3 TBS - Salted butter

6 TBS – Mayonnaise

1 TBS – Hot sauce of your choice.

Opt. - This is seriously the basic B of burgers but feel free to add anything you want.

Tools

Grill

Insta-read thermometer

Grilling spatula and tongs

Method

1. Mix the mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. From your patties, make sure they’re bigger than your buns because they’ll shrink. After they are formed, press down a golf ball sized dimple in the middle, this will help to keep your burger from turning into a round ball while grilling. Season both sides of the patty liberally (I do mean liberally) with kosher salt and pepper. Set on a plate and go crank up your grill to high.

3. Slice your onion and tomato about a ½ inch thick. Season the slices with salt and pepper.

4. Cut your buns in half and butter both sides. Set these on a plate with you sliced onion, cheese and tomato to bring out to the grill.

5. Throw the patties on the grill still on high heat. If it starts flaring up shut the lid. Don’t listen to any of those “only flip once” rubbish. The more contact the burger makes with the grill grates give you more flavor. This is called the Maillard (My Yard) Reaction and is where all the amazing flavor comes from. Flip every minute or so and keep rotating them. The more grill marks the better.

6. Place the seasoned onion and tomato along with the buns on the grill as well. Take care not to burn your buns. Keep the “bun plate” nearby to toss the onion buns, tomato, and onion pack on once they are all slightly browned.

7. Use an insta-read meat thermometer to check your burgers. Once they hit about 120ish degrees throw the cheese on top and shut the grill.

8. Once your burger hit 150 take them off and bring everything inside. (if that temp is scary you can cook them to dryness… yuck!)

9. Assembly. Bottom bun, spicy mayo, pickles, tomato, burger patty with cheese, onion, and top bun.