describe your ideal burger

[Paul Pless]

i've been on a burger cooking kick lately

how do you cook yours? grill or pan
what meat?
what seasoning?
condiments?
cheese?
toppings?
does bacon make it better?
bun choice?
accompaniments?

[Canoez]

Re: describe your ideal burger

i've been on a burger cooking kick lately

how do you cook yours? grill or pan
what meat?
what seasoning?
condiments?
cheese?
toppings?
does bacon make it better?
bun choice?
accompaniments?

Grilled ground short-rib burger with just a little salt and pepper and possibly a little onion powder mixed in.

Served on a lightly toasted brioche bun with a little mayo, slice of fresh tomato, vidalia onion and crisp lettuce _or_ a thick melted slice of cheddar cheese and bacon.

Accompany how you wish.

Does bacon make it better? Is that truly a question?

[David G]

Re: describe your ideal burger

Brilliant topic.

I'll be cooking burgers today for the New Grandbaby welcome home from the hospital celebration.

Grilled. And large diameter to fit on a larger bun.
80% lean ground beef
Typically a light bit of salt + pepper only - I want to taste the meat.
Condiments vary by mood. Most often mustard. Sometimes catsup, or specialty catsup. Never relish.
Cheese - only on rare occasions. More likely if it's just supermarket - or lower fat content - beef
Toppings vary again, by mood. Most likely are sliced tomato and pickle. Sometimes lettuce. Sauerkraut rarely
Bacon is mostly overkill. But same same as cheese.
Buns are typically oversized whole grain. Or something interesting like the local bagel joint that makes 'em so plump that the center hole is vestigial - perfect burger buns with lots of varieties.
Typical side dishes: potato salad; baked beans; cole slaw; greek salad; grilled mixed veggies; green salad.

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Re: describe your ideal burger

One that I didn't have to cook myself.

[Paul Pless]

Re: describe your ideal burger

these two blends sound good, well the first one sounds good

Fat Kid Blend: 70% lean muscle (chuck or round) ground with 30% bacon trimmings. This blend is meaty, smoky, and slightly sweet. Mylan suggests a lighter-smoked, breakfast-style bacon.

Fat Kid Blend, “World of Warcraft edition”: Fat Kid Blend with sharp cheddar cheese and sour-cream-and-onion potato chips mixed in. “If you’re an antisocial stoner agoraphobe, this is for you,”

[AlanMc]

Re: describe your ideal burger

man, i have recently changed philosophy on burgers. i used to be charcoal grilled, with a little splash of Dales and some fresh cracked tellicherry pepper corns.

but then i bought me a Blackstone outdoor griddle. and the times are a changin...


now i'm loving the "smash burger" method. take a bunch of 1/2 cup of ground beef balls out to the griddle. get that bad boy good and hot. put the ball on the dry griddle (i have a super thin layer of oil down, wiped "dry" with a paper towel). smash the ball into a patty on the griddle. season the patty liberally with my tellicherry pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and kosher salt mix i make. DO NOT FLIP until you have to scrape it off. it leaves a nice crispy crunchy BEEF flavored patty.





here they are getting some mushroom, onions, covered in swiss action

[Canoez]

Re: describe your ideal burger

Buddy of mine was the cook at a local brew-pub. He had a burger on the menu called "The Squealer". It was about 75% lean beef, 20% ground pork and 5% chopped, partially pre-cooked smoky bacon. Served with a slice of cheddar, tomato, onion, lettuce and a dab of this sort of blended steak/bbq sauce on it. It's off the menu, now, but I'm drooling thinking about it.

[LeeG]

Re: describe your ideal burger

no cheese, no bacon, two slices ripe tomato, crispy romaine, red onion, pepper, salt, mayo, grilled jalapeño, a couple bread and butter pickles. And a hammock afterwards.

[leikec]

Re: describe your ideal burger

I just go to Bubba's in Traverse City and order one. Or I wait for Friday night and go to burger night at the VFW Hall here in Frankfort. There are lots of places to get a good burger up here.

My grilling time is reserved for cooking up cherry brats bought from a local market.

Jeff C

[Fonzoga]

Re: describe your ideal burger

This thread should be safe to participate in. As far as I've seen nobody has been called a socialist or Nazi based on burger preferences.

Grilled
ground sirloin from local butcher shop
salt, fresh ground black pepper
Trader Joe Sriracha BBQ sauce
no cheese
chopped raw yellow onion, Trader Joe Hot & Sweet jalapeno slices
no bacon
no bun (I'm watching carbs to lose weight.)

I like lots of different burger combos, but this has been my recent go-to.

German potato salad, cole slaw

[Figment]

Re: describe your ideal burger

Griddled or grilled I don't care as long as the cook knows how to sear it without going hockeypuck.

I don't particularly care which cut gets ground as long as the fat content is about 15-18%

Garlic salt mixed in while forming the patty. Pepper afterward.

A slice of cheddar, a slice of jack
grilled onions and mushrooms
A smear of super woo-woo-pinky-out fancypants mustard on warm simple bun. No brioche or pretzel or other trying too hard nonsense.

[Garret]

Re: describe your ideal burger

Local grass fed chuck - about 15-20%

Grilled is best. Local cheddar on it, fresh real tomato, thin slice of red onion, salt & fresh ground pepper on the raw meat before cooking.

Medium rare. Bit of ketchup on the side to dip it into.

[willmarsh3]

Re: describe your ideal burger

I like mine slow grilled all the way through so no part of the beef is red but it is not burnt. This takes longer if the patty is thick so I try to make it thin to begin with. Chopped onion or chopped garlic from a clove added the patty before cooking is a nice variation.

Then ketchup, gray poupon or spicy mustard, and a boat load of pickles or pickle relish. I mean the dang thing is largely an excuse to eat pickles and pickle relish. I add lettuce, tomato and onions if available.

No cheese and absolutely no mayonnaise.

[Tom Montgomery]

Re: describe your ideal burger

I like James Beard's cheeseburgers.

Mix and form into patties:

2 lbs ground chuck
1 cup grated cheese (I like sharp Cheddar. Gruyere would also be nice)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco (or hot sauce of choice)
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt

[ron ll]

Re: describe your ideal burger

Anything with real meat instead of thawed long frozen gray cardboard filler meal. Seems these days too much thought is put into the fixins and not enough into the meat.