Your Favorite Burger - How do you do them?


 
Chuck-roaniecowpony

Chuck-roaniecowpony

TVWBB Super Fan
I was reading the smashburger thread and thought maybe it was time to do a burger or two. I haven't done burgers in years.

What's your favorite recipe and method?
 
Home ground chuck.
Form patties and rub with a good amount of Tabasco Chipotle sauce followed by SPG (kosher salt).
Let sit for an hour or so.
Grill direct (no smash) over high heat. Add cheese of choice after flipping.
Butter and lightly toast bun.
Spread bun with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Add lettuce, tomato, pickles (Pickled jalapeño good too).
 
There's a joint in southern Cal called Slater's. They have a 50-50 burger. It's 50% ground bacon, 50% ground beef. I've been meaning to try it, but I have to stock up on my cholesterol pills first.
 
3 oz balls local butcher shop ground chuck 80/20 smashed on a 600 plus degree CI griddle, aka smash burgers. Double stacked with white American Cheese, seasoned with this, my new favorite rub. It has vinegar notes and Worchester sauce notes in a rub. It went amazing on my resent smash burgers. Seasoned once on griddle, before the first flip and then on the opposite side after the first flip. Served on a slider bun to keep the bread to meat ratio down, ketchup, good local pickles and this recipe for bacon jam.

I know smash burgers are not everyone's thing, but I only cook burgers 3-4 times a year and every time will be a smash burger. There is something I just love about the crunch from the seared crust, with the balance of meat and cheese, if I am having a burger that is what I am looking for.
 
We grind our own meat using chuck roast and some brisket fat I save. Barb is the creator of all thing's burger. We have a large supply of various Weber spices and other rubs. She creates some amazing flavors. She is always trying something new and it's always great.
Lettuce, tomato, mouse turd and 'merican cheese on a toasted bun. Unless we're doing a pastrami burger then that's added on top too.
 
Been doing them on the Smokefire lately, but pretty much the same on the Performer. 1/2 lb precooked 80/20, indirect cooked to about 140, then either seared over direct fire on the Performer, or on the flat surface of the GrillGrates on the Smokefire until 160. Takes about 30 min total. Salt & pepper, sharp cheddar, raw onions, ketchup/mayo/mustard on top, and toasted buns of course. Just made some on a whim last night, and the one I stacked looked so good, I thought about taking a pic, wish I had now. Forgot to mention, the ones last night I used Traeger's Prime Rib rub, my favorite on tritip, it worked very well on the burgers.
 
pub style burgers are our favorite on the grill.

home ground chuck blend, 5 oz patties, lightly salted, seared on the CI grate with VERY high heat, around 1 min per side, then moved to indirect to finish up on the warm-through, target temp of 135-140F. served on a tasted ciabatta or other firm foundation, along with homemade sauce (ketchup, mustard, mayo, chopped sweet pickles, gran onion and garlic and a dash of paprika), raw thin red onions, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cheese optional, and a very cold beer.

some people at home add bacon, sauteed mushroom and onions and some will change the sauce to spicy barbecue, buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing and we always have grilled jalapenos around.

if it's a smash burger, we make them In N Out style with some thin cut fries a the side. as the wife and i get older. the less greasy/heavy burgers are preferred. i've even gone so far as to make shawarma burgers with ground chicken and added Mediterranean flavors on a burger.

and instead of burgers, i've started cooking steak sandwiches; Flap steak with SPG dry brined then oiled (30 mins), fired on direct VERY hot coals to develop sear and char and then moved to indirect to finish, 135F target done temp. rest for 10 mins then slice against the grain and pile onto a baguette that's toasted with EVOO, and then rub in some mashed roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, arugula, some sambal sauce onto the bread and serve with beer or wine. did this last night (no beer or wine) and personally, this is much better than a burger, for dinner, IMO.
 
Home-ground Brisket/Sirloin mix. 1/3 lb. patty with a good-sized slice of Braunschweiger inside. Sear over hot coals until almost black and then finish on indirect to 145F. Top with bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and Thousand Island on Homemade sourdough bread. If you need any seasoning on this baby, you done something wrong!

If we're at our favorite local watering hole, they have a killer South of the border burger. Not sure of the mix, but it's a great ~1/2 lb. patty topped with Jalapeños and/or Ortegas, red onions, pepper jack, dill pickle slices and served with guacamole and Chipotle aioli on the side. I use the aioli as a sauce for the fries, give the guac to my wife and load it up with yellow mustard.
 
Brett-EDH said:
pub style burgers are our favorite on the grill.

home ground chuck blend, 5 oz patties, lightly salted, seared on the CI grate with VERY high heat, around 1 min per side, then moved to indirect to finish up on the warm-through, target temp of 135-140F. served on a tasted ciabatta or other firm foundation, along with homemade sauce (ketchup, mustard, mayo, chopped sweet pickles, gran onion and garlic and a dash of paprika), raw thin red onions, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cheese optional, and a very cold beer.

some people at home add bacon, sauteed mushroom and onions and some will change the sauce to spicy barbecue, buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing and we always have grilled jalapenos around.

if it's a smash burger, we make them In N Out style with some thin cut fries a the side. as the wife and i get older. the less greasy/heavy burgers are preferred. i've even gone so far as to make shawarma burgers with ground chicken and added Mediterranean flavors on a burger.

and instead of burgers, i've started cooking steak sandwiches; Flap steak with SPG dry brined then oiled (30 mins), fired on direct VERY hot coals to develop sear and char and then moved to indirect to finish, 135F target done temp. rest for 10 mins then slice against the grain and pile onto a baguette that's toasted with EVOO, and then rub in some mashed roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, arugula, some sambal sauce onto the bread and serve with beer or wine. did this last night (no beer or wine) and personally, this is much better than a burger, for dinner, IMO.
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Brett,
Your comment about less greasy/heavy burgers got me thinking about the giant portobello burgers I used to make. I gotta make some again. My way was to grill the giant portobello til tender, add sundried tomato and pepper jack to the cavity and melt, then put it on a toasted bun, drape the shroom with a roasted and butterflied Anaheim or Poblano chili. Give them a try if you haven't already.

If you have some pulled pork laying around, that made for a particularly tasty shroom burger..
 
Chuck-roaniecowpony said:
Brett,
Your comment about less greasy/heavy burgers got me thinking about the giant portobello burgers I used to make. I gotta make some again. My way was to grill the giant portobello til tender, add sundried tomato and pepper jack to the cavity and melt, then put it on a toasted bun, drape the shroom with a roasted and butterflied Anaheim or Poblano chili. Give them a try if you haven't already.
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sign me up. that's stuff we'd eat any time. more fish, chicken, veggies all sound good. open to new recipes if people have some ot share.
 
When we want to push the boat out and do posh burgers, I head off to my butcher and get him to grind a 1lb rib-eye.
Divide into 1/3lb portions, spog, and mould them in a circular cookie cutter about an inch thick and place them in the fridge for at least an hour.
Get the half-plancha smoking hot, a knob of butter/oil mix, (stops the butter burning). Cook both sides until nicely charred, then move off for indirect to +/-145F, with a half golf-ball chunk of mesquite.
All the usual suspects for accoutrements.

I cook my burgers straight from the fridge! I find I can get the outside nice and charred without fear of overcooking.
I cook my steaks* the same way. I don't subscribe to this bring-up-to-room-temp-before-cooking mantra. YMMV.

*(Min. 1.25" thick).
 
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I use to love to add Lipton onion soup mix to the burgers , age ect and now gives me bad gas lol , SuckleBusters 1886 rub or their spg rub these days. I have tried a large amount of bacon/ground mix and it has a hard time staying together , maybe too much fat IDK but burgers cooked in the bacon grease on the Blackstone are mighty fine
 
My grind is rib eye and short ribs at 50/50. I buy it when standing rib roasts go on sale. A 4-bone rack of short ribs will have a fat cap on one side and I remove maybe 50% of that leaving the rest and grind it like that. Of all the grinds I've tried this one is the best by far. I make 6 oz. burgers in a 4.5" press and cook them on the flat side of grill grates (the only side I use). I get the grill 350-400* and cook the burgers for 2 minutes per side and they come out med. rare.
Yes, it is an expensive hamburger even when all the meat is on sale, but it's also the best hamburger you will ever eat, so you have to ask what is that worth to you. It is a 2-napkin meal your guests will never forget.
 
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I love all burgers, but "smashed" is what everyone demands now... Soon as the topic comes up, its just "Smash burgers! Smash burgers! Smash Burgers!"

We keep it simple....usually just a package or two of Costco organic beef (we keep these stocked in our freezer) split into 4 balls. Nothing added. Not a high fat content, but it works well. Drop the ball on the hot griddle for about 1 minute, then smash! (that is an important step - don't smash too early). Sprinkle with some seasoned salt. Few minutes for a nice deep crust to develop, than carefully scrape off and flip. More seasoning on side 2, followed by a cheese slice. Butter the nice thin/minimal hamburger bun and toss on the grill.

Lots of finely shredded lettuce and smash sauce....that is all!
 
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