Simple here too. For me, the star of the show is the meat itself. I normally use ground chuck and grind it myself. i like a 75/25 mix. Every once in a while I'll render some bacon indirect on the kettle well in advance of a burger cook and will chop it up and mix it in with the ground chuck. It's a flavor boost. Here's where I run into problems - I like to form the patties as loose as possible. I'm obsessive about it. The texture of a loosely formed patty is fantastic. I also put them in the cooker (or griddle) really cold. With that much fat I let it render and the cold starting point allows for more rendering and more color and flavor development on the exterior - the burgers end up really moist but not overly wet and juicy. This obviates the need to insulate the bun from an overly moist patty. Outside of that - toasted buns are great as are lightly steamed buns. Toppings and condiments are purely a matter of personal preference. Some here are snubbing ketchup but I personally like ketchup on my burgers (hot dogs, brats and coneys - never, never). I am perfectly happy with a patty and nothing else than mustard, ketchup and a bun. Cheese? Sure. Pickle rounds? Sometimes but not always. Lettuce? No more than one slice? Tomato? One round and only when in season. Onion? Caramelized only and only with sliders cooked on a griddle. Mayo? No, not even homemade except for possibly a chipotle mayo.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
Jacques Pepìn likes his burgers with lettuce, tomato, and ketchup.
Assuming a regular American cheeseburger,
Mine:
Top bun
mayo
lettuce
tomato
(all if using, of course)
cheese
bacon (if using)
OR
mushrooms (if using)
OR
grilled onions (if using)
OR
fried egg (if using)
Etc. Anything like this goes under the cheese, so the cheese can melt into it and help it maintain integrity as it is eaten. (This is obviously not a guarantee.)
burger.
I’m not a fan of doubles and triples. I would just have two burgers instead.
Under the burger goes the savories. This is for raw onions or shallots, pickles, roasted red pepper, LaoGanMa chili paste, mustard, stuff like that. By separating them at the construction level, they are then brought together in your mouth by your teeth and your tongue.
(I used to put mayo on the bottom bun, but I’m going away from that. The bottom barrier is a myth, the only real world solution is to eat that damn burger right away.)
bottom bun.
There are exceptions when ingredients are juggled. For example, the onion/Hatch burgers are bun/cheese/onions & peppers/burger/bun. Same with a mushroom & grilled onion burger, those go between the (Swiss of blue, never American or cheddar, sometimes Gouda or mimolette is okay) cheese and the burger (to aid with sandwich integrity, which is obviously never a given). The reason for this is that those ingredients are the food equivalent of a diphthong, or a schwa; two ingredients making one taste. They need to be combined at the construction level, not by the tongue.
I’ve thought a lot about this. I would eat burgers 3 meals a day, every day. I often make a burger for breakfast. (Yes, I checked the internet to make sure it was okay.) This is the right way to do it.
Edit: if you are using something wet, it helps to either hold it in a strainer (something like salsa), or let it rest on a paper towel (like relishes, muffuletta, stuff like that). You don’t want the water, just the flavor. The draining helps with burger integrity.
Last edited by Mosca; September 14, 2022, 11:19 PM.
22” Blue Weber Kettle with SnS insert
Kamado Joe Jr with Kick Ash Basket
Char-Broil Smartchef Tru Infrared Gasser
Anovo Hot Tub Time Machine with Custom Hot Tub
How I did not tag Mosca remains a mystery. I loved all the responses and feedback. Full transparency: I made this post to explain how I was taught to build a burger and I will do so every time. Y’all have seen my burgers. Simple! Mine is burger, cheese, lettuce, mustard, mayo. BF adds tomato. Pickles on the side. If I am doing a patty melt, no lettuce. But BF will add ketchup. I divorce him every time. And when we go out, he will ask for chili on a patty melt and add ketchup. I just puke in his face. 🤢 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've had pretty good luck eating a In-N-Out burger stack without it going to hell in my handbasket, so I've been trying my stacks in similar order. It is close to what SheilaAnn is doing...
As a long time pro cook/chef, I think many are getting the wrong idea or, executing this stuff wrong. First of all, the two most important things about burgers are, 1. the bun, and 2, the burger. All else follows these two. If you are standing on your head to keep your burgers from disintegrating your burger bun, then you have the wrong bun for your cook. In other words, think your cook through! This is an entry level requirement to be a cook/ chef. Don't depend on your waygu-custom grind to carry the day. It's not about what you have, but what you DO with it!
My favorite hamburger is an homage to White Castle style sliders. Pickles, lightly grilled onions, mustard. With the addition of cheese as needed. Simple and flavorful. If I want a salad, I'll get it on the side. Tomatoes are a needless distraction I don't care for gloppy burgers that dribble all over my hands and the table.
I don't limit myself to just a standard slider though. Bacon Swiss? Bacon Mushroom? Heinz 57 or A-1? Yes please. First and foremost is the meat.
Ketchup is not invited to the party unless it mixed with mayo to form a french fry dipping sauce.
YMMV
Last edited by Bkhuna; September 15, 2022, 02:37 AM.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
To be clear, I’m not advocating for or against any variety of condiments; it’s your burger, you can have it as spare or as full as you like. I tend to top out at three or four toppings, with one usually being lettuce. I don’t usually put bacon, eggs, mushrooms, etc on my burger.
What I’m saying is where I put those toppings. Mild ones like lettuce, tomato, mayo, they go on top. Pickly, acidly, savory ones go on the bottom. Because you want those flavors to come together in your mouth. Messy ones go between the cheese and the burger, so the cheese can act as glue for, say, a mess of mushrooms.
Strat50 : Yes about the bun! Often, what’s available as a bun dictates how I’ll make my burger. You had better not try a garden salad burger, or an 8oz steak burger, on a regular hamburger bun! It varies by location, but in my grocery the choice is Kaiser, Vienna, or brioche. If you’re loading them up? Kaiser. If you’re paring them down? Brioche. If you’re looking for the standard? Vienna. And the plain ol’ hamburger bun/Martins potato roll works for smaller burgers and onion burgers. If I have a plain ol’ hamburger bun, I often just make a cheeseburger with a splash of bbq sauce. That’s a nostalgia thing, from the ‘60s; my mom read about them in the Lifestyle section of the paper once, they are called LBJ burgers!
ETA: Mrs Mosca has her burgers with ranch dressing and roasted red peppers, and mushrooms if I make them. That one is pretty constant.
Last edited by Mosca; September 15, 2022, 06:07 AM.
I love burgers and they all sound good. I have no particular way I put it together. But will try the lettuce, tomato first then the burger. Did I say I love burgers.
My gear:
22 Weber Kettle
Napoleon PRO Charcoal Kettle Grill
Broil King Keg
Traeger Pro 34
Napoleon Prestige Pro 500
Pit Barrel Cooker
Blackstone Range Combo Griddle
The only thing I do consistently with my burgers has already been mentioned here, and that is to put the cheese on the patty to melt, then when melted, put the bottom of the bun on top of the cheese, lift the burger, hold the top of the bun underneath the spatula, then remove the spatula and turn over. This is the method used at Harvey's ("Harvey's Makes a Hamburger a Beautiful Thing") which is a Canadian chain I worked at in my teens and it has stuck with me. There's nothing worse than putting the top of the bun on the melted cheese, bringing it inside to apply the rest of the condiments, and having half the cheese stick to the top of the bun when you remove it.
As far as tasting stuff goes, it all winds up being mixed together once you start chewing so I don't really buy into that position.
As always though, to each their own!
Serious question about the order of condiments on a burger. I normally put the cheese on the burger then lettuce, tomato and then onion. does it matter the order? What about putting some of the condiment. under the burger instead of on top.
My favorite lately is a simple spicy ‘western’ burger:
1. Mayo on bottom bun
2. Patty with melted pepperjack
EDIT: 2.5: Bacon if I have it and am in the bacon mood
3. Crispy jalapeños (from the salad toppings section like French’s fried onions, but jalapeños)
4. Jalapeño bbq sauce
5. Top bun
Last edited by glitchy; September 15, 2022, 10:46 AM.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
For some reason, I've been making my burgers the way I was trained at a Wendy's when I was 17 years old and working there my junior/senior year of high school, and this is the order I was taught to build them:
1. Mustard on bottom bun
2. Mayonaise on top bun
3. Put the patty on the bottom bun
4. Add cheese if desired (we did not put it on at the grill in those days, but slapped it on the hot patty fresh off the grill)
5. Add ketchup
6. Add bacon if ordered
7. Add pickle
8. Add lettuce
9. Add tomato
10. Add onion
11. Place the top bun
At least that is how I remember it. I might have gotten it out of order trying to overthink it. It's instinctive when I am making my burger, haha.
We had no other toppings options back in 1982-83, during my 6 month stint working fast food, which was enough to turn me off food service as a career path for life! Too many late nights breaking down salad bars (they had one back then), cleaning and mopping floors, dealing with salt shakers that kids had unscrewed the top on, etc.
Anyway, I really like the order SheilaAnn is showing, and in Attjack 's illustration, and plan to try to switch things up next time I make burgers. I've also been going simpler on my own burgers lately, just smash burger with cheese, bacon, condiments, and at most a couple of dill pickle chips. It's too easy to load a burger up so that it is hard to eat.
Last edited by jfmorris; September 15, 2022, 09:44 AM.
I do the same with pickles like Attjack technique. Blot dry first then put on bottom bun. Also, the pickles HAVE to be Claussen sandwich slices or burger slices. There are none better.
Sometimes I melt the cheese on top of the bacon. Keeps the bacon from experiencing premature evacuation.
Last edited by Hulagn1971; September 15, 2022, 02:21 PM.
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