We have to admit that cheeseburgers aren’t our favorite meal. Holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July, though, are cause for making a juicy burger. And THIS is a juicy burger – we find that we don’t even need mayo/ketchup/mustard! The thing we’ve noticed about burgers is that (usually) the simpler the better, especially when it comes to the actual patty. The only real keys to a great patty are: 1) use an 80/20 ground chuck, 2) handle the beef as little as humanly possible, since over-handling makes for a tough burger, and 3) don’t make your patties too ball-shaped and make an indentation in the center with your finger, ensuring that the outer edges of your burger won’t become over-done while you wait for the center to be done enough.
We prefer grilling our burgers on a skillet to the grill. The result is just more juicy! We cook ours for about 6-7 minutes (flipping at about the four minute mark), topping with cheese and covering the pan for the last minute to allow the cheese to melt.
If you follow those guidelines, all that’s really left to do is to make sure you have great fix-ins to go on that juicy burger. An important item to note here is that a good, soft bun makes a big difference. Most grocery stores offer a more “homemade”-style bun in their bakery sections (usually not where you find the name-brand buns, such as Sara Lee). We just discovered that our Costco carries brioche buns, and those make for a really delicious, buttery bun. Next, we highly suggest using butter lettuce (you know, the “living lettuce” that comes attached to it’s dirty roots still in the package). It is more delicate, more delicious, and a better texture for enjoying on burgers.
Another must are good tomatoes, and we suggest using heirlooms. Pepperoncini’s are a must in our house as well. And the rest is just personal preference – we also love avocado and sprouts on our burgers. Slap one of our homemade Zesty Dill Pickles on the side of that burger and you’ve got yourself a simple but delectable cheeseburger.
Let your kids top their own burgers. Tip: Burgers can seem overwhelming for small children and Trader Joe’s carries mini sesame seed buns (that are adorable!) if you want to make slider-sized patties for those little hands.
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