Cheeseburgers
When I came up with the idea for this show the cheeseburger was the first thing I wanted to make. Mostly because it has the opposite result you would expect. 9 times out of 10, I’m not making the Full Measure version of this burger. It isn’t better. It’s just more and sometimes certain foods don’t need to be more. This burger is the perfect example of why sometimes you have to go two steps forward and take one step back. Plus cheeseburgers aren’t a pretentious food. Or they shouldn’t be at least.
The Full Measure recipe is still insanely good. Its a lot of time and effort for pay off that honestly just isn’t worth the effort. Sometimes low brow vs. high brow is a pointless argument because the more important question should have been “who cares, ya dip?”
Regular Recipe
Yields: 4 Burgers
Time: 20 Minutes
Credit: Michael Martin
Ingredients
1 lb of 80/20 ground beef
4 Martin’s Potato Rolls
4 Slices American Cheese
Toppings: ketchup, mustard, onion, pickle etc. (Optional)
Oil for pan
Equipment Needed:
Heavy pan
Bowl
Spatula
Method
Shape about 3 oz of the beef into burger patties, note that the patties will shrink–make them a little bigger than you think
Preheat your pan on high heat
***If you want optional grilled onions, chop one half of a medium onion and grill in pan until edges are brown over medium heat***
Spread about 1 tsp of your cooking oil all over pan
Place 2 patties at a time in the pan, do not touch for 3 minutes
Flip burgers once to other side and top with slice of cheese immediately
Do not press down, cook for additional 1-2 minutes or less depending on desired doneness
Remove from pan and serve on bun with toppings as desired
Mix ketchup, mayo, and mustard in equal parts for some fry sauce, or don’t who cares?
Full Measure Recipe
Credits:
King Arthur Buns
Ingredients
Buns
200 grams lukewarm water
1 Large Egg
418 grams all-purpose flour
50 grams sugar
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp active yeast
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter, for brushing
Burger
240 grams sirloin steak tips
160 grams beef short ribs
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Aged Sharp White Ceddar
Equipment Needed:
Baking Sheet
Bowl
Stand Mixer
Food Processor
Cast iron or heavy pan
Freezer
Spatula
Method
Buns
Mix and kneed flour, yeast, water, salt, sugar and eggs in a bowl or a stand mixer until a smooth soft dough forms
Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours or until its nearly doubled in size
Gently deflate/degas the dough and divide into 8 pieces
Shape into a 3” ball and flatten the tops slightly
Cover and let rise for 1 hour, until noticeably puffy
Preheat the oven to 375°F
Brush each bun with half of the melted butter
Bake for 15-18 min or until golden brown
Remove and brush again with remainder of the butter
Let cool on a rack
Burger
For both cuts of meat, cut into 1” cubes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 1/2” of space between them until very firm but still pliable—about 15-25 min
Place half of meat in a food processor and pulse until meat is coarsely ground, 10-15 second pulses scraping down as needed
Remove and transfer to baking sheet, inspecting and discarding long strands or gristle of hard fat
Repeat with other portion of meat
Gently work the meat into 4 equal patties about 1/2” thick, leaving the edges rugged
Season each side liberally with salt
Assembly
In a heavy bottom pan toast the buttered buns over medium heat and set aside
Raise temperature to high and add small amount of any cooking oil
When the oil is barely smoking add burger patty and cook for 3 minutes without moving
Flip the burger and put cheese over the cooked side and finish cooking for 1 min
Remove burger and place on toasted buns
Top with ketchup, mustard, pickle, onion etc…