The finest hamburger recipes require only beef, salt, and pepper – just like the ones you savor at top-notch steakhouses and diners. Picture a mouthwatering patty with a delectable crust on the outside, while being juicy, tender, and beefy on the inside.
When it comes to homemade hamburgers, they are perfect for customizing with a variety of toppings according to your preferences. Don’t let anyone dictate what should or shouldn’t adorn your burger! The pleasure of making your personalized masterpiece is all yours to relish.
Hamburger recipe
In my younger years, I learned how to make hamburgers from a celebrity chef who insisted on using breadcrumbs, egg, and various seasonings for creating a truly outstanding burger. For a long time, I believed that was the correct approach and followed it faithfully.
However, my perspective changed after multiple trips to the United States, where I experienced the unmatched allure of American burgers. Sampling countless burgers and immersing myself in cooking shows while meeting chefs, caterers, and restaurateurs, I underwent a transformation.
I now firmly believe that crafting a remarkable beef hamburger patty requires nothing more than high-quality beef. No additional flavorings are needed other than salt and pepper. A nice fatty beef mince, even from the supermarket, is all you need to create a superb, delicious burger. Sometimes, simplicity is the key to perfection!
Best Hamburger Patties
The key to achieving an exceptional homemade hamburger lies in using beef with a nice, fatty content. Opt for high-quality ground beef or mince, ideally sourced from a butcher, although supermarkets nowadays offer excellent options too.
When it comes to cooking meat, this hamburger recipe holds a valuable lesson: fat equals flavor. Mixing pork fat into lean beef and cooking it will give you the unmistakable taste of pork. Hence, the big secret is now unveiled. The most outstanding burgers you’ve ever savored are crafted with nothing more than fatty beef, salt, and pepper. That’s the tried and true method followed by all your favorite burger joints and diners (except, of course, McDonald’s, as the secret spices in their burgers remain unknown). Simplicity and quality ingredients are the key to creating burger perfection!
Tip: Dent the Hamburger Patty
If you’ve ever encountered the frustrating problem of your burgers shrinking into little domes during cooking, I have a fantastic tip for you!
Before cooking the patty, simply use your fingers to gently dent the surface of the meat. This clever technique, inspired by Bobby Flay, helps prevent excessive shrinkage, resulting in a flatter and more even burger. While there may still be some shrinkage, you’ll notice a significant improvement with this simple yet effective trick. Enjoy your perfectly cooked and beautifully shaped burgers!
What to put on Hamburgers
As a food blogger, I often find it hard to resist the temptation of making food look incredibly irresistible. My first hamburger recipe, as pictured below, is a prime example of that, with its mouthwatering runny yolk and crispy golden bacon.
However, I must admit that when it comes to ordering burgers, I don’t opt for the fully loaded ones. Classic hamburgers, done right, are already crazy delicious on their own. Plus, there are practical reasons too – who can fit such a massive burger in their mouth?
For me, a big, juicy hamburger patty topped with melted cheese is perfection. All it needs is a generous dollop of a condiment of choice (relish, ketchup, mustard, mayo), along with some lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Everything else becomes optional.
I must confess, though, being an Aussie, excluding beetroot from the list of “must-haves” might be considered a blasphemy! After all, it adds that unique touch to a burger that many of us Down Under simply adore.
