One of those quintessentially American foods, the hamburger ranges in expression from cheap, quick, and easy (think fast food and classic burger joints) to over-the-top, triple-digit price-tag displays of ground wagyu with caviar and truffles. But the charm of the burger is just how easy it is to make on your own.
Meet the Experts
Chef Rafiq Salim, who has worked in restaurants since he was a teenager, attended the Culinary Institute of America and spent time working with several winners of the StarChefs rising stars award, before earning the StarChefs rising star game changer award himself. His wood-fired grill bar and restaurant Rolo’s is a neighborhood fixture in Queens, New York.
Start With the Right Ratio
“Get some good ground meat; you don’t need to be a snob about it,” said Mr. Serfer. “Bright red color, looks fresh.” He doesn’t go for using wagyu or Kobe or the like. “It’s just a waste. It’s gonna be too fatty. And why would you grind it rather than eat it as a steak?“There’s a reason ground chuck has been the go-to for burger forever.” Ground chuck is commonly an 80-20 blend—80 percent lean meat, 20 percent fat. “I don’t think you should go any leaner than that.” A 90-10 blend isn’t going to hold together as well and lacks some of the flavor the fat brings.
In his burger truck, Mr. Jackson uses a 70-30 blend. “A little more fat, and the burger is a little bit more forgiving. If your cardiologist gives you the A-OK, I say do 70-30,” he said.
Mr. Salim is often cooking for his kids, and uses ground meat from the store, cooking it to medium or medium well. “If I have the time, I have a grinder attachment to my KitchenAid mixer. I will buy some quality beef, chuck or brisket. And in that case, I’d feel much more comfortable [cooking burgers] medium rare.” If using a reliable butcher, he feels the same in terms of food safety.
Form Your Patties
To make your patties, all you need is ground chuck, formed loosely. “You want it to have the texture of a good chocolate cake,” Mr. Serfer said. He recommends a 6-ounce patty, about even with the bun in thickness and 1/4-inch wider than the circumference of the bun—or even 8 ounces, but no more than a 1/2-inch thick.“The meat-to-bun ratio matters,” Mr. Jackson said. “I don’t like the burgers that when you get done, you still have a couple bites of just bun left.”
Mr. Salim also hates when the bun is bigger than the burger in terms of diameter, and warns that as the meat cooks, “the patty bulges up and shrinks in diameter.” Therefore, you need to start a little bigger than the bun. “And that’s easier when you smash it.”
Cook It Right
All three chefs agree that the sear is key.“The best way to cook it is hot and fast—cast iron is best at home. It closely mimics an actual griddle,” Mr. Jackson said. “Whatever you cook it on, make sure the surface is very, very hot.” (But “not so hot [the burger] is going to be black,” Mr. Serfer warned.)
As the smash burger is thinner, the cook time will be shorter, as little as a minute or two; overcooking will dry it out. You don’t want to steam it; just get a nice sear on it. “Just like a steak—nice crust and lock in those juices,” Mr. Jackson said.
Mr. Serfer opts for thicker patties (he likes smash burgers, but not making them—“I'll just go to Culver’s,” he said) and fries them three minutes per side for medium. Then he lets them rest for another three minutes, which helps even out the temperature and reset the juices. “Resting”—a good practice for steaks—“is important even when it comes to burgers,” he said.
Mr. Salim has a home griddle, which he finds easier for cooking four patties at once. However, he admits the griddle clears out the grease, so you might get a better sear in a cast-iron pan with the released grease frying the patty a bit more. In any case, avoid a grill pan: “Those create an insane amount of smoke,” he said, yet they don’t generate a better flavor.
Regardless, with all the frying and searing, your home is going to remind you what you ate last night, unless you have a very good hood and vent. What to do about the smoke? Mr. Serfer suggests fatalistic acceptance: “You gotta make sacrifices.” Mr. Jackson recommends, “Open a window and get a cross draft going.” Mr. Salim, who is dealing with a New York City living space, unplugs the fire alarm, opens a window, and hopes for the best.
Choose Your Cheese (And There’s Only One Choice)
Some might consider the word “cheeseburger” redundant. Who skips cheese on a burger? Restaurant menus may offer many choices, from cheddar to blue, but none of our three experts hesitated: American is the way to go. “American cheese melts so quickly, perfectly,” said Mr. Salim. “And no need to dome [cover] it.”
“Kraft or Land O’ Lakes American cheese,” said Mr. Serfer. “Or if you happen to be in the Philly/South Jersey area, you can get your hands on some Cooper Sharp White,” which he says melts like American but has some cheddar characteristics (and is also “the best cheese for cheesesteaks”).
Pick Your Buns
Mr. Salim prefers Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls. “They are super moist and when you heat them up, they have the right amount of sweetness,” he said. Extra points for being available at many grocery stores.
“Potato or brioche are the only two ways to go,” said Mr. Jackson, who uses potato buns at his food truck. He toasts both the outer and inner sides of each half of the bun. “If you got the right meat and the right toppings on there, the burger can get a little juicy and messy, so you want to make sure you toast those buns so they will stand up to that.”
At his restaurant, Mr. Serfer uses Portuguese muffins—“which is like if white bread, brioche, and an English muffin all made a baby,” he said. The top and bottom are identical. “It’s got the sweetness of brioche, the exterior look of an English muffin, and then the inside is like white bread.” But these are hard to find, so at home, he goes with a grocery store Kaiser roll with poppy seeds.
Don’t Forget the Toppings
“I like everything on a burger—ketchup, mayo, little bit of mustard, onions, tomato,” Mr. Jackson said. He’s a “stickler” about pickles, too—and he means dill slices, not sweet bread and butter pickles. “There’s something about that warm, salty patty with a seasoned crust on it, and the cooling of the onions and tomato, and the briny pop of the pickle.”His “game changer” is spicy ketchup, the standby condiment stepped up with Jamaican jerk seasonings to provide some aromatics and a bit of heat.
Mr. Salim uses “fancy sauce,” inspired by a scene in the film “Step Brothers” when the mom makes Will Ferrell’s character her “fancy sauce”—ketchup and mayonnaise mixed together. He also likes dill pickles chopped up and folded into the sauce with some pickle juice and cracked black pepper.
Mr. Serfer keeps it simple: mayo, ketchup, pickles. “I’m not looking to eat a salad.”
RECIPE: Eddie Jackson’s Caribbean Jerk Sliders
Chef Eddie Jackson typically keeps his burgers simple, seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper, but he shared a recipe for when you’re craving some more spice.- 1 pound ground chuck
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
- 8 standard slices mild Cheddar
- 8 brioche slider buns
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Jerk Ketchup (recipe follows)
- 8 Red Ale Onion Rings (recipe follows)
Combine the chuck, salt, allspice, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, pepper flakes, brown sugar, thyme, and black pepper in a large bowl and gently mix until just combined.
Form the meat into eight 2-ounce patties, then press the center of each with your thumb to create an indent. Coat the grill pan with cooking spray.
Grill the sliders indent-side up until the internal temperature registers 150 degrees F, 2 to 3 minutes per side, placing a slice of cheese on each patty once you flip it. Cover the patties on the grill pan with a metal bowl to allow the cheese to melt. (The cheese will melt over the sides of the patties.) Remove the patties to a plate and cover loosely with foil to rest.
Meanwhile, brush the buns with the melted butter and grill until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes per side.
Assemble the sliders by putting a tablespoon-sized dollop of the jerk ketchup on the bun tops and bottoms, then top each bottom with a patty. Finish with one onion ring on top of each slider. Close sliders and serve immediately.
Jerk Ketchup
- 1 cup ketchup
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Red Ale Onion Rings
Makes 8- About 4 cups canola oil
- 2 large Vidalia onions
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup red ale
- Coarse sea salt
Meanwhile, peel the onions and slice into 1/2-inch-thick rings.
Combine the flour, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the ale until the ingredients are combined. The batter should be thick but slightly loose.
Place a wire rack in a sheet pan. Working in batches, dip the onion rings into the batter. Drain any excess batter back into the bowl, then slowly lower the onions into the hot oil. Cook, flipping the onions every 30 seconds, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the onions to a wire rack with a spider and lightly season with sea salt.
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