Ultimate Burgers and Sliders

Ultimate Burgers and Sliders
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A Little Personal History:

As long as I can remember, I’ve been on a mission to create the Tastiest, Juiciest, Most Ultimate Burger … Ever!!
A burger I can put my name on. One so flavorful and juicy it explodes in your mouth (and your clothes if not careful). Well, here it is!!
And if you’re really into burgers and all its glorious variations, like we are, check out our Pinterest Board “How To Make a Great Burger”
P.S. When buying my meat, I go natural organic and local whenever possible!

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There have been many claims about the origin of the hamburger. The earliest known report in a newspaper is from July 5, 1896, when the Chicago Daily Tribune made a highly specific claim regarding a “hamburger sandwich” in an article about a “Sandwich Car:” “A distinguished favorite, only five cents, is Hamburger steak sandwich, the meat for which is kept ready in small patties and ‘cooked while you wait’ on the gasoline range.”[4] History of the Hamburger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger
Chef Lars
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Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 pound ground chuck or sirloin
  • Salt & Pepper Sprinkle liberally
Toppings
  • Hamburger buns rye bread, sour dough bread, etc. For sliders use smaller buns, Pepperidge Farm makes some nice ones.
  • Enhancements Cooked bacon, thin sliced Ham, Pineapple, fried Egg, etc.
  • Veggies Mushrooms (sautéed), Onions (sliced raw or sautéed), Tomatoes (sliced raw), Avocados, Hot Peppers, etc., wedges
  • Sauces Ketchup, Mustard, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Steak Sauce, Thousand Island Dressing, Tartar Sauce, etc.
  • Cheeses American, Swiss, Cheddar, Pepper Jack, etc.
Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 pound ground chuck or sirloin
  • Salt & Pepper Sprinkle liberally
Toppings
  • Hamburger buns rye bread, sour dough bread, etc. For sliders use smaller buns, Pepperidge Farm makes some nice ones.
  • Enhancements Cooked bacon, thin sliced Ham, Pineapple, fried Egg, etc.
  • Veggies Mushrooms (sautéed), Onions (sliced raw or sautéed), Tomatoes (sliced raw), Avocados, Hot Peppers, etc., wedges
  • Sauces Ketchup, Mustard, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Steak Sauce, Thousand Island Dressing, Tartar Sauce, etc.
  • Cheeses American, Swiss, Cheddar, Pepper Jack, etc.
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Instructions
  1. Break up ground beef in a large metal bowl.
  2. Flatten meat out in bowl, use knife or pizza cutter and slice into 8 wedges.
  3. For Quarter-Pounder Burgers – With hands, shape each wedge into a ball and flatten/shape on cutting board into round patty ⅛ – ¼ in. thick.
  4. For Sliders, divide each wedge in half and follow same instructions.
  5. With thumb or spoon, press a dimple in the center of each burger.
  6. Note: If burgers have been refrigerated or frozen, allow them to return to room temperature before cooking.
  7. Liberally sprinkle both sides of burgers with salt & pepper
  8. Fire up the grill or fry in skillet at medium-high heat (9 o’clock on the dial). 3 – 4 minutes each side. Note: If adding cheese, place on burgers during last minute.
  9. The patties are already thin. Do NOT press beef patties during cooking, you’ll squeeze out juices & flavor!
Recipe Notes

Advanced Preparation:

  • Patties can be made up day of event and refrigerated OR frozen for later use.
  • If you intend to freeze, place on wax paper large enough to enclose, follow Step 4, fold wax paper over, over and over again to enclose. Place individually wrapped burgers in large Ziploc freezer bag(s) – 4 per bag or individually in sandwich sized bags.
  • If you’re pressed for time and only get through Step 3, shape each wedge into a ball, transfer to plate or individually to 2 ½ oz. ramekins, wrap with plastic and refrigerate.

Tips, Notes, and Variations:

  • Ground chuck is the most flavorful type of ground beef (sirloin’s a close second but not as juicy) and comes from one single cut of beef. Plain “ground beef” can include meat from all over the animal.
  • For the juiciest burger, use fattier cuts of meat. e.g.  75% to 25% meat to fat ratio.
  • Want to grind your own ground meat? In a blender or meat grinder combine a mix of beef brisket, sausage, beef chuck, and sirloin for your burger patties. Yumm!
  • For seasonings, beyond salt and pepper:
    • ground coriander
    • Parsley, basil, oregano, and thyme are a personal “taste bud” choices. Mix, match, and experiment!
  • If you like thin stacked patties to re-creating those great, mouth watering hamburger joint burgers … making sure the patties are THIN. Not more than ¼ in. thick as described in step 4.
    • For this recipe that translates to 8 quarter-pound patties pressed a little larger than the size of bun. If you’ve got the appetite for a half-pounder just stack  2 quarter-pounders.
    • For Sliders divide burger wedges again for eighth-pound patties. Double up and you’ve got a quarter-pounder Slider!!
  • Why a “dimple” in Step 6?  Hamburgers shrink as they cooks, the more fat in the meat the more they shrink. Making the burgers slightly thinner in the middle promotes even thickness and cooking across the patty.
  • When determining “doneness”, as these burgers are thin to begin, I prefer medium which is about 4 minutes a side. If you’d rather just eyeball it, try this: wait for patty juices to run red, flip them, wait for juices to run clear.
  • Another technique to lock in the juices while giving just the slightest “crunchiness” to your burgers, just before cooking, lightly flour the burgers on all sides (be sure not to press or flatten during cooking).