Michael’s Genuine Burger with House Smoked Bacon and Vermont Cheddar
If you want a burger with superior flavor, you need to grind the meat yourself—it’s as simple as that. The process is not only easier than most people think, but also makes the moistest and most flavorful burgers. You’ll need to pick up a meat grinder attachment for your food processor at a kitchen store or have your local butcher grind the meat for you. Buy chuck with about 20 percent fat; if that’s not available, kindly ask your nice butcher to add beef fat to regular lean chuck. Fat equals flavor, and there’s no better place for it than in a burger! Okay, you will also need to mix the meat in an electric mixer. It may sound odd, but an old butcher’s trick is to add a couple tablespoons of ice water to the meat. As the burger cooks, the water steams, making the burgers juicier. With all of this love and attention to the meat, I don’t think it’s necessary to mix a bunch of stuff into it, like chives, chopped onion, or Worcestershire sauce. This meatier burger is as genuine as you can get!
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the ground beef in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Gently hand shape the ground beef into 4 balls; 6 ounces each is about right. Don’t pack the meat too tightly—you’re not making snowballs here. Too much pressure will make a tough burger.
Step 2
Place a large griddle on two burners over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the burgers generously with salt and pepper and drizzle the tops with a little oil. Put the burgers on the griddle, oil side down, and gently flatten once into big patties with the bottom of a spatula. Grill the burgers for 8 minutes per side for medium, 7 minutes if you like your meat rare. (If you like your burger well done, then I can’t help you.) Flip only once and top with the cheese after flipping.
Step 3
Serve the burgers on the buns with the toppings of your choice: bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onion slices, ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard.
