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A good hamburger is hard to find but shouldn’t
be. It’s one of the easiest things to make, but most cooks want to
make it complicated. All a burger needs to taste lip-smacking are salt,
pepper, olive oil, and mindful restraint. A few notes on those four ingredients: Salt and pepper — Use
kosher salt and use it liberally. For every pound of meat, use one teaspoon
of salt. Although it’s less critical, pepper is best when freshly
ground because it yields more fire and flavor. Oil — If
you’re grilling at the home of a friend who doesn’t own
measuring spoons, go by the glug method. Two healthy glugs (a.k.a. alcohol
pours) will do. Extra-virgin olive oil offers aroma and flavor that you
won’t get with less neutral options, such as canola or corn. Mindful restraint — This means minimal touching, fondling and fussing with your
patties while shaping and grilling them. Let the darn things cook in peace.
Flip them only once. You know that guy who likes to show off, flipping and
prodding those burgers? He’s a misguided feller. Do the right thing
and show him some burger Zen.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Simple-but-Luscious Burger
1 pound ground chuck or sirloin, about 80 percent
lean 1 teaspoon coarse salt 3/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat gas grill or fire up charcoal- or
wood-burning grill about 20 minutes in advance. In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix with
your hands until well combined. Tear a hunk of meat that fits comfortably
in the palm of your hand. Gently press and shape into a somewhat flattened
ball. The grill should be hot enough that you can barely place your hand 3
inches above the grate. Place the burgers on the grill and let them cook
for about four minutes, then, using tongs, turn them over onto the other
side. For cheeseburgers, place the cheese after turning.
Continue cooking for four more minutes; a total of eight minutes should
yield medium-cooked burgers. For the most accurate (and safest) results, a
meat thermometer inserted into a medium burger should between 135 and 145
degrees. More than 10 minutes of cooking will likely result in fossil-like
burgers. Toasted English muffins, rubbed
with a clove of garlic, make sublime burger bookends.
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2007.
