Thick Burger, 3 Ways: Classic, Buffalo, & French Onion
RECIPES
STEAKBURGER PATTY RECIPE (makes 4 burgers)
▪2lbs/1kg 80/20 ground beef
▪Neutral, high smokepoint oil (light olive, avocado, canola, etc)
Measure beef into 225-250g/8oz patties.
Slap the meat back and forth in your hands to help develop the protein while forming a patty that’s about 6”/15cm in diameter.
Indent the middle of the patty. The patty should be slightly larger than your bun since the beef will shrink when cooked.
Season liberally with salt and pepper
Preheat a nonstick on medium-high. Add a drizzle of oil & place patty in pan with the indented side down. Press down on patty with spatula to ensure maximum surface contact. After 2-3 minutes or when the burger is cooked about halfway up the sides, flip to the second side.
See the remainder of the cooking instructions below based on the burger you’re making (Classic, Buffalo, or French Onion)
FOR THE CLASSIC
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
▪Melty cheese (i’m using american cheese product)
▪Sliced dill pickles
▪Butter leaf lettuce
▪Thinly sliced red onion
▪Thinly sliced, in season tomato
▪Burger sauce (For quick burgers i just eyeball it, but you’re looking for approximately: 2 large spoons mayo, 1 large spoon yellow mustard, 2 large spoons ketchup, 2 small spoons sriracha).
After flipping patty to side 2, place slice of cheese on top. After about a minute, the cheese should be melty and burger should be done. Internal temp should read 145-150F (65C).
TO FINISH AND BUILD BURGER
Allow patty to rest 5min. Place sliced pickles & lettuce down on the bottom of a toasted bun. Add patty, onion, tomato. Spread burger sauce onto top bun.
FOR THE BUFFALO BURGER
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
▪Blue cheese, cumbled
▪Butterleaf lettuce
▪Celery relish (recipe below)
▪Buffalo sauce (recipe below)
CELERY RELISH
▪150g or 1.5c celery, small diced
▪150g or 1.5c white onion, small diced
▪100g or 1/2c sugar
▪5g or 1tsp kosher salt
▪10g or ¾Tbsp yellow mustard seed
▪250g or 1c water
▪100g or 1/2c apple cider vinegar
Combine ingredients into a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Lower heat to medium and reduce for about 20min. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Store in fridge until ready to use.
BUFFALO SAUCE
▪300g or 1 1/8c Frank’s hot sauce
▪25g or 1.5Tbsp worcestershire
▪3-4 cloves garlic, minced
▪115g/1 stick unsalted butter, cold
▪Teeny tiny pinch of Xanthan gum (optional, for texture and full emulsification)
Combine ingredients in a small pot. Simmer over med low until reduced by half. Reduce heat to low & whisk in butter until emulsified. Off heat, whisk in a tiny pinch xanthan gum.
TO FINISH & BUILD BURGER
After flipping patty to side 2, top with blue cheese.
Cover pan and allow burger to cook and cheese to melt for about 1 min. Allow patty to rest for 5 min.
Place celery down on bottom of a toasted bun.
Top with lettuce, the cheesed burger patty, and a spoonful or 2 of buffalo sauce followed by top bun.
FOR THE FRENCH ONION BURGER
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
▪Aged gruyere, sliced
▪Provolone, sliced
▪Dijon mustard
▪mayo
▪Caramelized onions (recipe below)
CARAMELIZED ONIONS
▪1000g (or about 3-4 med-lrg) yellow onion, diced
▪Kosher salt
▪Olive oil ▪150g or 2/3c water
▪15g or 1Tbsp red wine vinegar
Add onions to a saute pan with a large pinch of salt and a good squeeze of olive oil, and the water. Simmer for 10 minutes over high heat.
When liquid has evaporated and onions are mostly softened, continue cooking over medium heat while stirring every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes.
Once brown and caramelized, stir in red wine vinegar and cook just until vinegar has evaporated.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
TO FINISH AND BUILD
After flipping patty to side 2, top with 1 slice gruyere and 1 slice provolone.
Load into oven under hot broiler until cheese is melted and browning (20-25sec). Allow burger to rest 5min.
Spread dijon on bottom of a toasted bun followed by a couple spoons of the room temp caramelized onions, topped with the patty (including all of the fried cheese from the pan), and finally the top bun spread with mayo.
