More Burger Tips

The Resto Burger

As we head into the holiday weekend, the Times Dining section has a handy article on how to grill burgers. Some of the pointers, from 30 chefs with major burger cred, echo the ones in this earlier Gastro Chic article on what not to do when grilling burgers. Some are good new tips.

The final burger recipe is pretty unrealistic for a home chef, however, since it involves searing the burgers on a grill then finishing them in the oven. Most people’s outdoor grill is nowhere near their indoor oven. Also, I’ve noticed that guests tend to freak out if you abscond with a whole tray full of burgers.

Tips:

• Hubert Keller: Don’t buy prepackaged burgers – agreed.
• Pat LaFrieda: Grind you own meat in a food processor – I would only do this if I were in the sticks in a supermarket with no butcher on hand. Otherwise, take this advice:
• Mark Bucher: Have a supermarket butcher grind a piece of brisket – because of its 25-30 percent fat content.
• Alternately, rely on a good specialty butcher like Paisanos Meat Market on Smith Street in Boerum Hill – their hamburger meat mixture is the bomb.
• Suvir Saran: Handle the meat less when making patties so you don’t squish all the air out.
• Michael David: Refrigerate lightly shaped patties for an hour or two beforehand so they stick together better – brilliant! Not sure of the chemistry behind this, but it makes sense.
• Laurent Tourondel “is completely against those chefs who use a whopping 12 ounces of meat” – agreed.
• Michael Mina: Roll each patty into a ball then press it flat to get a round shape – disagree. If we wanted a big ball of meat, we’d eat meatballs.
• Bobby Flay: Take your thumb and make a well in the burger – disagree. This just reminds me too much of a White Castle burger. Better to start off with a burger of Michael David’s recommended 4 by 1-inch size.
• All: Salt is crucial – agreed. Form the patties first and then vigorously salt and pepper them on both sides.
• Ryan Skeen: Use Martin’s brand potato rolls, sold at supermarkets on the East Coast – agreed. The bun on the Resto burger, pictured above, is quite good.
• Jim Leiken: Blue cheese overwhelms beef – agreed.
• Josh Eden: Make your own pickles – fuggedaboutit.
• Hidefumi Kubota: Make your own brioche buns – wha?
• Use cold, crisp lettuce – agreed.
• Shred the lettuce (Michael David and DBGB) – disagree. If we wanted slaw with our burger, we’d order slaw.

How to alter the Comme Ca burger recipe:

Instead of transferring the burgers to an oven, first sear them on an extremely hot grill for 2 minutes per side, take them off and set aside, let the grill cool to 375 (use built-in or oven thermometer), put cheese on top of burgers, and put the burgers back on the grill, close cover, and cook for 4 minutes more for medium rare.