Building a Better Burger

About author / Amy Powell

World traveler; gourmet 30 minute meals; lover of exotic ingredients; winner on FoodTV's Chefs vs City; graduate French Culinary Institute. Her recipes will tantalize your taste buds.

This coming weekend we say goodbye to summer, stow away our white shoes, and stash the grill until the next heat wave. Even with the grill retired, however, chances are that some of those grilled classics will stay in your repertoire year-round via your grill pan or your oven. If that is the case, it is never too late to rethink that classic grilled item: the burger.

It seems I am not the only one who has been thinking about the perfect burger these days. Seems every show from Good Morning America to Top Chef has been challenging viewers and contestants to find unique ways to re-make what has become a staple of the American diet while staying true to the essence of the original.

Before you think of remaking the burger, it helps to understand what makes for the perfect “one-of-those” in the first place. For a basic beef burger, it is commonly accepted that the appropriate cut is ground chuck. Beyond that, this is a time when health nuts need to turn a blind eye. Because in order to have a juicy and flavorful burger, the meat needs to be about 20% fat (Any followers of Paula Dean’s trick of sticking a pat of butter in the middle of the patty should understand what a little extra fat can do). Add seasoning directly to your meat and mix it in before you form the patties, being careful not to overwork the meat as it will turn to mush. When cooking the burger, don’t press down on it or it will seep all the juices out onto the coals and will leave you with a dried out burger.

The proper cooking temperature for a burger is still a bit of a mystery. For those fans of a burger cooked medium, or still a little pink on the inside, medium high heat directly over a flame has been the standard.

However, there is a hole-in-the-wall in San Diego, California known as Rocky’s that may have found a better way. With beer, wine, and orders taken on Post-It notes, this place is famous for the one (and only) menu item it does best: hamburger or cheeseburger, 1/3 lb. or 1/2 lb. It is the sort of place that on any given day one can find old ladies after their bridge game rubbing elbows with washed-out, scraggly haired surfer boys, amid a sprinkling of corporate suits taking a break from the office. It is rumored that Rocky's unparalleled juicy burger is cooked slowly on a very low temperature flat top grill. Whatever the cooking method, the end product entices masses of people to cram into what is no more than a shack with bar stools. High heat to seer the outside and seal in the juices, or low and slow for a burger so tender and juicy it literally melts in your mouth, the choice is up to you.

With the basics covered, the burger is your canvas and any range of condiments and seasonings can create a masterpiece that is all your own. If not stuffing the meat with butter, adding your favorite toppings to the inside can make for an unexpected treat. For example, feta, caponata and arugula provide a uniquely Mediterranean take on the subject. Coleslaw, barbecue sauce and pickled onions (with Paula’s butter pat on the inside) would make for a down home Southern version of the same. And if you are from Brazil, their classic burger Tudo comes with melted mozzarella, tomato, and a fried egg.

That classic burger is hard enough to make just right on its own. But it will never suffer with the help of condiments that are lying around your house and with a little imagination on your part. With summer in its final days, taking a grilled burger from good to great can make it a year-round must-eat.

Serves/Makes: 6

• 2 pounds ground beef
• salt
• black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/3 cup olive oil (more if needed)
• 1/2 pound fresh Mozzarella cheese
• 1 large tomato
• 4 hamburger buns
• vegetable oil
• 6 eggs