Twenty-first Century Hamburgers

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

The key to great hamburgers is paying attention -- first to the source of the beef, then to the way it's all prepared and assembled. (Serves 4) 1 1/2 pounds organic or naturally -raised ground beef 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Canola oil for the grill racks or frying pan Homemade hamburger buns, or organic store-bought buns 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, or to taste Tomato slices (about 2 per hamburger) Lettuce leaves 1.) Preheat a grill or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Just before cooking, rub the cooking surface with oil. 2.) Divide the hamburger meat into four equal portions and flatten each piece into a disc about 5 inches in diameter. Do not knead the meat or otherwise over handle it, but do take care to form neat edges on the discs by pressing the rim between thumb and forefinger to make tall sides. This will prevent the patties from shrinking too much and give them a nice shape. The center of the patties should be a little thinner than the edges. 3.) Season the patties generously with salt and pepper and grill them or cook them in a dry skillet until they are well-browned on one side and beginning to ooze on top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the patties and cook on the other side until they are just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. 4.) Spread the bottom of each bun with Mayonnaise or your favorite spread, pile on tomato slices and lettuce leaves, then plant the cooked hamburger patties on top and finish each hamburger with a top bun.