I’ve got to admit, I’ve only recently realised how amazing hamburgers are. This sounds a bit mental right? I’d just got into the habit of always ordering chicken burgers and avoiding their beef counterparts. It’s weird. Anyway, I like sharing recipes from around the world with you guys and today I have a fab American Burger recipe for you!
I made ‘Griddle-Smashed Classic Cheeseburgers’ this week from the cookbook ‘The Great American Burger Book’ by George Motz. It’s a pretty simple recipe but I learnt quite a few tips from it…
Ingredients
- 8 buns
- Peanut oil
- 1kg fresh ground 80/20 beef
- Salt
- American cheese, thinly sliced (I subbed this for sliced Gouda)
Method
1. Toast the buns
The thought to toast the inside of burger buns hadn’t even crossed my mind before. When I’ve made burgers on the BBQ I’ve just thrown out a packet of white buns to my guests, maybe with a tub of butter if I’m feeling generous and left them to it! But now I know the score. You’ve got to butter them then toast them butter-side down in a pan on a medium heat! Only takes a minute or two so watch them.
2. Preheat a seasoned cast-iron skillet or flat top
The recipe calls for a a drop or two of peanut oil but I subbed it for sunflower oil. All works, right?
3. Prepare the meat
I got some top quality beef mince from the butchers down the road seeing as there are no fancy additions to the mixture in this recipe. I figured the meat should be good. Add a pinch of salt and ball the meat up into 8 equal amounts. The guy uses a salad scoop to separate it out.
4. Cook ’em bro
Place in the skillet and push down with a spatula so they’re flat. Leave for 2 1/2 mins without touching them, then turn.
5. Add the cheese
Add a slice of cheese on top of the turned patties and leave for another 2 mins. (I would never have known to add the cheese in the pan – mind blown.) Remove and place them in the toasted buns.
6. Serve
I added a doll of ketchup and some sliced pickles at this point. It’s only right IMO.
Verdict
They were delicious! Gouda was a great shout as a substitute for American cheese and the toasted buns made all the difference. The only thing I’d say is that the 2 1/2 mins on each side was still a bit rare for me so I’d give it a touch longer if you’re a fan of burgers cooked a little more. Otherwise I loved them! I’m definitely going to be making more burgers at home from now on!
The Great American Burger Book
And my book addiction continues…
Do you have any burger-cooking tips for me as a newbie? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @HeelsInBackpack!
Total Blogger Transparency: This title was a PR sample I was sent but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I wouldn’t play you like that shorty.