Five Tips for a Perfectly Juicy, Beefy Burger a Chef Shares His Secrets for Cooking the Quintessential Burger, the Signature Dish at His Parents’ Diner

started cooking as soon as I was tall enough to Isee over the top of the grill at my parents’ restau- rant—Dorothy’s—in Greenwich, Connecticut. Known for our homey food, we made the best meat- loaf, the best lobster club, and the best macaroni and cheese in the state. Every customer had a favorite. So did I. I loved our hamburgers: perfect patties of fresh, not-too-lean beef, garnished with melted American cheese, crisp lettuce, ripe red tomatoes, and served on a toasted bun. Once I start thinking about them, nothing else will do. Fortunately, I can always make these juicy burgers at home. By follow- ing the five steps described here, you can, too. • Begin with great beef that’s freshly ground. A blend of sirloin and chuck works best; sirloin gives the burger a tender texture, while the fat content of the chuck adds flavor. Buy the best meat you can find and don’t skimp on the fat; you want at least 12% to 15% fat for a beefy-tasting burger. Grind the meat as close to cooking time as pos- sible. If you have a grinder or a grinding attachment for your stand mixer, you can easily do this yourself. Grind the meat to a medium-coarse texture; you’ll see that the pieces of fat measure about 1⁄4 inch around. If you don’t have a grinder, many butchers, including those in big supermarkets, will freshly grind A beefy, juicy burger cuts of chuck and sirloin for you. I don’t recommend makes your mouth water. using a food processor: I’ve found that it tears the This classic version puts meat and doesn’t mix the fat and the lean well. the flavor of the meat first. • Keep seasonings to a minimum. I don’t add herbs, onions, cream, breadcrumbs, or other fillings to my burgers because I like the flavor of the pure beef. I do add a little bit of salt and pepper to help bring out the beef’s flavor. • Make a small patty. We used to serve a jumbo 10-ounce burger at Dorothy’s, and it tasted totally Five Tips For a Perfectly Juicy, Beefy Burger A chef shares his secrets for cooking the quintessential burger, the signature dish at his parents’ diner

BY PHIL COSTAS Photos: Alan Richardson

42 FINE COOKING Copyright © 1997 - 2007 The Taunton Press different—more like a steak that had been chopped these every night, but just try this method so when up and put back together. Five ounces is the perfect you do treat yourself to a burger, it’s a great one. size for a hamburger because it will stay juicy • Don’t squeeze the burger. People often smash throughout as it cooks; bigger burgers need longer their burgers with the spatula, not realizing that this cooking time, which can make the outside dry be- forces out the juices. If you can resist squeezing, you’ll fore the inside is cooked. The smaller size also means be rewarded with a juicy burger. I prefer to cook my you can get some of the burger, the bun, and any burgers to medium rare, but even a well-done burger toppings into your mouth in each bite. will stay juicy if you don’t squeeze the life out of it. After weighing the raw meat, I shape it into a patty by lightly passing it back and forth between my Dorothy’s Classic Burger cupped hands until it’s about 3⁄4 inch thick and For the true classic, garnish the burger with cheese about 31⁄2 inches in diameter. Don’t be afraid to give (melted on the bun, not on the meat) and add lettuce, it a final pat to make sure it’s evenly thick; although tomato, and mayonnaise. Yields 4 burgers.

overhandling meat can make it pasty, you shouldn’t 3⁄4 lb. beef sirloin have to handle it for long to make a patty. 1⁄2 lb. beef chuck 3 Let the patties sit at room temperature for about ⁄4 tsp. salt 1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 5 minutes before cooking so that they feel just cool to the touch. If the ground meat is too cold, the out- Cut the meat into pieces roughly 2 inches square and then pass through a meat grinder (or a stand mixer with side might overcook before the inside is done. a grinding attachment) to a medium grind. The ground • Cook the burgers on a flat surface. At Dor- fat should be about 1⁄4 inch around. If the pieces are othy’s, we cooked burgers on a well-seasoned flat- much bigger than that, run the meat through again. topped grill. A hot, flat surface cooks the burger Season the ground meat with the salt and pepper. evenly. An open grill can’t provide even heat be- Divide the meat into 5-oz. portions. Using your hands, cause of its spaces, which also allow valuable juice to gently shape each portion into a patty about 3⁄4 inch escape. On an open grill, you could easily end up thick and about 31⁄2 inches in diameter. with a slightly dry, partially under- and overcooked Heat a nonstick griddle or frying pan or a cast-iron pan burger instead of one that’s uniformly cooked. And over high heat until very hot. Using a spatula, lay the with a grill, the flavor of the gas, charcoal, or wood burgers on the pan without crowding them. (If they’re too close together, they’ll steam.) Turn the heat to interferes with the burger’s pure beef flavor. medium high and cook about three-quarters of the way At home, I cook my burgers on a hot nonstick through, about 4 min. for medium rare. Flip the burgers griddle. A seasoned cast-iron griddle or a similar, over and cook until the meat feels firm yet gives slightly solidly constructed frying pan would also work. in the center, about another 2 min. You’re probably wondering where all the fat goes on a griddle. Well, it stays right there, which is part of Phil Costas is chef/owner of Kathleen’s in Stamford, the beauty. The burger cooks in its own fat, keeping Connecticut, which is named for his mother, Kathleen the meat juicy. I’m not saying you should eat one of Dorothy Costas. •

A flat-topped grill allows the pure flavor of the beef to come through. Don’t smash the burger with the For the best flavor, grind the beef close to cooking time. For Bigger isn’t necessarily better in a burger. The author says spatula as it cooks 1 the best texture, the pieces of fat should be about ⁄4 inch 5 ounces is the best size for a juicy finish. He calls larger burgers or you’ll chase out around. If they’re much bigger, run the meat through again. “chopped steak.” the juices.