Charleston Living Magazine May-June 2023

THE LAST REFLECTION
Burger Night Your Way
How to pull-off burger night at home
By ANNE WOLFE POSTIC
Burger King debuted its
iconic “Have it your way”
tagline around the time I
was born. They toyed with it
over the years and recently
adopted a variation, “You
rule.” If you’ve streamed
anything recently, or
watched actual television,
you’re probably humming
that catchy new song about
the Whopper right now.
Sorry. But here’s the point:
everyone should enjoy a
burger however they like it best, especially at
home. And I agree! Cheese, no cheese, fancy
toppings or nothing but the classics, veggie,
turkey, beef, or whatever protein you love — I
support you. As the long, lazy days of summer
offer plenty of opportunities for burger night, I
thought I’d share my way. Maybe you’ll learn
something new, or maybe you love where you are.
Next up: cheese. I prefer to shape each burger around the cheese,
rather than place it on top at the end of cooking. This method prevents it
from sliding off into the grill or pan and also leaves it delightfully melty.
And there are no rules about what kind of cheese to use: bleu, cheddar,
Swiss, brie, gouda, Havarti, whatever. Of course, I have no beef with the
perennial southern favorite, pimento.
On to the toppings. Once again, you rule! Tomato, lettuce, pickles,
and onions are great. Depending on the day, some of our favorite options
are caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, pineapple, pickled
jalapeños, pickled red onions, tzatziki, sprouts, bacon, fried egg, kimchi,
guacamole, coleslaw, shredded and pickled daikon and carrots for a bánh
mì vibe…the list goes on. An array of condiments is also key, including
the classics like mayo, mustard and ketchup, as well as all the hot sauces.
As for cooking, though burgers from the grill are the standard,
grilling isn’t always the best option. Maybe it’s raining, or the
propane tank is empty, or you hate the idea of standing over a hot
grill. For your consideration: the grill pan. Usually cast iron, often
enameled, the pan has ridges to provide that delightful char-grilled
look. Burgers in a pan are so easy, you may never fire up the grill
again. Heat the pan on high until flicking a little water on it sizzles,
add a little butter or oil to prevent sticking. Turn the heat down to
medium and sear your burgers a minute or two on each side. Put
the pan in a pre-heated 350-degree oven to finish the burgers to
your liking. We usually skip the oven since we prefer meat on the
rare side, so a couple of minutes on each side on the stove suffices.
For medium rare, internal temperature should be 120 to 125 degrees,
130 to 135 for medium, and 150 to 160 for well done.
In the final stretch, we have buns. Ciabatta, classic, croissant, doughnut,
brioche, pretzel…all good. Do you! (But you already knew that.)
The most important thing about home-cooked burgers is that
you enjoy them. Really. That’s it. Burger night is fun, low-key, and
delicious. You don’t need fancy china, unless you’re into that. No
need to dress up, because a juicy burger loaded with your favorite
toppings will stain your tuxedo in a flash. Just drop a stack of napkins
near the toppings so people can grab as many as they need. You
may want to take a minute to ice down your favorite cool beverages
and pick a playlist, but that’s as complicated as it should get. Bon
appétit! •
PHOTO PIXABAY
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