Plateau Magazine June-July 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.
First of all, let’s talk about the meat. For
beef burgers, 70 percent lean, 30 percent
fat makes for the juiciest patty. That can
be hard to find, so look for meat that’s at
least 15 percent fat. When you shape your
patties, avoid overworking the meat to
avoid a dry crumbly burger. Conventional
wisdom suggests adding salt and pepper
before you shape the burgers. I disagree,
because salt draws moisture out, so I add
them just before cooking. Do feel free to
add any other seasoning before shaping
the patties.
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,
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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! P
PHOTO PIXABAY