Perfect Tavern Cheeseburgers

Four servings

Call these backyard burgers, pub burgers or whatever. They are thick – the kind we associate with cookouts and fine-dining establishments, and therefore they allow for the complex flavours that comes with a charred exterior and a pink-red medium-rare interior.

Ground chuck is a great go-to because it is flavorful and easily available. But if you want to experiment with blends, try a third each of trimmed fatty brisket, sirloin and ground chuck.

Because a cast-iron skillet will help keep the burger juices in the pan and helps with uniform cooking, that’s what is used here. You can cook directly on the grates of a grill, though, and achieve excellent results. The cook time and directions are the same for both methods.

This recipe calls for flipping the burger only once. But if you are a flipper, you’re in good company. Leading authority on the science of cooking J. Kenji López-Alt says flipping several times actually improves the overall result, albeit slightly. Total cook time for multi-flipping will be a little less (about two minutes) than for one flip. Whether you are cooking on the grate or in a pan, use the remainder of the grill’s cooking surface to cook corn or other vegetables to go with your burgers.

If you want to toast the buns, do so before cooking the burgers. Otherwise, the timing can get tricky and you may end up burning the buns or the burgers or both.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 4 hamburger buns, preferably potato buns 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80-20) Condiments of your choice

4 iceberg or green leaf lettuce leaves (optional)

Coarse ground kosher salt (total of about 1 tablespoon)

Freshly ground black pepper (total of about 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon neutrally flavored oil, such as canola oil or grapeseed

4 slices white or yellow American cheese Steps

Prepare a grill for direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (450 degrees). If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them under the cooking area for direct heat. For a hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 15 centimetres above the coals for three or four seconds. Have a spray water bottle ready for taming any flames.

Place a large cast-iron skillet on the grates directly over the fire. Brush a little melted butter on the inside of the buns. Place them, buttered sides down, in the skillet or on the cooking grates to toast for 2 to 3 minutes total. (Turn them over and lightly brown the exteriors, if desired.) There’s no need to clean the skillet before adding the oil to cook the burgers. Transfer the buns to a plate.

Divide the meat into four equal portions, then shape into patties that are 2.5-cm tall and 8 cm in diameter.

If you want to dress the bottom buns with mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup or a special sauce, now’s the time so that you can set the burger directly on the dressed bun. If you are using the lettuce leaves, place one on each bottom bun.

Generously season the patties with the salt and pepper on both sides. Use your thumb to make an indentation at the center of the burger (the resulting dimple will help prevent burger shrinkage).

Add the oil to the skillet; once the oil shimmers, place the patties in the pan. Cook, uncovered, for two to three minutes, until the bottom of the meat caramelizes and becomes a little charred. Turn them over; cook for three to four minutes.

Place a slice of cheese on each burger. Close the grill lid and cook for 1 to 2 minutes; once the cheese is gooey, transfer each burger to a bottom bun.

Place the top buns on each burger; serve right away.

Nutrition | Calories: 560; Total Fat: 33 g; Saturated Fat: 14 g; Cholesterol: 160 mg; Sodium: 1390 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 28 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 8 g; Protein: 40 g.