THINK THIN
Tips on grilling the perfect backyard burger from Epic Steak’s chef de cuisine
Grilled burgers are so universally beloved, you’ll find them on practically every menu, whether you’re dining at a swanky spot — such as Epic Steak on San Francisco’s waterfront — or a neighborhood barbecue. A few simple tricks will elevate your backyard efforts, says Dirk Tolsma, the steakhouse’s grilling expert and chef de cuisine.
“When it comes to making the home barbecue hamburger for your summer parties, there are two ways to go about it — either with a larger and thicker restaurant-style patty or the thin fast-food-style patty,” he says.
We all know that a high-end restaurant burger uses brioche buns, a hand-ground mixture of several beef cuts, and fancy aioli and such, while those of us who flip burgers at swim meets and block parties … do not. Tolsma understands.
For backyard grilling, he says, “The thinner and faster burger can sometimes be the way to go. It’s a quicker method that requires much less attention, which allows hosts more time to entertain and enjoy spending their sunny afternoon with family and friends. Additionally, the key to a wonderful thin burger is caramelization — a kind of cooking technique with super-high temperature.”
Dirk Tolsma provided a few simple tips for grilling the perfect no-fuss, thin-patty burger, from grill temperature to pepper caveat and a cheese option that’s a tad unexpected for a chef.
1 TIMING: First, take the meat out of the fridge 30minutes before grill time. Tempering the meat, he says, “aids in getting good color on the patty.” Then, “Get the grill to a ripping degree of heat. No fire, just hot white coals.”
2 SEASONING: Season the meat liberally with salt, not pepper: “Pepper burns at this heat, so add any desired pepper at the end.”
3 GRILLING: Place the burgers on the hottest spot on the grill, and watch carefully so you don’t overcook the meat. “Give your patties a minute or two and don’t go for grill marks as it’s way too quick for that,” Tolsma says. “You want brown all over. Flip and add your cheese — soft and sliced American is the best option — and let it go until you’ve got good coloring on the other side.”
4 FINISHING: Slide the burger directly from grill to bun, finishing with a dash of salt and grind of pepper.
5 CONDIMENTS: “Keep the condiments simple and straightforward,” he says. “Just add beer when you’re done!”