Try using a cast iron pan to get a better burger

Cooking in a skillet helps patties baste in their own juices

It sounds heretical, particularly since the outdoor cooking season is getting started, but here goes: For a truly delicious burger, skip the grill, stay indoors and reach for a cast-iron skillet.

This advice is gleaned from interviews that I conducted with more than 100 Twin Cities chefs between 2013 and 2019 for an online column called Burger Friday, where I dissected the secrets behind burgers encountered in venues that ranged from drive-ins to food trucks to four-star kitchens.

A skillet allows the patties to baste in their own juices as they cook. That’s a huge improvement over losing all-important moisture to the spatters that cause annoying grilling flare-ups.

Using the right beef is also key. Begin by selecting the lowest percentage of lean ground beef that’s available, remembering that the lower the number, the higher the fat content and the juicier the burger. Stick with 85 per cent or lower. If you have access to a butcher, ask for freshly ground chuck. It’s even better if the beef can be fortified with bits of richer cuts, such as brisket or sirloin.

With as little handling as possible, form the ground beef into 3- to 4-ounce meatballs. Place the meatball into a hot cast iron pan over medium heat. Using a wide, thin spatula, smash the meatball into the pan until a thin (about 1/3 inch) patty forms. Cook, undisturbed, until the edges are crisped and browned, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Carefully extricate the patty from the pan, flip it and then cook for an additional minute.

OK, there’s a little bit more to it than that, but not much.

The all-important bun

When selecting a bun, consider the bread-to-beef ratio. Don’t allow one component to overpower the other. Toasting the bun instantly elevates the burger’s appeal. Even the most generic, plastic-wrapped, eight-pack supermarket bun will blossom under the toasted treatment. Just after removing the patties from the skillet, spread room-temperature butter across the flat inside surfaces of the bun and let the skillet’s heat work its magic, until the bread is lightly browned and slightly crisped.

Keep in mind

Seasoning is key. It’s best to season the top of the patty once it’s in the pan and smashed. Stay old school and make a mix of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Or start there, then add dried rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, powdered onion, powdered garlic and/or other favourite aromatics. Or toast the peppercorns before grinding them.

Two thin patties will always be an improvement over one thick patty. It’s all about increased surface area. Allimportant flavour (and, to a lesser extent, texture) flows from the sizzled char that’s created where the beef meets the pan. Two patties have twice as much surface-to-pan area as a single patty.

Some argue for frying in a bare skillet. Others advocate for fat. Since no one ever claimed that a hamburger constituted health food, go ahead and fry the patties in butter or bacon fat.

Consider elevating the meat’s fat content by incorporating small pieces of butter into the ground beef, using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or by mixing with your hands. Over the course of my research, some chefs followed a 1-to-10 ratio of butter to beef, and several went as over-the-top as 1to-2 ratio.

For cheeseburgers, the time to add the cheese is right after the patty is flipped. There are reasons why American is often the cheese of choice. It melts like a dream, it’s salty and it hits all kinds of nostalgia buttons.

For cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack, brie and other alternatives, the melting process will be improved if the cheese is grated and then sprinkled on top of the patty.

Engineering is important. Placing lettuce, pickles (a must, for their cleansing acidity and crunch) or other vegetables under the patty creates a barrier that keeps the bun from becoming soggy from the patty’s juices.