For as long as I can remember, Friday night at our house has been “Beaudin Burger Night.” Schedules are adjusted, adult kids return home a day earlier than planned, and social offers are rejected - all for the simple pleasure of indulging in a thick, juicy cheeseburger. There’s nothing quite like those first two-three seconds of sinking my teeth into a dreamy, charred beef patty oozing with gooey melted cheese, dripping with ketchup and mayo, topped with a few tangy pickles, and tucked into a buttery toasted Brioche bun. The overwhelming bliss that causes my toes to curl, head to tilt back and eyes to roll right back with it is worth the weeklong wait.
Our longtime love of making burgers recently led us to begin competing in the World Burger Championships, part of the World Food Championships. This past year, our Big Fat Greek Burger scores placed us in 10th place after the first round. In just days, my sous chef husband Jeff and I went from being backyard burger cooks to beating pro teams from France and Japan. It took lots of trial and error to create what we feel is the perfectly cooked burger. If you’re inspired to try making your own, give my tried and true tips a whirl. It won’t be long before you’re cranking out the best burgers you’ve ever had.
1) Use local beef: Visit your farmer’s market and buy from a local cattle rancher. You won’t find a more superior taste, texture, or juiciness from any supermarket beef. Make sure it’s 80/20 beef (80% lean, 20% fat). Don’t talk to me about going with a 90/10 beef. It’s a burger. This isn’t the time for reducing your fat intake.
2) Season: Only a little Kosher salt and pepper is needed, and just on top of the patties. Never salt and pepper the beef before shaping them. Save flavors for toppings and let the beef shine on its own.
3) Dent: After forming a ¾” patty with minimal handling, make a small indentation with your thumb in the center. This allows the burger to maintain an even thickness as it contracts on the grill.
4) Sear: Over direct heat on the grill, or medium high heat in a cast iron pan, cook one-two minutes per side until the outside is browned and crispy.
5) Cook: Don’t overdo it. There’s no going back. Cook to medium (about 140 degrees) over direct heat then pull them off to rest for a few minutes. Don’t even think about going for well done. Nothing is more tragic than a dry, overcooked burger.
As for finishing touches, I love a burger topped with the classics. Occasionally, though, I’ll shake things up with a riff on the norm. One of my favorites is melted pimento cheese in place of sliced cheese. Born and raised a Southern gal, it was a kitchen staple, homemade by my mama, and almost always in the fridge. Add some for a true heaven on earth indulgence. I like to complement its tanginess with some caramelized onions and a spicy tomato jam.
Start the summer off right by pulling out the grill and throwing some beefy patties over the fire. Serve them with some icy cold beverages and toast your success creating the ultimate burger.
Friday Night Pimento Cheese Burgers
Makes 4 burgers
2 pounds 80/20 ground chuck
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Pimento Cheese (recipe below)
4 teaspoons butter
4 Brioche Buns
Condiments of choice
With a very light touch, break up the beef and follow steps 2-5.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of pimento cheese onto each patty over low heat. Remove when the cheese just begins to melt.
Rest burgers for five minutes.
Meanwhile, butter the inside of each bun half with a teaspoon of butter and grill until toasted.
Assemble burgers, adding additional condiments as desired.
Pimento Cheese
Makes about 2 cups
8 ounces medium cheddar, shredded
6 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
(2) 4 ounce jars pimentos, drained well
Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and seasonings in food processor bowl and pulse until blended.
Add 1 jar of pimentos and pulse until well blended.
Add ½ of the cheddar and ½ of the Fontina. Pulse 3-4 times to just mix all together.
Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining cheeses and jar of pimentos. Stir together to combine.