BASIC, PLAIN, PERFECT BURGER

Basic, Plain, Perfect Burger image

Tastes like victory and winning. Simple, delicious. Super easy, from pan to bun. Show up someone's fancy burger with this simple perfection. Picky burger cooks and eaters will bow down to you. This is a great base burger too. You can work with meat mixtures, butter flavors, even move on to adding other things and switching ingredients: pickled red onion petals with white truffle butter, roasted tomato jam with julienned basil... cheese is a whole different story. Try it with Spike's good stuff sauce or homemade mayo on my pg. You will thank me.

Provided by College Girl

Categories Lunch/Snacks

Time 11m

Yield 1 burger, 1 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 4

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Ingredients

1 hamburger bun (sesame seeds are up to you)
1 teaspoon butter, softened
5 1/2 ounces ground chuck, 80/20 lean meat to fat content
salt and pepper

Steps:

Bun: Preheat oven to broil (this is for toasting the buns, if you toast the buns a different way, that is your business).
Butter the cut a side and put it face up on a cookie sheet in the over for a few seconds to a few min so the bread is toasted, not burned. Should be about golden brown, not black.
Patty: Form into a VERY FLAT, very thin patty and press your thumb in the middle so when it cooks up it doesn't get fat in the middle. Between 1/4" to 1/2" Put a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat up non-stick or cast iron skillet to medium heat. Make sure its HOT! You want water to evaporate and your burger to wildly sizzle when you touch it to the pan. You could add oil to the pan and wait til it's smoking but I am not partial to adding more fat and I like to let the non stick pan do its thing.
WARNING: when you do it right, in my house, it gets pretty smoky and the vent sucks. In my old apartment, I would have to have the windows pre opened and the fan on because we had crazy sensitive alarms. Just so you know, it can be kinda smoky so prepare for that.
Put it in the pan. HEAR the SIZZLE! Now don't touch it. Don't even look at it cooking because you will want to touch it. Yes, I see that little side looks thicker than the other but you formed the patty. Deal with it. Don't move it. don't even it out. It's too late. just make another one. MOST IMPORTANTLY:.
DO NOT PRESS DOWN ON THE PATTIES! or your burger will be sad and dry and not crispy on the outside. There is a lil puddle of liquid forming on the raw side before the flip but don't mess with it. Here is your guide:.
1 1/2 min per side = SEAR (not even close to done).
2 1/2 min per side = RARE (better for steak, not so much burgers).
3 min per side = MED RARE (still more of a steak temp but some people like theirs this pink).
4 min per side = MED *****PERFECT BURGER CRISPINESS****.
4 1/2 min per side= MED WELL (if you want this, you're dumb and your burger won't be as fabulous but don't you feel "safer" for eating charred meat. Hmph).
Place on toasted bun and wrap with wax paper or a paper towel for 2-3 minute This lets the flavor set in like the juices resting in a steak. Please, do not skip this step. Your burger will be a juicy little bite of heaven if you do this right. CUE up Shining Star by Earth Wind and Fire. Now you deliver this NO WAY OVER HYPED BURGER to your picky boyfriend and let devouring ensue. To make more, just make more. Duh. 30 oz = 6 patties.