Keeping the Cheeseburger Classic
Over the past few years, a lot of us have been forced to learn how to learn how to cook. Ranging from boiling water, to fancy flambès some of us may have picked up more skills than others. While there are many meals that are fairly easy to master at home, there are some meals that just never seem quite as good at home as they do when you order out.
Enter, the classic cheeseburger.
As a mom and step-mom of a large family with lots of kids, burgers are a go to in our household because they please everyone. While aclassic cheeseburger seems fairly easy, attempting to achieve gourmet-quality burgers at home can be intimidating and disastrous.How gourmet I go is dependent on the day, but as a frequent burger eater and maker, I have a few tips and tricks for a homemade burger that’s just as satisfying as one you’d order from your favorite restaurant.
So here’s the secret, upfront and center: cooking an epic burger at home isn’t about owning the most high-end grill or mastering the perfect flip. Like a lot of cooking, it’s all about the ingredients.You can have the best grill in the world, but if the meat you’re cooking with is low quality, it won’t make a squat of difference.
With all that said, here are the ingredients you need if you want a top notch at-home burger.
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Fresh quality beef patties -Ethically sourced and free of antibiotics and steroids while maintaining flavor and tenderness.
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Burger seasoning -Finding your favorite burger seasoning is personal and might take some experimenting. Our Traditional Hamburger Seasoningand Tex Mex Hamburger Seasoningis a great place to start.
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Brioche Bun -Burger buns are as diverse as burgers themselves, butwe’re partial to a freshly baked, brioche-style egg buns.
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Classic accouterments -Unless you don't so dairy, complete the burger with classic toppings: cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and a quality mayo. (Bonus points if the mayo is homemade!) There are those that will be adventurous and do more unique toppings like jalapeños, guacamole or caramelized onions and that's fine. But be sure it doesn't get so out of hand that you can't taste the quality beef.
To source these ingredients, start with Farmer's Markets. they typically have the freshest produce, beef and sometimes buns. And lastly, don't forget to pair this delicious classic burger with fries. I could write a whole different post about just fries...! We've got quite a few fry connoisseurs in our house as well.
