The Cheeseburger: My Happy Meal

You know what I love to eat on a cold, snowy night in the dead of winter?  

A big juicy cheeseburger.

(insert sound of record player screeching to a stop) Excuse me!?

For real! A burger!  Think about it:  A great cheeseburger is juicy and warm and has the perfect char-grilled meaty flavour that reminds me of lazy summer nights.  Like I said, the perfect food for a cold winter night.

Unfortunately, its not that easy to make the perfect memories-of-summer cheeseburger in the middle of winter…or is it?

Despite any other fancy-shmancy recipes you’ve come across, really great cheeseburgers only have 3 ingredients: meat, cheese, and salt & pepper. 

 But it’s a special kind of meat & cheese.

1. Ground chuck-about 6 ounces per person.  Chuck is cheaper and more flavourful than lean or extra-lean ground beef and perfect for burgers.  Get the grain-fed, organic variety if you can; it just tastes better.

2. Cheddar cheese: extra-old and extra-sharp.  The burgers themselves are really rich and anything less than a strongly-flavoured cheese gets lost.  Think about it: when was the last time you actually tasted the cheese on your cheeseburger?

3. S & P

4. The bun: choose something that’s got some bite to it but that’s not too big.  

5. Tomato, lettuce, ketchup, mustard, and whatever other toppings you like. Personally, I like to top my burger with arugula and a creamy Dijon mustard.  I find that their sharpness cuts through the rich taste of the burger and cheese and balances out the flavours perfectly.

1. Form the burgers: grab a good handful of chuck and form into a softball-sized ball.  Flatten it out until its slightly bigger than your bun and about an inch thick.  Press in the middle so that its thicker on the outside, like a reverse UFO.  The burgers will shrink and puff up as you cook them so this will ensure they keep their burger shape and prevent them from being meatballs on a bun.  Liberally season the outside ONLY with salt and pepper.  Let your patties rest in the fridge until you’re ready to use.

2. Get everything else ready as once they start cooking, it goes quick: set up your toppings table and toast your buns.  I know that not everyone loves toasted buns but trust me when I tell you that a when you brush a bun with olive oil and toast it slightly, it pretty much guarantees your bun will not go mushy or dissolve on you.

3.  Cook your burger. Warning: this will get smoky, so turn on the fan or open a window or something.  Spray a grill pan or griddle with non-stick spray and heat over medium-high.  Slap down your meat and cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until they have a nice caramelized crust on each side and have just finished being pink in the middle.

Do not (repeat) do not press down on your burgers or flip them more than once.  Or they will not be as juicy or as caramelized or as delicious as they could be.

4.  Add the cheese. To the bun. That’s how I do it.  I find that if you add the cheese right to the burger one of two things happens: a) the meat overcooks while you’re trying to melt the cheese or b) the cheese overmelts while your trying to cook the meat.  Instead, I put the cheese on my bottom bun and place the cooked burger on top of that.  The heat from the burger melts the cheese just enough.

5.  Assemble the rest. After adding the meat to the cheese, add the rest in this order: tomato and then the greens (if using).  Spread the ketchup, mustard, or other sauce on the top bun and then closer ‘er up.  After many trial and errors, I have found that this order is perfect: the heat of the burger brings out the sweetness of the tomato, the lettuce acts as an addition barrier against sogginess, and the mustard & stuff acts as a glue to hold it all together.

6.  Enjoy…along with a side of raw veggies or chips. The crunchy texture balanaces out the soft bite of the burger.  

Now try telling me that this meal won’t bring on the best meat-sleep you’ll have all winter long…and having you dreaming of warm summer nights.