How To Make The Best Homemade Burger In The USA
By Kevin McClain (a.k.a. Oldschoozchef)
During my 30 years as a chef all over the USA, one of the things that I have always been in search of is a great hamburger. I haven't had one in over 10 years and that was at an old friend's house, and he is a farmer.
I was just kicking it at his house,(J.C) when he suddenly told me he had a taste for a burger, but he didn't eat at any of the restaurants around because he couldn't trust the cooks and their cleanliness habits of preparing food, which is another article in the making. He decided to prepare some and he just wanted me to watch and walk me through his process, which I pleasantly agreed to do.
Now, my friend J.C., whom is in his 60's, is a great home cook and also a renascence man. He knows about a lot of things here in Mississippi. He lives on a few acres where he has cows, chickens and a pond with bass, bream and catfish and he usually has a small garden every year with corn, tomatoes, okra and other southern staples. He is a man of great humor and in fact, if I known James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul", I would have wanted him to be like J.C., who is the "Godfather of Black Life" here in Central Mississippi. J.C. loves the music of James Brown and even at his age he still mimics his dances when he hears any of his music. He is the hardest working man I know and a true industrious hustler in the highest regards.He is black as coal and has a heart of gold.
J.C. comes from a large family and they all pretty much live in the same neighborhood (the street he lives on bears his family name) and people are always seeking him out for one reason or another, so I am always delighted when he spends time with me to talk about food, my favorite subject. This is how he just one day out of the blue decided to share with me his way of making a juicy hamburger, and I did listen in tunnel vision when he shared this recipe with me.
Let me be clear about this recipe, you can forget about buying the pre-ground beef or chuck in the supermarket. High - end meats are not necessary. It's best to have a meat grinder(I have a Kitchenaid mixer with a meat grinding attachment ) or have the butcher grind it for you while you wait. The buns should be 4"-5" inches in diameter, not those small ones. The iceburg lettuce should be ice cold(double rinse and leave in ice water for no more than 5 minutes and then pat dry before putting in burger) and the tomatoes should preferably should be organic beefsteak and ice cold. Use only sweet onions, such as Vidalia, Maui, Texas Sweet or Red onion which has been thinly slices and kept cold because you want the hot to meet the cold in this recipe. Use whole kosher dills and slice them yourself if you want pickles. You should use "Come Back Sauce" for the dressing and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper should be sprinkled on after the meat is cooked. If cooking on a grill, use hardwood smoke, for flavor enhancement or if cooking inside , try using a cast iron skillet,(medium heat is fine), this is how us food purists in Mississippi do it. Forget about those Teflon coated pans or any of that other gimmicky cookware. Get yourself some cast iron cookware(I like the one with a griddle on one side and the lines on the other) if you don't have any. By the way, each burger should be portioned into 8 oz. loosely packed patties.
This recipe is for around 10 people. I do have a golden recipe for the best homemade fries and milkshake, but I'll have to give that to you later.
The Best Homemade Burger In The U.S.A.
1 pound each - beef short ribs, hangar steak and beef brisket. Trim any excess fat off of all the meats but leave a little...10% (take the meat off the bone on the beef short ribs and peel away the layer of what I call fat, from the back of the short ribs) then cut into small oblong chunks to fit into the meat grinder chute so as to not clog it up. For every pound of lean meat you want to have about 4 oz of fat. That will give you a juicy burger, like it should be made. This is not health food, It's comfort food and a treat. Do a course grind on the meat so you get a bite on the beef.
4 Tablespoons peanut oil, or olive oil or clarified butter or any oil of your choosing.
Ice cold Iceburg leattuce leaves
4"- 5" fresh homemade(try a bakery) hamburger buns or Authentic New Orleans French Bread or San Francisco Sourdough (my fav)
Comeback Sauce ... buy it here... or get recipe here.
Sliced kosher dill pickles
Thinly sliced cold sweet onions...32 degrees is considered cold for anything that is supposed to be cold.
Rinsed and sliced cold Beefsteak tomatoes. I prefer fresh "Organic" in all of the vegetables here when available.
Directions:
1. After grinding meat add oil and form into thin loosely packed patties about 5 1/2 inch in diameter. Poke a hole in the middle of the pattie to lessen shrinkage. I like to use a patty maker myself.
2. Place on grill or skillet and begin cooking but DO NOT TURN THE PATTIES BUT ONCE after 3-4 minutes. They will be ready once you turn them over when the juices run clear if to be cooked well-done. Cook at least to medium.
3. Put some butter on the buns and lightly toast the side the patties are to face. This seals the bun.
4. Assemble burgers with preferred condiments but add Come Back Sauce especially and enjoy. See how simple that was...Enjoy!!!
Please Note: You could use as many cuts of the cow as you want. Just make sure that the fat is at least 10% and no more that 15%.
©2008 oldschoozchef
