The Comme Ça Burger

Michael David, the executive chef at Comme Ça brasserie in Los Angeles, gave this recipe to The Times in 2009 — a consummate burger that took him, he said, 11 tries to develop. The patties are seared on a plancha, stove-top cast-iron skillet, or grill, then finished either in the oven or the cooler side of a grill, with melted Cheddar and, at last, an iceberg lettuce salad dressed with spicy mayonnaise on top. With a toasted bun, it’s a ridiculously fine thing to eat.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef chuck, 80 percent lean
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ½ tablespoon ketchup
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of chili powder
• 1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce
• 4 light brioche buns (see recipe) or other large hamburger buns, split
• ¼ pound thinly sliced medium-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 4 thin onion slices

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    413 calories; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 116 milligrams cholesterol; 472 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
  Powered by DiningAndCooking.com

4 to 8 servings

Preparation

1. Lightly shape meat into 4 4-by-1-inch patties, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a hot fire on a grill, or heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle each burger all over with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and season generously with black pepper. Sear burgers on grill or in skillet for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer burgers to a broiler pan and bake for 4 minutes for medium-rare. Remove pan from oven. Position an oven rack closest to broiler element, and heat broiler to high.
3. In a bowl, whisk mayonnaise with ketchup, cayenne and chili powder, and season with salt and black pepper. Add lettuce and stir to coat. Toast buns. Top burgers with Cheddar and broil until cheese melts, about 30 seconds. Set burgers on bottom buns and top with lettuce and onion slices. Cover with top bun and serve, whole or cut in half.

20 minutes