My burger tastes amazing. But what can I do to take my burger up to the next level? (Brioche bun, truffle mayo, caramelized onions (low heat +1 hour to make), pickles, real cheddar, 15% ground beef medium with salt, pepper and garlic powder and a little lettuce for the crunch))
by TheRocketG123
34 Comments
American cheese is better than a real cheddar on a burger
fat is flavor. Bump up to 75/25, also don’t get “ground beef”, get something specific grounded, rather that be chuck, brisket, steak etc. That alone will make your burger 10 times better.
Your seasoning mix is missing one thing (for me): Smoked Paprika
Maybe a splash of Worcestershire sauce while cooking too.
Throw in a little heat, either serrano or jalapeno
Bacon? Simple is good!
try fresh onions, thinly sliced, or shallots.
to me, caramelized onions tend to kind of disappear between all the other soft and sweet-ish ingredients, whereas fresh onion gives that bite and sharpness needed to accentuate all the softness and sweetness, making the burger feel whole.
Higher fat content
buy powdered beef bouillon and use it as seasoning along w/ salt etc., takes the beefiness up to the next level.
I’m a fan of white american cheese over cheddar on burgers but any non standard cheese can add a new flavor.
Also seasoning mixes can do a lot.
I personally prefer simple salt and pepper as well
crispy onions + chuck meat
I’m a big fan of pickled red onions and candied jalapeño personally. That would be a great addition.
Cheddar, you taste cheddar, which is fine, if that’s what you want. But if you want to showcase the meat, you should use American cheese. Yes, it’s shitty cheese, *on its own*, but melting it on a burger creates a chemical reaction that actually improves the flavor/consistency of the meat.
second patty
Bacon seems to be the clear omission but tbh, and I know I’m gunna get flamed for this, I find bacon on a burger to be overrated. It’s such a dominant flavour I’d rather the beef and the other ingredients do the talking.
You could experiment with the cheese though, maybe try something creamier like Brie or goat cheese or even a little cream cheese is amazing with the caramelized onions.
Use 75/25 or 80/20 beef. Get it fresh from a butcher (better yet get a local 1/4 or 1/2 cow.) The pink slime from the grocery store pales in comparison.
Do NOT mix salt in to your ground beef. Only salt the exterior of the burger.
Toasted bun
Add tomato
If you are currently mixing your salt into the beef try just sprinkling it on right before cooking. Totally changes the consistency.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHyfeBJM_b8/?igsh=ZjhnbnNvaGpoYXFx
Mustard on the patty before you grill it. Thanks In N Out.
Make sure to pair it with a beer.
Instead of pickles, try pickled jalapeno slices, kicks it up a notch.
Let me start out by saying everyone’s preference is different. Test things to see what you like. It’ll likely be different than what I prefer.
I personally like a 80/20 ground beef. Test different fat percentages until you find the the percentage you like.
My process is not perfected. I also try to keep it simple. Here are a few tips I did to improve.
1. When making the patty don’t pack it in. Form a ball but don’t pack it. I try to have the ball very slightly bigger than my hands cupping it. Don’t overwork the meat either. (I recently bought a kitchen scale and I want to get the exact grams memorized)
2. After you make the patties make a thumb indentation in the center. This will help the burger cook evenly. It will also keep it from forming a football shape and keep it from shrinking as much, but shrinkage is more from fat content. The thumb indentation does seem to help mitigate some shrinking.(maybe just my brain tricking me?)
3. Seasoning. I personally like to season my ground beef right before putting it on the grill. I do not season it while I mix because especially salt will dry out the burger. Me personally I found the less complicated the better. Just salt and pepper.
4. Cheese. When the burgers are finished put two American slices(use whatever cheese) on the burger and close the lid for about 20 seconds.
5. Toast the bun slightly.
Bonus once you completely make the burger wrap in foil for a few mins to really everything a chance to mix and mingle.
Mix in a splash of a good balsamic vinegar to the caramelized onions after removing them from heat to up the experience a notch
Bacon jelly
Hard to tell without tasting it first. I’ll DM you my address where you can overnight me 15 of those and I will definitely get back to you with suggested improvements.
Bacon
I have a spice mix I use for burgers: 3:3:1:1:1 mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, MSG.
If you like your spice mixture, that’s fine, but I figured I’d drop mine in here in case you want to try it out.
I would get rid of that stuff and make a nice cheeseburger with sweet onions.
Try a chuck / brisket blend burger. They probably have them at the butcher counter of your local grocery store (I go to Kroger and get them every week). Personally, I’ll never go back to just buying “ground beef” for burgers.
Make the truffle mayo with real truffle.
Door #1 : a slice of tomato and a few strips of bacon, obviously
Door #2: chili (red chili like on hotdogs, no beans)… or, now stay with me, red enchilada sauce
Door #3: steak sauce… or, now stay with me, chimichurri sauce
Door #4: a fried egg… or if you feelin boojie, bone marrow
Door #5: banana peppers or jalepeno peppers or green hatch chile
Ditch brioche. Brioche has sugar in it. You don’t need sugar in your burger bite. Use a potato bun instead. It’s a better time for your tongue and your brain.
Also: american cheese is better on a burger than cheddar imo. it’s made to melt.
Get rid of everything besides the bun, burger, and cheese, add ketchup. Cook it on a bbq. Unbeatable.
For me some lightly salted hass avocado slices and an egg over medium, but what do i know?
Maybe this might be a hot take, but I really don’t agree with using brioche for burgers, the extra sweetness is just unnecessary for me. Especially if you’re going to use caramelized onions. Maybe try a local bakery with fresh buns, I always used to use brioche too, until I found a place nearby that makes amazing buns that are designed for burgers and don’t need a bunch of sugar in.
Fuck, thus burger looks DELICIOUS. Best one I’ve seen so far. I’ve been in this sub for maybe a couple weeks.