Listen Live
CLOSE

 

 

 

 

 

By Serious Eats

via: shine

 

You know how homemade burgers sometimes lack that exciting, indulgent taste found in your favorite restaurant burgers? Here’s how to fix all that…

 

Choose the right blend.  There are numerous cuts of beef that can be mixed together to create the best burger flavor.  A more traditional recipe we have calls for half sirloin, a quarter brisket, and a quarter chuck. Try out your own combinations to make your friends ask how you could have possibly made this burger at home. We’re talking fresh ground, by the way. Your butcher will be happy to help.

1. Shape your patty well.  You wouldn’t be impressed if you saw a sloppy, too-large burger on a restaurant plate.  So take the time to figure out your bun-to-burger ratio.

2. Season the burger correctly.  Chefs love salt, which is a large reason why restaurant food generally tastes so much better than home cooking.  Take the time to season correctly and you’ll ramp up your burger flavor substantially. 

3. Add a sauce.  At Shake Shack in New York City, the signature burger has a delicious sauce (which they use amply) that makes it stand out from the pack. Their recipe? “It’s mostly mayo, with some ketchup, mustard, a few spices, and pickles blended in.” And when they say pickles, they don’t mean relish.

4. Choose the Right Bun. While a processed bun can make a great burger for grilling out, taking extra effort to make your own buns can make a huge difference. 

See tips #5 and 6 from this list of burger clues for more help.