Hamburger
A thick grilled beef patty with shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and burger sauce on a toasted bun. The original, from before the cheese showed up.
The classic hamburger: grilled beef, crisp lettuce, tomato and onion on a toasted bun. Nothing else needed.
Photo: Len Rizzi for the National Cancer Institute (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Hamburger, in 5 ideas
- 80/20 chuck is the sweet spot for the grill: enough fat to stay juicy over open flame.
- Season the outside of the patty, and season right before grilling, so the texture stays loose and beefy.
- The thumb dimple keeps the patty flat instead of swelling into a meatball on the grate.
- Flip once and never press. Grill marks come from patience, and pressing just squeezes out the juice.
- Shredded lettuce plus burger sauce is the classic diner finish: crunch and tang in every bite, no cheese required.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4 hamburger buns
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 12 dill pickle slices
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp finely chopped dill pickle
How to make it
Directions
Divide the beef into 4 equal portions and shape them into patties about 4.5 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick, a little wider than the buns. Press a shallow dimple into the center of each patty with your thumb.
Season both sides of the patties with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Season right before grilling so the meat stays loose and tender.
Heat the grill to medium high and oil the grate. Lay the patties on the grill, dimple side up, and close the lid.
Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, then flip once and grill 3 to 4 minutes more for medium. Do not press the patties down: the juice that escapes is the flavor you wanted to keep.
Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them on the grill for about 1 minute, until golden. Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and chopped pickle together into a burger sauce.
Spread burger sauce on both bun halves. Build each hamburger with shredded lettuce, the patty, tomato, red onion and pickle slices. Rest 2 minutes, then serve.
Buy family packs of ground beef when they are on sale and freeze shaped patties between sheets of parchment. A freezer stocked with patties turns any evening into burger night for a few dollars a plate.
