The Downtown Chef: The Brooklyn Burger
by Annemarie Ahearn
How hard can it be to get a good burger? I’ve searched the city far and wide only to find that while the food industry excels in innovation (pop burger, better burger, murder burger, shake shack burger, truffle burger with foie gras), it fails at offering a mouthwatering, cooked-to-perfection burger. Which leads me to the culinary premise: the best burgers are made at home. So if you like ground beef packed into a little patty and set between two toasted buns, give this technique a whirl. Sorry to all you dirty hippies, no veggie option. Eat some meat. Stay alive!
What You’ll Need (Serves 4)
1 3/4 lb ground beef, don’t get the lean stuff because it lacks flavor
4 bialys, toasted and split in half
4 thick slices of good cheddar cheese
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 heaping tablespoons of butter
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Massage it in your hands gently, without over handling it. Divide the meat into four parts and form balls. Press down slightly on each and then push the back of a tablespoon into the center of the patty. This little secret gives the burger a juicy, medium rare inside and a crisp brown exterior. In a heavy-duty cast iron skillet (or large, heavy frying pan) heat a couple tablespoons vegetable oil until it’s nearly smoking. Sear the burger, about four minutes on each side. Don’t push down on it. Throw two tablespoons of butter into a smaller frying pan and fry up the onions until they start to crisp. Toast the bialys in the oven adding the cheese at the last minute to melt. Nestle the meat between the buns, smear the onions on the burger and serve.
