Equipment
Ingredients
The Burger
- 600 g beef sirloin steak, well-marbled, cut into 2-centimeter cubes
- 10 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Accompaniments
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 30 g unsalted butter, divided
- 4 american cheese slices
- 4 brioche burger buns
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 508 kcal
- Protein
- 41 g
- Carbohydrates
- 41 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1545 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 16 mg
- Potassium
- 130 mg
- Calcium
- 110 mg
- Iron
- 7.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 11 mg
- Phosphorus
- 30 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 52 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.18 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.16 mg
- Niacin
- 1.7 mg
- Folate
- 42 mcg
- Water
- 36 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the cubed beef sirloin and the metal parts of your meat grinder in the freezer for 30 minutes. Keeping the meat and equipment ice cold prevents the fat from melting during the grinding process.
Pass the chilled sirloin through the coarse die of your meat grinder into a mixing bowl to create freshly ground beef with a steak-like texture.
Gently gather the ground meat and divide it into 4 equal portions. Shape them lightly into patties about 2 centimeters thick, creating a slight dimple in the center of each. Season both sides generously with the kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt half of the unsalted butter and add the sliced yellow onion. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply browned and sweet, which should take about 15 minutes. Remove the onions from the skillet and set aside.
Increase the heat under the cast iron skillet to medium-high. Place the patties in the hot skillet and sear for about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side to develop a dark crust. Flip the burgers and cook for another 3 minutes. For safety, cook until the internal temperature reaches 71°C/160°F.
During the final minute of cooking, place a slice of American cheese on each patty to melt. Toast the brioche burger buns with the remaining butter, then assemble the burgers by placing the cheesy patties on the buns and topping them with the caramelized onions.
Chef's Notes
- Keep everything ice cold when grinding, as smearing fat is the enemy of a juicy burger.
- Never press down on the burger with your spatula while it cooks to avoid squeezing out the flavorful juices.
- A coarse grind provides a superior steak-like chew that separates this from dense store-bought ground beef.
- Handle the ground meat as little as possible when forming the patties to maintain a tender and airy texture.
- Always wash hands, utensils, and surfaces thoroughly with hot soapy water after handling raw beef to prevent cross-contamination.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store raw ground meat tightly wrapped. Cooked patties will keep for 3 days.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze raw formed patties separated by parchment paper and wrapped tightly in foil.
Reheating: Reheat cooked patties gently in a covered skillet with a splash of water over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Burger is dry, crumbly, and lacks juiciness
Cause: Meat and grinder parts became too warm during grinding, causing the fat to smear and melt out completely during cooking
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always chill the meat cubes and metal grinder parts in the freezer for 30 minutes before processing
Patties puff up into a ball shape while cooking
Cause: Proteins contract during cooking, pulling the edges inward and forcing the center up
Fix: Gently press the center down once immediately after flipping, though this risks losing some juices
Prevention: Press a shallow dimple into the center of each raw patty before cooking
Cultural Context
The hamburger is an iconic American staple that evolved from the Hamburg steak brought over by German immigrants in the nineteenth century. Grinding meat fresh at home returns the dish to its artisanal roots, elevating it from fast food to a gourmet experience. This superior preparation method is heavily featured in traditional American summer celebrations like the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
