Better Hamburgers

There are hamburgers, and then there are better hamburgers. This is my hamburger with a dash of flair. I don't always do it this way. Sometimes I use this recipe, and add cheese to the middle of two thin layers. Sometimes I go mad and use turkey or chicken instead of beef, then add apples or bananas to the result. But this is the burger that I return to, the one I serve to guests (or visiting parents!), the 'home base' of burgers. Ideally, this one starts with me salting the meat a day or so in advance, but I'm lazy. Sometimes that doesn't get done.

Better Hamburger

1 lb ground beef (or use your favorite meat here, I'm not picky)
1/4 yellow onion, finely diced
2 or 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup bread crumbs (I use panko)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper

Begin by putting the olive oil in a skillet and caramelizing the onion over medium heat. Toward the end of the onion's cooking time, drop in the garlic to caramelize a little as well. While the onion is slowly turning a light amber color, get out the meat and drop it into a large mixing bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce, a dash of salt, and pepper to taste. mix these in using your hands, smooshing the meat to distribute the sauce evenly. When the onion gets done, add it to the meat mixture. Dump in the bread crumbs, and the egg. Smoosh these into the meat, until the mixture is homogeneous and the meat generally sticks to itself rather than your hands. Separate the meat into four balls.

Spray a medium skillet over medium-high heat with non-stick cooking spray. I use the Pam Grilling variety, since it's made to withstand higher heat. We're using the cooking spray in place of olive oil here, and I use it even though the skillet is non-stick. The idea is just to have a thin layer of grease to start the meat cooking, until it can render enough fat to suitably sear itself. Flatten the meat balls one by one, and drop them into the skillet, arranging them so they are close to each other, but not touching. The key to hamburgers of even thickness is that they start out thinner in the middle than on the edges, so don't be shy with the flattening. Allow the meat to cook for about five minutes without moving, enough so that you can see the brown 'done' portion about a third of the way up the burger. Flip the burgers, and allow them to cook for four or five minutes on the other side. Cooking times may vary with your personal preference; I like my burgers on the more-done side of medium. When the burgers have achieved the proper level of done-ness for your taste (check one using a fork if you're wondering about the state of the middle of the burgers), remove them from the heat, flip them once more, and allow them to rest for a few minutes (go grab your condiments, set the table, whatever. The important point here is to let them reabsorb their juices, which will make them tastier). Serve with your favorite buns, lettuce, tomato, mayo, etc!

Servings: 4