All about the burger...all summer long. I have been waiting to do this post since like April. I had to get through ice cream month with a few ice cream recipes (links here, here and here). But it is July, and the heart of summer. And for our family, the burger time.
There is nothing simpler or more classic in summer than a grilled burger.
The setting
Sitting outside on the patio, a perfectly dimmed, sunlight evening. An ever-so-slight breeze, just enough to feel it, but not blow the napkins off the table. The smell of the meat sizzling on the hot grill. All the fixings...red onion, ripe tomatoes at the ready. Cheese beside the grill ready to add at the last moment for optimum melting without running over the sides. A cool glass of some fancy lemonade or a frosty beer at your place.
You pull the burgers off to rest and throw on the buns to toast just a touch. Not a fly anywhere near the resting burgers or a mosquito around landing annoyingly on our arm.
The buns come off and the burger go on them and each burger is placed perfectly on everyone's plat at the outside table you have set for the family. You call the kids and they come immediately to the table with huge smiles on their faces, completely cleaned up and ready to dine.
And I don't know who the f--k has this setting, cause mine is more like this:
Sweltering heat with 125% humidity, though somehow it is not raining despite full moisture saturation. The sun peaks through the trees blinding you and your husband as he tries to sit with you while you stand at the grill - which adds minimum 25 degrees to the outside temp.
You have to keep all the fixings in the air conditioned house until the literal minute you want them r they will be soggy and loose all freshness they ever had. Your cold drink is watered down and not refreshing as you guzzle it to tame the sweat pouring out of every pore on your face, neck, back and under boob area. Your thighs uncomfortably rub together as you walk gracelessly from the half set patio table to the grill while smiling at your husband who literally looks like a fly and mosquito trap with so many bugs flying around him and his sweatiness.
Burgers come off - perfectly cooked, because you are a rock star that way, and all but one of the buns is nicely toasted. One is burnt to shit, and you know will be eating that one of course...you.
Call the kids for dinner and stand five feet away from the table with the 100% deet spray you bought at the outdoor specialty store to spray them down, and they come running from the side of the house. Covered in water, mud and sweat because they had a hose battle with the dogs, who also come running soaking wet to shake off right next to the table.
Happy f'ing summer.
And I love every second of it anyways.
And I am here with the best burger recipe you will ever need. Not fancy at all. Simple AF and delicious. It is not about what you add to the meat...IT IS ONLY ABOUT THE MEAT AND FAT content. As in, the perfect mix of different cuts with their fat. Don't believe me? See what a butcher says here.
And I am here to tell you, after testing so many different combinations of cuts of beef the absolute best cuts combined to make burger perfection are: SHORT RIB and BRISKET. Hands-down no contest the most flavorful and the juiciest you can ever get. And your butcher at your grocery store should be able to grind them for you, ask for boneless short rib ad brisket cuts to be ground for burgers. Sometimes the butcher will give you push back, but don't take the bulshit, they can do, and it is there job. They should be glad to see someone trying something new.
The best ratio I find is 1:2 short rib:brisket, and a hefty pinch of salt mixed in. That's it.
Handle the meat as little as possible, meaning lightly toss to combine the brisket and short ribs with the salt and and form into loose patties. Don't slap them around or squeeze the meat between your fingers till it is like a meat paste (so gross). Handle with care. Cook them to your liking and give them a few minutes rest before digging in.
Best burger ever. I promise. You'll never look back. xo
