The only questions left are really, single or double cheeseburger?? Stove or BBQ??
Cheeseburger recipe
Anybody who claims the sight of a big juicy cheeseburger doesn’t get their blood pumping is either made of stone or a vegetarian! 😂 What a total lie! 😂 Inside, I was a complete nervous wreck. But now, I really am excited, thanks to you and your enthusiastic messages. So thank you! – Nagi x And anybody reading this is neither of those things, right?? 😂 We are people who hold burgers like we are clutching onto dear life, like this! ⬇⬇⬇ And we are people who go gaga over sights like this (noting that in no way does the following represent reality because I mean, who cuts burgers with a knife??): Pictures, done. On to business then – how to make them!
What you need for a great cheeseburger
Here is (in my humble opinion) what you need to make a great cheeseburger:
1. The beef: No need to get (too) snobby
My simple view: The better the beef, the better the flavour, but I would never turn my nose up at a burger made with everyday supermarket beef. Here’s my skinny on beef:
For company: 50/50 brisket and chuck with 20% fat, ground to order by the butcher. Brisket brings really good beefy flavour, and chuck for texture.For the everyday: Standard beef mince from the grocery store still makes a great burger. Mince can be a mixture of any cuts and offcuts but is usually predominantly chuck. Fattier mince = juicy and more flavourful. Leaner mince = still fine but not as juicy. You pick (guess which camp both my feet are in! 😂)Single vs double cheeseburger: The decision is entirely up to you. I use 150g / 5 oz per patty for a 10cm / 4″ wide bun, so just double up if you want a double. Yes, a double is big and mighty and indulgent…. but it’s such a good treat!
2. The cheese: Processed for authenticity!
For the truly classic cheeseburger experience, we need processed cheese. Nothing oozes, stretches and runs the way proper, luridly orange processed American cheese does when it melts. Natural be damned – we’re in this for the nostalgia and the authenticity! These days in Australia, there’s even cheese helpfully labelled “Burger Slices” so we can’t get it wrong! That said, don’t let my loyalty to processed cheese stop you from using any melting cheese you want. Swiss, cheddar, tasty, colby, gruyere – or an even fancier cheese if you so desire / your wallet stretches that far!
3. The bun: Soft and white
Soft white buns, preferably with sesame seeds, are in my opinion the only way to go. Soft is essential so it becomes one with everything jammed inside. There is a time and place for crusty artisan breads, but now is not it! There is also a time for wholemeal breads, seeded breads and olive studded breads – but again, now is not the time! 😂 (But really I jest – use whatever bread you want.) As for size…. I always hunt down burger buns around 10cm / 4″ in diameter. Why? Because I like my patties to cover the bun from edge to edge, and it becomes a little more logistically challenging to make patties larger than 10cm when you factor in a 25% diameter shrinkage as they cook. Nothing is more irritating than taking a giant bite of a burger only to end up with a mouthful of juicy air sandwiched between two pieces of bread. So my rule of thumb is 10cm / 4″ of so. It’s a safe size, and also a practical size in that it’s a filling meal for one person. Even for someone with a hearty appetite such as myself.
4. The green stuff and pickled stuff
Lettuce – Cos/romaine and shredded iceberg lettuce are about as classic as you can get with burgers. If you want to get gourmet with baby greens, rocket/arugula, spinach or even kale, go right ahead (I promise I’m not judging you!)Onion – Raw red onion rings are my onion of choice. I like the bite and freshness they bring as a foil to all the fatty beefiness of the burger. For those who find them too harsh, alternatives are to dice them then scatter just a bit on your burger, or cook ordinary (not red) onions instead.Tomato – As with the onion, tomato brings moisture and a touch of welcome freshness to this stack of goodness.Pickles (BIG!) – Opt for big gherkins rather than small ones, else you’ll end up with a burger scattered with dozens of tiny little gherkin rounds! And that ain’t cool.
5. The sauce
And last but not least, the sauces. You can absolutely stick to the tried-and-true ketchup / mustard script. But today, I’m also sharing two homemade burger sauces:
More burger sauce options
Ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce) – straight out of the bottle, just as it is!Mayonnaise – plain (the Special Burger Sauce is a flavoured version)Yellow mustard – I’m talking the bright yellow stuff, sometimes labelled “American mustard”. (Caution: Don’t accidentally get the bright yellow Hot English Mustard which is spicy!)Barbecue sauce – See my Barbecue Pork Ribs recipe for a classic homemade Barbecue Sauce recipe.Thousand island sauce – A creamy pink sauce made with mayonnaise and ketchup that’s popular with seafood (Aussie favourite prawn dipping sauce!). Recipe here.
OK! The ingredients done, let’s move on to the cook part!
How to make great cheeseburgers
If a BBQ isn’t an option, switch your range hood to max and cook on the stove in a heavy cast iron skillet. Give your non-stick pan the night off – it doesn’t cope well with high heat cooking!
1. The cheeseburger patty
2. Cooking the patties
3. Assembling cheeseburgers
This is the order in which I like to build burgers because I think it’s the most structurally stable. Anybody who’s bitten into a giant burger only to have a slice of tomato jettisoned out the other end knows exactly what I’m talking about! As noted above, I like using buns that are maximum 10 cm / 4″ wide so the patty is proportionally a good size and thickness. If your buns are much larger, I’d recommend using more beef else you’ll end up with wafer-thin patties, or patties that are way smaller than your buns! Don’t have a cast-iron skillet? You can use a non-stick frying pan but just heat the oil until hot, not smoking. Don’t cook it as aggressively as I do in the recipe video below (ie. very, very hot skillet) or you may damage the non-stick coating. You probably won’t get quite the same colour on the crust but avoid the temptation to cook for longer as you’ll end up with overcooked insides. BBQ/Grilling option – see box below for directions!
It’s your burger – you do you
I know this cheeseburger recipe contains clear statements regarding what I think makes a great cheeseburger. However, I don’t believe in burger dogma. I’ve always been a firm believer that you should never let anyone tell you what you should or should not put in your burger. So really, make yours how you wish. Ignore all my tips, do what you want. And share your Great Burger tips in the comments below! – Nagi x PS. If accompanying crispy French fries is on your list of “non-negotiables” for burger meal bliss, I wholeheartedly agree. My long-awaited French fries recipe has finally arrived! I promise you will love them. They are a game changer. 😇
Watch how to make it
PS. I filmed this during a time when there were national supply issues with some lettuces, so I had to resort to butter lettuce. Nobody panic, I survived. Also – Crispy French Fries recipe has been published! Make it!
Life of Dozer
Dear Dozer fans: Don’t miss Dozer’s cameo in today’s recipe video. Don’t worry about the recipe, just skip straight to 1 minutes 55 seconds to see Dozer.😂 And here he is, looking mighty unimpressed at the sad McDonald’s Big Mac I got for study purposes to compare Maccas’ special sauce to my recipe. (Spoiler: no comparison!!!)
