For the ultimate burger experience I like a bun that fits the patty nicely, isn’t too soft as to squish up and doesn’t get soggy and has sesame seeds (I love the toasted taste they add).  It needs to be toasted, either in a dry pan or in a toaster on the bagel setting so only the inside of the bun gets slightly crunchy.  Old time diners get the toasting beautifully.  I’ve tried grilling the buns but it’s always an inconsistent result.

I’ve baked my own buns with a mixture of white and whole wheat flour and found that to be a good consistency as long as they didn’t get too high: for me the meat is the star of the show and the bun a supporting player.

That said to have a very nice burger you don’t have to be limited to a stock hamburger bun.  Different types of pita work exceptionally well, as do buns like chiabatta or potato.  Avoid anything sweet like egg buns or croissants.

Gourmet burger recipes call for sharp cheddar, gorgonzola and any number of strong cheeses for the simple reason that you need a bold flavour to just be able to taste the cheese, and still you need a whole lot of it.  Processed cheese accomplishes itself on a burger two ways: it melts easily and uniformly and has a unique and strong flavour.

I say processed cheese slices have a unique and bold flavour, but it’s more than that: it’s a taste we as North Americans instantly identify with a burger.  Get any fast food burger, diner burger or greasy spoon burger and it’s topped with processed cheese.  You bite into a burger and expect that taste: anything else doesn’t register the same.

To be fair all processed cheese slices are not created equal: for my Southern Ontario palette I enjoy Kraft or Black Diamond slices, and so they emerge as victors in Burger Quest.

Which leads to patty formation and what actually works.  I’ve tried leaving the meat loose and barely forming the patty but that leads to the burger being so loose when you eat it there’s no cohesive mouth feel.  That doesn’t mean go the other way and abuse the meat like you were kneeding dough.  Get your meat, form it into a patty that doesn’t crumble and give it the thumb indent.  With enough fat in the meat and a little pressure the patty will stay together nicely.

I use a gas grill for burgers: for some reason burgers on the Big Green Egg seem dry to me.  Medium to high heat, adding salt and pepper to the top side and then again after the flip.  Don’t press on your meat or all the juices run out: Just like steak a hamburger should be left alone to cook.

Cooking burgers inside requires a cast iron pan, medium high heat and no oil.  Get that pan hot so that a little smoke starts and then get your burgers in there.  Don’t crowd the pan or the sizzling juices will get all over and you won’t get a nice crust on the burger.  I have a Le Creuset 9″ cast iron skillet I picked up at one of their outlet stores: two hamburger patties go in at a time, and once they’re done I put them on a wire rack to cool.  Catching a theme here?  Steaks and hamburgers should be cooked the same way since we want the same results: a nice crust and a juicy center.

I’m going against the burger aficionados here but I like my burgers medium well.  I just can’t each a medium rare burger: I want the crunch of the crust and a good feel from the beef inside and medium rare seems too soft for me.