Deeply charred ground beef dripping juice onto a soft bun,
melted cheese oozing over the edges—I'm obsessed with this Ultimate Grilled Cheeseburger. After researching the chemistry behind the
deliciousness of every component—the meat, cheese, bun, sauce—I uncovered a method
for making the ultimate backyard burger. It starts with fresh ground beef and
ends with a special sauce that puts ketchup to shame.
Ingredients:
·
1 ½ lbs. fresh ground beef
·
1½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
·
2 egg yolks
·
¼ cup canola oil
·
1 small leek, finely chopped
·
1 small shallot, finely chopped
·
½ cup heavy cream
·
½ cup dry vermouth
·
¼ cup finely chopped spicy cucumber pickles,
plus 3 tsp. pickle juice from jar
·
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
·
8 slices cheese such as white or yellow American
·
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted
·
Lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and pickled jalapeños,
for serving
Preparation:
1.
Mix ground beef with salt and egg yolks in a
bowl; divide meat into 4 patties about 1″ thick and place on a plate. Cover and
refrigerate 1 hour.
2.
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add
leeks and shallots; cook until soft, 6–8 minutes. Add cream and vermouth;
simmer until thickened, 4–6 minutes. Stir in pickles, juice, mustard, and salt.
3.
Set a gas grill to medium high; grill burgers,
flipping them once, until cooked to desired doneness. Melt 2 slices cheese on
each burger; serve on buns with sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapeños.
Happy Cooking ☺
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