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Brrrgrrr, rarrr! I made hamburgers last night and oh my, I haven’t had one in so long, it tasted incredible. I didn’t actually grill ’em, but still, the homemade version is just “summer” to me, it was really fun. I did a quick saute of mushrooms and spinach to have alongside – or on top! – and the whole thing was just ridiculously yummy. For your perfect burger:

1. Buy best-quality ground beef, not too lean. (Then, skip the cheese. If you have enough fat in the meat, the cheese just makes it over-the-top, IMHO; if you disagree, absolutely go for cheese! As the pic demonstrates, it looks pretty damn good!)
2. Gently work some salt and pepper throughout the meat before you form the patties.
3. Gently form the patties (if you pack ’em, you puck ’em), until they just hold together.
4. Press the center to make it a bit thinner than the rest of the burger (the sides seize up as the burger cooks, making the middle thicker, and making the burger harder to cook evenly).

Grill ’em, fry ’em, broil ’em. I always cook Nathan’s until well done (at least 160 degrees), but John and I prefer just a hint of pink.

As much as I’d LOVE to put down a batch of crispy frites to go with the perfect, juicy burger – the rules of moderation require a big salad or other veggies alongside instead. Sniff. Nah, just kidding, the above mentioned spinach-mushroom saute was delicious. And a crisp salad can definitely be a nice foil for all that richness, something tangy especially. Tomatoes, scallions, radishes. Load it on the burger, eat alongside as well – NICE!