Bro Burgers

What up bros?!?! It's the end of the world tomorrow so I figured I should get one more post in while I still can (http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/outreach/tracts/may21/).

I've recently discovered the secret to the perfect burger. I know what you're thinking - that's a cliche thing to say and everyone has their own "perfect burger" so this guy's probably full of shit. Well I'm here to tell you that you're full of shit and you need to listen to me!

Best Burgers Ever:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (prefer 80-20 or 85-15)
1 TBL Fresh Thyme chopped
1/4 cup panko
1 TBL Milk
1/2 oz parmesan
1 onion
salt and pepper
olive oil
burger buns (or dinner rolls for sliders)
1/5 TBL Butter
cheese

I like roasted onions on my burgers so I start with that. just slice the onion pole to pole and toss onion strings with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until they get to your desired softness.

Onto the burger!

In many recipes for meatballs or meatloaf, the chef will call for bread or bread crumbs soaked in milk as a base for the meat mixture. This contributes to the tenderness of the loaf or ball. I figured I can use this method for making the burgers oh so tender.

I always have panko on hand so it's a little easier for me (wheat bread doesn't work as well and I rarely have white bread on hand) and you can just use the little bit that you need. Soak the panko in the milk for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. The mix will become a paste.

Put the thyme and meat in the bowl and start mixing. You want the panko paste to be evenly distributed throughout the meat. Take the parmesan and start grating through a microplane (or a very fine grater) into the meat mixture. The parmesan really promotes browning and evenly seasons the meat with a rich flavor compounds in the cheese.

Make patties with a slight depression in the middle. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Put some oil in the pan (olive or vegetable) and let it heat up to medium high. Put the burgers in the already hot pan and listen to that nice sizzle. Regardless of your oil or use of a nonstick pan, these burgers are going to stick. As the cheese melts, it will begin sticking to the bottom of the pan. Because of this, you want to shake the burgers loose right as they hit the pan. After about 90 seconds of cooking, the burgers will develop a deep brown crust that will sit in the pan without sticking, but if this crust develops while the burgers are sitting in the same place they'll adhere to the bottom of the pan and you won't be able to get them out without making a mess.

Cook the burgers for a couple minutes on either side then place them on a piece of aluminum foil. Put roasted onions and cheese on burger patties and place under a hot broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Meantime, prep your buns by toasting in a skillet with butter.

Assemble burgers with mustard or mayo or whatever the hell else you like on a burger and enjoy!

The crust is dynamite, the burgers will be so tender you'll freak out, and the thyme provides a great earthy flavor to the meat. Yes, it's the end of the world and you made it to heaven!!

xo,
Levi