i heart...burgers

as evidenced by our numerous posts with pictures of burgers [here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and oh yeah, here]...hubby and i likey the burgers.  we make these delicious little discs of beef at home every so often but we usually resort to restaurants to get that perfect patty to cheese to toppings to bun ratio.  you know what i am talking about, people.  there is some kind of magic that burger joints add that i have just never been able to capture.

until now.  never fear, martha stewart is here!  i recently stumbled upon a perfect picture of burger scrumptiousness accompanied by a detailed recipe that only martha could provide. who needs to go out to dinner when you can get the perfect burger in your own kitchen?  my thoughts exactly.  which is why i am planning to cook up these babies in the coming days.  i just hope that they live up to that pile of meaty goodness seen in the picture above.  i will keep you posted.

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ingredients:

• 1 1/4 pounds coarsely ground beef chuck (70 percent lean)
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 slices american cheese
• 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
• 4 potato sandwich rolls
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

optional toppings:

• 1/4 cup diced white onion
• 1 dill pickle, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons yellow mustard
• spread of mayo, ketchup, and relish

directions:

1. divide beef into 4 mounds, and evenly place on a 12-by-14-inch piece of plastic wrap. place another piece of plastic on top. roll into 5 1/2-inch patties, about 1 inch thick, with a rolling pin.
2. heat a griddle or 2 large cast-iron skillets over medium-high. season both sides of patties with salt and pepper. cook patties, pressing with a spatula, 3 minutes. reduce heat to medium, flip, and top with cheese. cook 2 minutes.
3. butter cut sides of rolls, and toast on griddle until edges just start to brown, about 1 minute.
4. sandwich burgers in rolls with lettuce and toppings.

yields 4 burgers

cook's notes:

• toppings - sour, salty pickles, spicy onions, and shards of cool iceberg lettuce are the best counterpoints to this greasy-in-a-good-way patty.
• make ahead - thin patties freeze beautifully when layered with parchment in a freezer bag. after an hour at room temperature, they're ready for the griddle.
• patty - a 70 percent lean meat mix is key for griddle-cooked burgers, which get crisp by sizzling in their own fat. flatten them with a rolling pin for uniform thinness.
• cheese - this guilty pleasure burger begs for gooey, melty american cheese.
• bun - martin's famous sandwich potato rolls are our choice for their slight sweetness and optimally squishy centers. butter them before toasting to highlight those qualities.

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i would love for you to try it out too!  let me know what you think of the recipe OR share any of your famous burger tips so we can all perfect the patty together.