When it’s 20 degrees outside and your barbecue grill is frozen shut and you want a big, juicy burger. What’s to do? American’s Test Kitchen has anticipated that scenario and they’ve been in their experimental lab figuring out what to do about it.
Too often the New England culinary wizards make things overly hard. But this time they’re onto something with their butter burger, which they say is the brainchild of a Milwaukee diner.
The kitchen geeks didn’t neglect the bun either. They felt Pepperidge Farm made a non-soggy, slightly sweet cushion best suited for the meat. Below is the recipe and here is the video directions of how to build a better butter burger. Say that three times fast, grab a spatula, and let’s have at it.
The Better Butter Burger
Ingredients: (Makes 4 burgers)
- 9 Tbs. salted, butter, softened
- 1 onion
- 1 Tbs. water
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb. 90% lean, ground beef
- 4 hamburger buns, toasted
- 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 4 slices American cheese
Directions
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until translucent and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
2. Transfer beef to rimmed baking sheet and separate into 4 equal mounds. Gently shape each mound into 4 1/2-inch-wide by 1/2-inch-thick patty. Combine 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl and sprinkle both sides of patties with mixture. Refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 30 minutes.
3. Spread 2 tablespoons butter onto each bun top; set aside. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Using spatula, transfer patties to skillet and cook without moving them for 3 minutes. Flip patties and cook for 1 minute. Top each burger with 1 slice of American cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 30 seconds longer.
4. Transfer burgers to bun bottoms. Divide onion mixture among burgers and cover with buttered bun tops. Serve immediately
(Remember what Julia Child said: “You can make anything taste better with butter.”)
