How is the best hamburger made?!

Don't handle the meat too much....The heat from your hands begins to melt the fat and makes the patty too dense. Move it lightly from hand to hand and loosely make a patty ?- to one-inch thick (no thicker, or you will have to cook it too long). Don't press down on the burgers when cooking...This compresses the meat, making it denser, and also squeezes the juices out of the meat...Making an Indentation in the top made the burger come out flat.... add salt and pepper and grill....


Enjoy..............

Tom's bacon-cheeseburgers with caramelized onions, and special sauce on inside-out cheese toast

Ingredients

For the special sauce:
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Simply Heinz ketchup
1 teaspoon favorite hot sauce
3 tablespoons minced bread & butter pickles
Kosher salt
Black peppercorns in a peppermill

For the caramelized onions:
2 large sweet onion, trimmed, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rings
2 tablespoons safflower oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water

For the bacon:
6 slices applewood smoked bacon

For the inside-out cheese toast:
4 slices loaf-style French bread
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon panko breadcrumbs

For the burgers:
Two 1 1/4 lb rib eye steaks, trimmed and cut into cubes
Kosher salt
Black peppercorns in a peppermill
4 slices favorite cheese

Method
For the sauce:
Whisk the ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl, season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate. Sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead

For the caramelized onions:
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the butter and swirl until melted. When the foam from the butter has subsided, add the onions and toss to gloss; season right away with plenty of salt and pepper. Cook the onions until translucent, lower the heat, and continue cooking until the onions are deeply caramelized. Add the water and cook another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and set the onions aside

For the bacon:
Lay the bacon out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Roast the bacon in a 375 degree oven for 14 minutes until crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels or brown paper to drain and cool.

For the inside-out cheese toast
Toast the slices of French bread in a toaster just until firm but without coloring them too much. Remove the toast from the toaster and schmear each sliced with 1 tablespoon of butter. Combine the parmesan and panko in a small bowl and cover each toast evenly with a generous tablespoon of the cheese/panko mixture. Place the toasts on a baking sheet. Turn a broiler to low and broil the toasts until golden brown and fragrant. Remove toasts to a cooling rack and set aside

For the burgers:
Place the cubed meat in the bowl of a food processor; season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse the meat 8 times (1 second intervals). Remove from bowl of food processor and divide in half. Without working the meat too much, form into two hamburger patties. Prepare grill to medium high and grill 5 minutes on one side. Flip and grill 6 minutes to medium rare. Top with a slice of cheese and cover grill until cheese melts completely. Remove from oven, tent loosely with foil and let rest.

For final assembly:
Place a slice of cheese toast cheese-side down on a plate. Place a piece of cheese on the toast, followed by some of the caramelized onions and spoonful of the sauce. Place the burger atop the prepared toast, cheese-side up, and top with more onions and sauce. Place 3 slices of bacon on top of the cheeseburger. Lean the second piece of toast against the burger-topped toast, bare-side facing in. Repeat with 2nd burger on a separate platter.

Serve cheeseburgers with caramelized onions, and special sauce on inside-out cheese toast with your favorite crispy chip and frosty beverage

All you need is salt and pepper. If its a good ratio for meat grilling (85-15) make sure the grill is hot prior to adding the burger. I rub peanut oil on the grill to make sure it doesnt stick and leave it about 3-4 min a side. DO NOT POKE THE MEAT while it is grilling. Only when the time is right!

Burger making is more techique than additives. Proper technique is key because you can add all the ingredients in the world, but if you over touch it, overcook it, or use poor quality meat, you have a tough meatloaf patty.

watch a bobby flay tutorial. Mesa Grill is pretty awsome for burgers. Im pretty sure Food Network.com has some video tutorials.

After you shape the pattie, push in the middle a bit. This will make it cook even.

Use Kobe or Wagyu beef!