Hamburgers

Hands down, my favorite food is a hamburger. I'm pretty sure I could eat one every day and never get tired of it. Of course, it's got to be cooked right. Growing up, Dad made the best hamburgers. The secret he inherited from Grandma was steamed buns. We called them Greasies. 

1 lb package of burger makes nice 1/3 lb patties. 

Only Lungren Brothers grass fattened beef will do. 

Once the patties are pressed and the pan is warm, throw them on. I salt and pepper the down side before they go in and then hit the tops once they're cooking. I like to keep the heat about medium. 

Some people don't like to press them down, thinking they loose all the juices. With these big patties, though, I find it helps them cook even and stay together better. Smash burger, if you will. 

The right buns make a difference too. Hawaiian buns are hard to beat cause they're sweet. But a good ole sesame seed bun will do too. 

Here's the kicker: cook them good on the first side. Then when you flip it, place the buns, bottom down, on top of the patties. 

Then cover the pan. And while the bottom side of the patty cooks it steams the buns. It's often good to turn the temp down to low at this point. 

Pull them off, turn them over, add the cheese...

And enjoy! 

Nothing says God bless America like a freshly cooked, home grown hamburger. I love it. If you ever want to break into my bank account, the answer to  my favorite food security question is always a hamburger!