Gourmet Beef Burgers

A gourmet burger does not refer to the type of meat used or the style of cooking. What makes a burger gourmet is unique upscale toppings and options.

Most burger recipes recommend an 80/20 ground beef mix. The lean ground beef produced by Wanda Farm is leaner and healthier. The only downside is that less fat makes drying out your burger easy. My research uncovered a pro tip of adding a 1/2 tsp. of baking soda per pound of lean ground beef. The baking soda increases the PH of the meat. This keeps the beef from forming strong bonds between the meat protein strains resulting in less moisture loss during cooking. Less moisture loss creates a moist lean ground beef burger.

The baking soda can cause your burger patties to puff up instead of staying flat. The way to prevent this is to make an indent in the middle of your patty with your thumb before cooking.

Lastly, some people believe they need to put an egg or bread crumbs in the burger mixture to help hold it together. This isn't necessary. Adding those ingredients makes a more "meatloaf-like" dense burger.

Step 1: Grate or finely mince the onion then mix all the spices and beef together. Be careful not to overwork the meat. This can cause a dense burger.

Step 2: Divide the meat into 4 equal parts. You can use a food scale to make them more precise. Then form the beef into patties. I like to take a Pyrex bowl lid and gently press the meat into the lid to make a perfectly round patty. Gently flip it out and set it on a plate for grilling. Do this to each section of ground beef.

Step 3: Cook over a medium-high grill or in a cast iron pan on the stove for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked to your desired doneness. While cooking, don't press down on the patty. This releases the precious juices that keep the burger moist. You also only want to turn the patty once when cooking so it doesn't get overcooked and dried out.

If cooking in a pan, use 2 tsp. of Avocado Oil for the high smoke point.

Step 4: While the burger patties are resting, toast your hamburger bun, if you're using one. Toasting the bun helps it hold up to the moisture of any toppings and adds a nice crunch texture to the burger. An alternative to a bun is wrapping your burger and toppings in green leaf lettuce

Step 5: Top your burger with your favorite gourmet options. We topped ours with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a slice of provolone cheese.

Recipe by Victoria Cook:

Victoria is a home cook turned host and cook for 100+ episodes of a private cooking show for wellness practitioners and their patients. As a lover of ethnic cuisines, she uses a variety of spices and fresh ingredients to make flavorful healthy meals for her husband and son. She loves to challenge herself with new recipes and if she can make them in an electric pressure cooker, she’s even happier.