Make yourself a great Burger - Classic Hamburgers

Letting the magic happen over open flame

On the Fourth of July, dreaming of grilling parties in America, as people celebrated Independence Day and waited for the fireworks to begin, I had thoughts in my head of burgers grilled over an open flame, and a few people to share them with.

I hadn’t had a “real” Fourth of July grillout since I moved to Europe from Seattle eight years ago. So JJ called up H & R and hatched a plan to have a grill out near a little harbor in Lauttasaari. I had a few hours on my hands, this ketchup from last week, and this hamburger bun recipe on my mind and started prepping for the feast.

Whole wheat burger buns and sharp cheddar cheese

When an American is somewhere overseas and feeling a little homesick, there are some things that help to ease the pain a bit: namely, in this case, great grilled burgers, Cool Ranch Doritos, wonderfully renamed “Cool American Doritos” here in Finland and in other parts of Europe, and an ice cold can of Coca Cola – something I normally never drink since I’m not really a pop/soda fan, but when offered up by H on a warm summer evening on the Fourth of July by the grill – who would bother trying to resist?

Getting closer…

A few notes:

Make the ketchup! It’s just so good. H ended the evening dipping Cool American Doritos into the stuff – it goes with a lot more than just hamburgers.
If you make those hamburger buns, and I highly recommend that you do, divide the dough into 20 equal rounds, not 10 as the recipe says. If you make only 10, they’ll be HUGE, and you’ll feel sick trying to make it through one. Also, I made mine 3/5 whole wheat on my second go-around, and preferred that to the lighter version
If you use a hamburger basket / halstari to cook these – brush or spray the frame with olive or vegetable oil, otherwise they’ll stick like crazy
Warm and toast your burger buns over the grill too – they are just better that way. And butter them lightly if possible – don’t be scared! A little real butter goes along way and is so good here. Also, the butter keeps the ketchup from soaking into the bun – a very good thing.
Use sharp cheddar cheese, and lay it on the bottom of the bun, place the searing hot burger on top, and proceed with dressing up your burger as you wish…
…speaking of which, I like: ketchup, pickled red onion, dill pickle, and very crisp lettuce on mine
This probably goes without saying – but enjoy them outside! Nothing like having a good burger in hand and feeling the fresh air around you as you enjoy.

Happy Moments. Big Burger. Cool Ranch Doritos. Coca Cola. Some days are like this.

Classic Hamburgers

400g / 1 lb organic ground beef

1/2 onion, diced fine

1 egg

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Mix all the ingredients together with your hands in a medium bowl. Cover; let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Make sure the grill is nice and hot. Brush oil on the kind of grilling device you’re using to prevent the burgers from sticking.

Using your hands, divide the seasoned meat into four portions and form palm-size patties with your hands. Lay on the hot grill, and grill to your desired level of doneness (I like a slightly pink center).

When the burgers are nearly done, split the burger buns in half and lay them on the grill to toast. Let them toast until the just begin to turn golden brown – shouldn’t take more than a minute. Pull them off, butter both sides. Put a slice or two of cheddar cheese on the bottom half of the bun and top with a hot burger. Proceed to dress up your burger in a way that makes you happy. Serve with chips and an ice cold drink of choice.

Happy Summer Days!

Serves 4.