I STOPPED Buying Burger | The Best Burger You'll Ever Make

I STOPPED Buying Burger | The Best Burger You'll Ever Make Cheeseburger Trick. You bit into a homemade burger and the bun turned to mush, the patty dense and grey, tasting like nothing. So you went back to the drive-thru and paid $16. It's the bread and the meat, and both are fixable. I cook on an offset smoker in my Texas backyard, the same setup my dad used on Friday nights when the whole street came over, and this is the double cheeseburger I make from scratch: an egg-and-butter bun you mix the night before, a beef blend of three cuts, and three tricks that keep the patty juicy and the bun dry. About $5.50 a burger. Every measure, temperature and step is below. THE BUNS (makes 6, start the night before) 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup dry milk powder, 2 tbsp sugar, 1½ tsp kosher salt, 2¼ tsp instant yeast. Quick mix 3 whole eggs, 1 extra yolk and ¼ cup water. Mix until it just comes together 10 tbsp soft butter, cut into cubes, added 1 tbsp at a time while the mixer runs Knead on medium-high 15-20 minutes, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl: smooth, elastic, a little sticky Buttered bowl, covered, 1 hour on the counter, then 12 hours (or overnight) in the fridge Next day: divide into 6, shape tight smooth balls, proof 1 hour at room temperature on parchment Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 egg white + 1 tbsp water. Brush top, sides and underneath. Sesame seeds on top, be generous Buttered ring molds around each bun to keep them tall. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 16-18 minutes. Cool completely on a rack THE BEEF (12 patties, 2 per burger) 1½ lb ground chuck + ¾ lb ground brisket + ¾ lb ground short rib. Chuck for flavor, short rib for richness, brisket for juice (trick 1) If you grind it yourself, alternate the cuts as they go through the grinder Handle it as little as possible: don't squeeze, don't pack, don't knead Patty about ½ inch wider than the bun all the way around, because it shrinks about 20%. Press a shallow dimple in the center with your thumb (trick 2) Cover and keep in the fridge until the grill is ready CARAMELIZED ONIONS 2 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp oil, medium heat. 2 medium onions, sliced thin, a pinch of salt Turn the heat to low and cook an hour or more. When they brown too much, add a splash of water and scrape the pan. Done when soft and jammy, dark gold, not burnt QUICK PICKLES (ready in about 20 minutes) 2 English cucumbers, sliced ¼ inch, in a mason jar 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, 1-2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 2-3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, a pinch of chili flakes. Bring to a boil, pour over the cucumbers, leave the jar uncovered while hot SECRET SAUCE ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp chopped pickles, 1 tbsp pickle brine ½ tsp white vinegar, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, a little lemon zest, salt and pepper Stir, cover, fridge. The longer it sits the better it gets COOK AND BUILD Grill on high with a cast-iron skillet on the grates, about 10 minutes, until a drop of oil smokes the second it hits Salt and pepper the patties right before they go in the pan, not before Patties in the smoking skillet. Don't press, don't move, don't touch for the first 2 minutes. Flip ONCE at about 2½ minutes, when the edges are brown and the patty has pulled in about ½ inch 2 slices of cheese on each patty (12 slices total), close the lid to melt it Internal temperature 160°F (71°C) Buns: cut with a serrated knife, butter the cut sides, face down on the grates about 1 minute Bottom bun, secret sauce edge to edge, shredded iceberg, tomato. First patty with cheese, quick pickles, second patty with cheese, caramelized onions, diced red onion, more sauce, top bun. Wet toppings go between the two patties, so the bun stays dry (trick 3) Cost: about $5.50 per burger. Six burgers for $33, against $16 each at a burger joint CHAPTERS 0:00 Why your homemade burger falls apart 0:37 Friday nights at my dad's smoker 1:09 Egg-and-butter dough and the 12-hour rise 2:19 Shape, proof, egg wash and bake at 375°F 3:13 Trick 1: the three-cut beef blend 3:51 Trick 2: wider than the bun, with a dimple 4:09 Caramelized onions 4:37 Quick pickled cucumbers 5:31 The secret sauce 6:32 The patty mistake everyone makes 7:32 Trick 3: wet toppings in the middle 8:10 Smoking-hot cast-iron skillet 8:55 Sear, flip once, melt the cheese 10:06 Toast the buns 10:22 Build the double cheeseburger 11:24 The cost: $5.50 a burger vs $16 If you enjoy burgers, backyard cooking, homemade bread and old-school diner food, you're in the right place. Subscribe for weekly pitmaster tips, and tell me in the comments what you put on your double cheeseburger. #Burger #Cheeseburger #HomemadeBurger #BurgerTips #BurgerBuns #CastIron #BBQ #Pitmaster #Grilling #BigJoeCarter