American Hamburger

American Hamburger Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (hamburger)
Salt and pepper
4 hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Accompaniments (see below)

Preparation:

Preheat barbecue grill; brush and oil the grates.

Lightly wet your hands with cold water; gently form ground beef into 4 patties, about 1-inch thick and larger than your bun. When forming patties, handle as little as possible. Loosely packed burgers are crisper on the outside and juicier inside. Poke a hole in the center (this will stop the hamburger from rising in the center. The hole will close while cooking). Season with salt and pepper.

Place patties onto hot grill. Cover barbecue with lid, open any vents, and cook 4 to 5 minutes; turn patties over and cook another 4 to 5 minutes (only turn patties once) or until cooked to desired doneness (do not press patties with spatula while cooking as juices will escape and the meat will dry out). Remove from grill and transfer onto a serving plate. 

Brush the hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls with melted butter; toast them on the grill, cut side down for 30 to 60 seconds. remove from grill and place on individual plates. Place the cooked meat onto the bottom slice of the bun and add accompaniments of your choice (see below).

ACCOMPANIMENTS IDEAS:

4 slices Cheddar cheese
8 slices cooked bacon
4 fried eggs
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
Lettuce, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Sweet pickle relish
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonnaise 

Makes 4 servings.