Best Burger EVER!

The cooking process:

Mold 1/4 pound of freshly lean ground beef into a ball. Preheat a cast-iron skillet for at least 5 minutes on high heat. When the skillet is ready, spread a tablespoon of oil on the surface, set a timer for 3 minutes, drop the meat in the pan and salt the uncooked top.

After 1 minute, use a spatula to flip the ball over. Then press down forcefully on the meat with the spatula until it’s 1/2 inch thick. The edges may look a little ragged, but the cracks just mean more opportunity for caramelization. Salt and pepper, then leave alone for 60 seconds.

Loosen the patty carefully from the griddle and flip one last time, seasoning again. If you’re a cheese-burger person, add your cheese now.

After exactly 3 minutes total, you’ll have a perfect rare burger. A fourth minute gets you to medium rare and another 45 seconds for medium.

Dressing Your Burger

Green Leaf Lettuce – the wrong lettuce can be watery. Green leaf is not as rigid as iceberg but is still firm.

Plum Tomatoes – Plums have a higher percentage of firmness for that cool crunch.

Potato Bun – Absorbs stray juices without falling apart. Have a nice “sponginess”.

American Cheese – A square slice is the classic flavoring – not too strong, not too weak, and not too gourmet.

How about a Secret Sauce?

Take 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and stir in a tablespoon each of ketchup and Dijon mustard. Add 4 finely chopped kosher dill pickles, half a clove of chopped garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of adobo sauce from canned chipolte chilies. Blend, serve.

The Best To-Go-With Fries

Cut 6 peeled potatoes into 1/4-inch thick sticks. Soak the sticks in cold water for several hours. Drain and pat dry.

Pour peanut oil into a large, heavy pot or deep fryer to a depth of 3 inches. Heat to 300 degrees. Add the sticks to the oil – don’t over crowd – and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they are soft and have a light color. Remove potatoes and let them air-dry completely on paper towels (this may take a few hours).

Once the sticks are dry, reheat the oil to 375-degrees. Fry the potatoes in batches until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with sea salt.