James Beard's Favorite Hamburger

Recipe courtesy Beard on Food, Running Press, 2000

Show: Sara's SecretsEpisode: Burger Basics

Rated 5 stars out of 5
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  • Read 24 Reviews
Total Time:
--
Yield:
about 4 hamburgers
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chopped beef chuck or round
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Unsalted butter
  • Vegetable oil, as needed
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

Spread the meat out on a board and grate 2 to 3 tablespoons of onion into it—use a fairly fine grater so you get just the juice and very finely grated raw onion. Now mix in about a tablespoon of heavy cream and some freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Form into patties--a 6 to 8-ounce patty for an average serving.

Using a black iron skillet or your best copper one or your pet aluminum frying pan, Teflon-coated or not (with a Teflon coating you won't need much fat, just a little bit for flavor), and cook the hamburgers in the butter and oil over fairly high heat, giving it 4 to 5 minutes a side, depending on how well done you like it. Salt this creamy, oniony, peppery hamburger before serving it on a buttered bun or English muffin, or as a main course with sliced tomatoes and onions or some home-fried potatoes.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 24 reviews

  • on April 17, 2012

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    Excellent! My picky husband devoured his burger and said thank you at the end of his meal. I will definitely make this recipe from now on. Best burger that I have ever eaten to date.

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  • on March 14, 2012

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    I was in Costa Rica with limited frills and tried this recipe with the organic beef, onions and milk (no heavy cream I picked up at the lil market here; awesome! Never would have thought heavy cream/milk but what a great burger. Honestly, probably the best I ever tasted and I went on a burger quest all over New York City for a year and this is still the best by far, of course it's Beard so you cannot go wrong. I will even put this up against the shake shack. I also think the shredded onion was key too. Excellent Burger, Truly.

    If you have the time, I mixed the ingredients together and split it into two lunches. I put the other half in the fridge for the following day. The ones that go to permeate overnight were so freakin delicious I wish I would have made more. I am so ready to try this with meatloaf as the previous commenter stated; excellent idea. Maybe even meatballs; skies the limit.

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on October 16, 2011

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    The recipe was so simple, I didn't expect much. Then again, it WAS James Beard. Turns out, it wasa also one of the best burgers I've ever eaten--home OR restaurant. As they said in an old commercial,"Try it; you'll like it!"

    people found this review Helpful.
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