The cheeseburger – thick, juicy and oozing with cheese. We’ve come to find out that the best cheeseburger is made with a freshly formed, never frozen ground beef patty. The difference between fresh and frozen patties is noticeable in both texture and appearance, with the fresh patty being much more tender.
Starting with a 1/3 pound of ground beef (or so), form the meat into a ball and gently flatten out into a round patty. Take care not to overwork the meat, as overworked meat equals a tougher burger. High heat on the grill works best to give you those nicely caramelized crispy edges.
For toppings, anything goes. Cheese is a must – anything from simple processed cheese slices to jalapeno havarti, Monterey jack or simple cheddar. Bacon is a treat and when you can use your own home smoked Canadian Bacon, that just puts it over the top. After the bacon and cheese, everything else is just gravy – thinly sliced Vidalia onions for a sweet bite, sliced Moishes dills, plain yellow mustard – all great.
And sides for a cheeseburger are easy – anything goes, whether it is a simple smashed potato, crispy roasted potato wedges or even simple potato chips. And to drink – beer. Beer goes with your burger – anything from Coors Light (if that’s your preference) straight through to an Oatmeal Stout, ESB or DIPA.
Fresh Burger Patty
Cheeseburger topped with Monterey Jack, Maple Leaf Natural Smoked Bacon and Vidalia Onion
Honey Brown Ale
