A Sirloin Burger that’s Actually Really Good

I’ve been searching for a perfect homemade burger (without using a grill) for some time now. Trying different combinations of meat, cooking technique and toppings, but so far I didn’t succeed in making THE BURGER. I mean I had some great burgers, but nothing that would give me a virtual face slap greatness. Still my burger standards are pretty high considering I live in NYC and have tried almost any burger worth trying in the city (except for the $25 and up burgers). So while my search for the greatest burger continues here is a  really good burger that is as simple as burger making can be.

Why a sirloin burger? There are two main reasons why I decided to go with sirloin.  First it’s easily available, and there is no mixing or combing of different cuts needed. Second it has a low fat content, and while that is a plus in itself, the main purpose is that it can be cooked on a high heat without the mess and smell. If you ever tried cooking a burger with high fat content on high heat you know what I mean. Not only will every smoke alarm in your house go off,  but if you don’t have good ventilation your house will smell for a few days after.

So what’s this burger’s secret? Cooking it quickly on high heat. This way the not only will your burger stay juicy, it will also have a nice brown crust with only 10% of fat or less.

First prepare all your toppings so you don’t have to run around later. Basically anything you like on a burger. I used spring mix, slices of tomatoes, onion, cheese, mayo and or ketchup.
For each burger I used 6 ounces of ground sirloin, so just multiple that by how many you want. I strongly advice either grinding your own meat or going to the butcher/store that grinds up the meat in front of you for quality. If you like smaller or larger burger the cooking time will need to be adjusted, but half an ounce here and there won’t make too much of a difference. Shape into a patties slightly larger than your burger bun, but try not to work or compress the meat too much as this will make the burger tougher.
Preheat a seasoned cast iron skillet on the highest setting, and turn on the broiler if you like your buns toasted.

Now rubs the patties with some oil and salt, pepper them liberally, and if you want one to be side really crispy like in shake shack  place most of the salt and pepper on that side (read on to find out why later).

Place the patties when the cast iron skillet heated, almost smoking.

Cooking time (this might vary depending on many factors)
Rare to Medium Rare – 2 minute per side
About  Medium – 2 1/2 minutes per side
Medium Well to Well Done – 3 or more minutes per side.

Toast the Buns in a preheated broil for about 30 second to a minute. Assemble the burger and you’re done!

side (4 minutes, and 2 minutes on the other)

Here’s the crisper patty that I wrote about earlier. Like previously stated you need to put most of the salt and pepper on one side and cook the majority of time on that side. For example I cooked this one for 6 minutes total (4 on the salt side, and 2 on the other.

Despite it being cooked to almost medium well it’s still juicy.

Enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients:
Ground Beef -  6 ounce per burger
Buns
You favorite burger topping
Salt Pepper

Quick Direction
1. Form the patties
2. Cook the burgers according to the cooking time in the post
3. Assemble and serve.