One look and you know what I’m talking about: two patties, smoked pork loin, aged cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayonnaise.  A culmination of all my burger wants barely fitting between two toasted buns.

I can’t imagine a hamburger without cheese, so I guess it’s cheeseburgers only for me.  Over the years I’ve tried dozens of types of cheese on my burgers and have come to a conclusion: nothing gives a mighty cheese flavour like processed cheese slices or “American” cheese.
Gourmet burger recipes call for sharp cheddar, gorgonzola and any number of strong cheeses for the simple reason that you need a bold flavour to just be able to taste the cheese, and still you need a whole lot of it.  Processed cheese accomplishes …

For any burger fan it comes down to grill or fry.  I enjoy both and like to change it up now and again.  For either technique you want the same thing: a nice crust on the outside and a juicy center: pretty much the same thing as steak.
Which leads to patty formation and what actually works.  I’ve tried leaving the meat loose and barely forming the patty but that leads to the burger being so loose when you eat it there’s no cohesive mouth feel.  That doesn’t mean go the …

I am on a burger quest.  I love hamburgers, or more precisely cheeseburgers.  That glorious combination of beef, cheese and produce piled on a fluffy bun is the ultimate pairing of raw ingredients.  Don’t try and pass off anything pre-made to me: I want it all fresh and made to order.  Beef quest will focus on five items: meat preparation, meat cooking, cheese, the bun and toppings.
Let’s start off today with the meat.  A great burger to me is 100% beef: we don’t need to add pork, veal or bacon …