Of cheese, burgers, and how to stack 'em!

[belfpala]

That isn't what you said...you said the LTO should NEVER touch the bun...not that LTO should be on the side.

I didn't find a picture of what I was trying to convey.

It should be a bun, the burger, the cheese. The top bun to the side. LTO also to the side. They can decide the LTO order.

If anyone has a problem, in the context of this thread, they can turn their burger over if the cheese should be that way. If we want to play burger tetris.

This is not how I'd serve it, but it solves the problem.

(this isn't a rant at you, person I'm quoting)

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I didn't find a picture of what I was trying to convey.

It should be a bun, the burger, the cheese. The top bun to the side. LTO also to the side. They can decide the LTO order.

If anyone has a problem, in the context of this thread, they can turn their burger over if the cheese should be that way. If we want to play burger tetris.

(this isn't a rant at you, person I'm quoting)

I'm just saying...if you meant "LTO goes on the side" you should have said "LTO goes on the side"

[Splenda]

That's not an exemplary picture. The LTO should be on the side completely, and it's just bun-burger-cheese. You can decide if any LTO touches your burger at all.

I didn't get a hit I wanted on Google, and I didn't feel like going to make an example myself. So stay with me.

Like this kinda? Also man this looks incredible....

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I think we are talking about serving a burger like this:

Not really...because even in that the LTO is touching the bun. It's just being served open face.

Again, if he wanted to say "The LTO should be served on the side" he should have said "the LTO should be served on the side" and not "The LTO should never touch the bun"...those statements mean very different things. It's meaningless anyway because, regardless of how the burger is presented to you, at some point you do have to assemble the thing...and that's what we are discussing.

[Zephire]

Cheese above the meat/mushroom/halloumi/bean-thingy so that the cheese melts down and embraces it!

[belfpala]

It's meaningless anyway because, regardless of how the burger is presented to you, at some point you do have to assemble the thing...and that's what we are discussing.

My point was that with a certain presentation you have your choice of assemblage. Burger tetris.

- - - Updated - - -

Cheese above the meat/mushroom/halloumi/bean-thingy so that the cheese melts down and embraces it!

I mean, this is an important point. If I'm making a mushroom-swiss burger, I want the sauteed mushrooms on the burger, and then the cheese melted on top of the mushrooms.

[belfpala]

So cheese. A single cheese slice or a mix of shredded cheese?

For a classic bun, burger, LTO? One slice of the highest quality cheddar you have.

For variations? We can talk all day.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

My point was that with a certain presentation you have your choice of assemblage. Burger tetris.

And again, this is meaningless...because we're talking about what the burger should look like fully assembled. Even if it comes to you in pieces...you still have to decide how to put it together.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

You could always eat it deconstructed

And that would be the choice of what it looks like "fully assembled"

[Rotted]

If you're doing your job right, cheese will always be on top of the burger,

When you cook a proper burger with proper cheese (not half meat half bread crumb with a plastic slice of cheese). You cook one side of the burger flip it, THEN add the cheese to the burger so it can gradually melt while the other half of the burger cooks. You then take the burger off, straight onto the bun which has a bed of lettuce to stop any liquid making the bread soggy.

If you do it any other way, you're uneducated swines who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a glorious, true burger

[belfpala]

If you're doing your job right, cheese will always be on top of the burger,

When you cook a proper burger with proper cheese (not half meat half bread crumb with a plastic slice of cheese). You cook one side of the burger flip it, THEN add the cheese to the burger so it can gradually melt while the other half of the burger cooks. You then take the burger off, straight onto the bun which has a bed of lettuce to stop any liquid making the bread soggy.

If you do it any other way, you're uneducated swines who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a glorious, true burger

You're either assuming the burger has gone to table right away, so that the lettuce doesn't wilt under the burger, or you're assuming the burger bun is somehow immune to the water content of lettuce. Which?

For the rest, yes, the cheese goes on top. There are multiple methods of making that work, depending on your equipment. But it goes on top.

- - - Updated - - -

I think it's a bit harder to regulate heat in a cast iron pan than in a grill but that may well be the difference in skill between a homecook and a trained professional. And there is always the extra flavor of a charcoal grill. On the other hand, you can rub a cast iron pan with garlic for some extra flavor.

Ultimately, it comes down to this: the burger should be an 80/20 or fattier grind, cooked on a screaming hot flat top or cast iron pan then brought down to medium; the bun should be fresh that day, and butter toasted; the cheese should be quality sharp cheddar, and the LTO should be fresh; the order it's assembled doesn't matter because you're eating it two minutes later.

EDIT: Do not attempt unless you have very good ventilation.

If I wanted to flash training I'd pull out duck fat for no reason.

[caervek]

Bread
Sauce
Salad
Cheese
Meat
Bread

[belfpala]

I mean, you can always just torch the cheese. It lets you perfectly place it and shape how it flows which is impossible to do while also grilling the burger.

I have not used my blowtorches on burgers yet.

Fuck it, brulee burger incoming.

[Shaetha]

...Ultimately, it comes down to this: the burger should be an 80/20 or fattier grind, cooked on a screaming hot flat top or cast iron pan then brought down to medium...

DO NOT COOK A BURGER THIS WAY IF YOU DON'T HAVE REALLY GOOD VENTILATION. It will smoke up your entire house/apartment.

[belfpala]

DO NOT COOK A BURGER THIS WAY IF YOU DON'T HAVE REALLY GOOD VENTILATION. It will smoke up your entire house/apartment.

I forgot to mention that part... Thanks.

Edited into the post you quoted.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

Bun
sauce(s)
onion
lettuce
tomato
cheese
meat
sauce(s)
bun

[belfpala]

Honestly do not cook a burger at all if you don't have great ventilation. I love meat but the smell of beef over the entire house is not my thing.

It's not just the beef smell, that method will smoke out your entire house unless it's done with proper vent hoods. I'm not kidding. Thus my edit.

[Miyagie]

I prefer:
Bun
Mayonnaise
Salat
Honey Mustard
Pickeled Cucumbers
Meat
Cheese
Fried Onions
Ketchup
Top Bun

No Tomatos.

[Shaetha]

I don't know if I would torch the patty tbh, it was mostly a recommendation for perfectly melting your cheese. But it would solve the issue I mentioned above; it's hard to get the cast iron pan from scorching hot to medium heat fast and in a burger you really want to brown it fast then take the temperature down. You could alternatively torch it and then fry it over medium heat.

Btw how much have people here experimented with . . . stuffed patties!!! I have so far stuffed a patty with feta cheese, bacon and cheddar, jalapenos and cream cheese, and my favourite yet mozarella and sundried tomatoes.

You could try it the other way around. Medium heat first to cook through then go for the maillard. Sort of like putting something under a broiler to put a crust on it, or cooking french fries twice.

[belfpala]

Btw how much have people here experimented with . . . stuffed patties!!! I have so far stuffed a patty with feta cheese, bacon and cheddar, jalapenos and cream cheese, and my favourite yet mozarella and sundried tomatoes.

They were invented where I'm from.

I would have restrained myself a bit on on that. Some cream cheese and diced jalapenos as the filling, and then topped with fried shallots. In fact I did just that, and called it the jalapeno popper burger.

I posted earlier in this thread about one I did using pulled pork as the filling. It needed some bbq sauce, which I made from the smoked pork drippings. There was also an onion ring involved.

The original juicy lucy, that's the name for it, was just two patties with American cheese sealed in between. Needed to be done, and two bars had the balls to do it.