Step1
Think of food combinations you like. Use these as inspiration to build the best burger ever. Like Greek food? Instead of beef, use ground lamb. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano, and top with olives and feta. If you want to get really creative, serve it in a pita instead of a hamburger bun. Maybe you like chicken cordon bleu? Use ground chicken mixed with bread crumbs and a little egg to form your patties (a chicken only patty will be dry) and top with thinly sliced ham and melty, oozy swiss cheese. Or do a pork burger with Muenster cheese, sliced heirloom tomatoes (yellow ones are fun!) instead of the standard American cheese, hothouse tomatoes, and iceberg lettuce.
Step2
Don't go too lean. We live in an increasingly health conscious society. It can be tempting to cut fat to the bare minimum, but fat is the vehicle by which flavor travels, especially in burgers! If you cut out too much of the stuff, your burger will be dry and tough. Instead, lighten up your side dishes instead by using reduced fat mayo in the potato salad, or serving fresh fruit for dessert instead of a 7 layer cake. Use medium or regular ground beef (70-77% lean).
Step3
Make sure your patties are uniform. That will ensure that they all finish cooking at the same time. To do this, try this tip from Michael Chiarello (gotta love Food Network!): Save the lid from your next jar of peanut butter. Line it with plastic wrap, and pack the ground meat inside. This ensures perfectly round, perfectly uniform patties every time. Incidentally, cold meat holds together better than room-temperature meat, so add your seasonings, shredded veggies, etc., then refrigerate the mixture for 15-20 minutes before forming your patties.
Step4
Fire up the grill! I personally have a gas grill that is easy and wonderful to use, but if you're stuck with charcoal, you might want to do this before shaping your burgers to give the coals a chance to burn down. Give the grill a quick brushing to get rid of any leftover yuck from your last cook out, and leave it alone to heat up. If you're using a gas bbq with adjustable controls, turn it to medium. If using charcoal, you're ready to go when the charcoal is completely covered with a fine gray ash and you can hold your hand 6" above the grill for 3-4 seconds.
Step5
Throw those delicious hunks of meat on the grill. Grill for about 4 1/2 minutes on each side. Keep watch for flare-ups, and move burgers promptly away from any burning grease. A little char is good... a 1/4 lb charcoal burger is not. Add cheese, if desired, in the last minute or so of grilling.
Step6
Pull burgers off the grill using a clean metal spatula, and place on a clean plate. Alternatively, you can wash your already used utensils in hot soapy water, dry them and re-use them. DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, re-use the same utensils or plate without washing them first! It doesn't matter how good your burgers are, if your guests end up with food poisoning, they won't come back to one of your future parties!
Step7
Allow patties to rest for about 3 minutes. They will continue cooking during this time, and the juices will redistribute, ensuring that the first bite and the last bite are equally flavorful and delicious.
Step8
Assemble your burgers, or let guests assemble their own. For the most delicious result, you should splurge on some semi-fancy buns and warm them. Do this either by brushing with melted butter and grilling briefly, or by wrapping in foil and warming in a 200 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Provide a variety of attractive garnishes, sliced and arranged on a platter. Condiments are a very personal thing, so make sure you have, at a minimum, mayo, mustard, and ketchup available. If you really want to go glam, put a little bit into individual bowls with a separate spreader for each, leaving the unsightly squeeze bottles in the fridge.
Step9
Bask in the glory of your super-successful cook out. To be a gracious host, share the recipe when (not if!) someone asks you for it!
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