The Zen of Cheeseburgers

The cheese is the last thing to go on. If you are using caramelized onions, sauteéd mushrooms, or raw onion, put them on before the cheese. As the cheese melts, it will help anchor the toppings.

The prototypical American cheeseburger has a slice of bright yellow American cheese on top, but there’s no reason you can’t use another melting cheese, such as Asiago, Brie, Cambozola, Camembert, cheddar, chèvre, Colby, fontina, Gruyère, Havarti, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Muenster, provolone, smoked Gouda, or Taleggio. Blue isn’t melty, but a lot of folks like it. Cheese blends and spreads also work. Boursin, cheddar with port wine, cream cheese with horseradish, or pepper Jack are good choices. Pimento cheese spread is popular in the South, particularly in South Carolina and Georgia.

Slice the cheese ⅛ inch thick or grate it. Apply the cheese after one side of the burger is finished cooking and when you are close to finishing the other side. Depending on the cheese, 2 to 3 minutes should melt it. The thicker the cheese, the longer it takes to melt, so factor that into your cooking time. You might want to move the patty off direct heat while you melt the cheese so you don’t overcook the meat. Another trick is to put a metal mixing bowl over the burger; the cheese should melt in as little as 30 seconds. A coffee can or baking pan will work fine, too.