BURGER CRAVE Satisfying a craving for a Little Owl Bacon Cheeseburger at home is really easy. In fact, when you cook a burger on the stove top in a large, shallow frying pan, in a cast-iron skillet, or on a flat griddle, you can achieve complete caramelization on the meat, since the entire surface area of the burger is in contact with your pan, which means a lot of flavor! Just resist the urge to squash down your burger in the skillet, since doing so will release all the treasured burger juices—unless, of course, you want a smash burger, which is another type of burger entirely (it’s always made on a griddle). My burger blend and my cooking method let you have it both ways: knock-your-socks-off depth-of-flavor caramelization on the outside and a juicy middle that drips with flavor on the inside. Also, when cooking a burger indoors, you can maintain a consistent, even temperature on your stove top. But because I want you to shine like a star at summer cookouts, too, if you choose to cook my burger on your outdoor grill over an open flame, here’s a tip: Keep a spray bottle of water close at hand and douse any large flame flare-up that may happen when the fat falls on the coals. You need to manage the temperature between ember and flame versus fat. You don’t want the flame licking at the meat, or your burger will take on the unpleasant taste of the flame oil. Controlling those embers so that they burn at a moderate heat is the best way to achieve a smoky flavor and optimal caramelization, which will thrill you. I’m thrilled just talking about it!
My Little Owl burger is a proprietary blend of meat made from fresh sirloin, short rib, and brisket from Manhattan’s legendary meat purveyor Pat LaFreida. If you want to order a custom burger blend directly from LaFreida meats, go for it! They ship all over the country. The secret to making a thrilling burger—one in which you get the caramelized outside and the juicy inside—begins with selecting the meats that will give you the most marbled fat, so that when the fat melts it keeps the burger juicy. Ask your butcher to make a custom blend comprised of chuck, round, and brisket cuts with a 70/30 lean-to-fat ratio. And when you use the Harrison spice mixture, you’ll set this burger apart from your neighbor down the block. (It’s not a contest, but it doesn’t hurt to get a great burger reputation!) The spice adds funk and heat from the Madras curry, and when it mingles with the juices from the melted fat of the burger, it creates that Little Owl signature flavor in the caramelized crusty outside. And here’s a tip: Tuck the bacon under the cheese so it doesn’t slip ’n’ slide.
SERVES 6
12 slices thick-cut bacon, preferably applewood-smoked
3 lb [1.4 kg] burger blend (see headnote)
1 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
The Harrison Spice Mix (page 18)
6 slices good-quality aged Cheddar cheese
6 sesame seed burger buns
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, roughly torn
1 beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced
1 red onion, ends trimmed, peeled, and thinly sliced
6 half-sour pickles
Preheat a large nonstick griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Place your bacon slices on the hot griddle and cook until the fat renders and they crisp, about 1 minute. Set aside.
Place the burger blend in a large bowl and add the salt and several grinds of pepper to the meat. Using your clean hands, mix well to combine.
Divide the meat equally into six 8 oz [230 g] balls (you can use your hands to separate the meat mixture, right in the bowl, or measure them out), then flatten each ball into a patty about 3/4 in [2 cm] thick. Sprinkle both sides of each patty with pinches of the Harrison spice mixture.
Place the burgers on the griddle or skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the underside of the burger gets nicely browned and the fat melts, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, about 3 minutes more for medium-rare or 4 minutes for medium. Don’t be tempted to squash the burger down or flatten it with a spatula (see “Burger Crave,” page 51). Just let it do its thing and flip it only once. Top each burger with 2 slices of bacon and 1 slice of cheese during the last minute of cooking.
Place a burger on the bottom half of each bun, top with the remaining bun halves, and transfer to a serving platter, alongside the lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and your favorite pickles (I love Guss’s half-sour pickles) and condiments. Serve immediately.
