Nothing turns an average, meat-eating civilian into a thoroughly-trained, educated, informed and skilled meat expert quite like hamburgers. Everyone has an opinion. I guess it’s because we have all eaten and cooked so many of them, over the years. Naturally, at FFMM we have an opinion too. It’s a fairly basic one: use shit meat and you’ll get shit burgers.
Unfortunately, many people do exactly that. By lazily grinding up parts of the carcas that you can’t find other uses for, you can make a burger mix. It will taste awful. But add some binding agents like cereal, grain or soy and we have something to work with. Add MSG and it gets really good. At least, that seems to be the thought processes of a lot of butchers out there. We prefer to get selective with what cuts we grind into burger patties. By using a secret combination of deboned brisket, chuck and short rib we believe we have got it pretty close to perfect. Besides the incredible flavour that comes from these three cuts, we use them because of their fat to meat ratio. By combining all three of them, you sit with a combination of about 80% meat, 20% fat. That’s enough fat not to freak everyone out (I personally would have no problem with a 70:30) but it’s also enough for the fat to hold the patty’s shape. We grind the meat twice through a large plate, which results in quite a coarse texture, which we also think plays a big part in the perfect burger.
We add nothing to this mix. We don't even season it. That’s a conscious decision. Of everything we butcher and sell in the shop, burgers remain the best way for me to explain and introduce grass-fed meat to people. Everything about a grass-fed patty is different. The smell, the colour of the meat, the colour of the fat, the texture. Everything. I want to keep that patty as pure as possible because I want people to know straight away that they are trying something new here.
You can shape the patties at home, if that's your thing.You can even buy a grinder and do the whole thing at home. My advice? Ask your butcher for specific cuts, minced for you. He/she will probably know exactly what you’re making and he/she will probably love you for it. I know I would.
From there, cooking the burger is important. Naturally. While a grid over a flame is one option, I actually prefer to cook mine in a pan. There is so much fat that renders out of these patties and it’s always good to baste the burgers with this. Season the patties aggressively with sea salt way in advance, cook them for about 8 minutes, turning often. Remove from heat and add some sliced cheese on top of each patty. Cover with a bowl or an upturned pan. Wait a few minutes, for the steam to melt the cheese, and then you’re good to go. Toppings? Keep it simple. Buttered white roll, pickles, raw red onion, lettuce, tomato sauce. And lose the sliced tomato - it and it will just make your meat and roll soggy.