Spatula Diaries: 5 tips for building a better burger

Ever watch the Parks and Recreation episode where characters Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) and Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) face-off in a burger cooking competition? The short version is that Chris’s meticulously prepared turkey burger, with a long list of ingredients sourced from the store Grain n’ Simple, lose badly to Ron’s straightforward formula, which features ground beef from Food and Stuff grilled to cave-man perfection and slapped on a squishy white bun.

Whether you like them fussy or stripped down, summertime backyard burgers are officially on the menu. Here are a few easy tips to make sure yours deliver every time.

How to build a better burger

1. Consider the lean-to-fat ratio.
There are strong opinions out there on this one, but I like to combine 85-15 ground beef, otherwise known as ground round, with ground pork. Together, the two meats deliver the right amount of fat and flavor to ensure the burger is juicy without being so fatty that your bun melts away before you bite down.

2. Include a sweet and savory interplay.
One of the reasons why classic condiments work so well on a burger is because they include a flavor that’s on the sweet side (ketchup) with tangy flavors like mustard and pickles. The two flavors work beautifully together but don’t have to be achieved in old-school fashion. Replace the ketchup with things like pepper jelly, sweet pickles, grilled or sautéed onions and brown-sugar bacon.

3. Toast the bun—always.
The biggest potential problem in burgerdom is a soggy bun. Solve this by slightly toasting the bun. Too much toasting will dry it out, and this can happen easily on grill grates. You’re just going for a slightest bit of crispness on the surface of the bun—enough to hold the condiments but not absorb them.

4. Load the condiments on the top bun, not the bottom. 
Same idea. Avoid sogginess by slapping your condiments and wet ingredients on the top bun. Gravity will work in your favor.

5. Fall back on cast iron.
Grilling outside is the optimum way to cook your burger, but in the absence of that, cook your patties in a large cast-iron skillet. Let the pan get super hot, add the patties and flip them only once. It’s a great way to ensure you get a juicy burger with a beautiful sear.

Enjoy, and happy summer!

Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.