How to Pan Fry a Restaurant Style Hamburger

How to Pan Fry a Restaurant Style Hamburger | Fried Burgers

 

Perfect Pub/Restaurant Style Burgers

Cooking the perfect pub or restaurant style burger at home is easy, and it doesn't even require a grill. With a delicious, crunchy crust and the perfect interior temperature, pan cooking burgers is a quick way to make this favorite dish. Pan cooked burgers are also ideal for singles or couples - who really wants to fire up the grill for just one or two burgers? With under 10 minutes of cooking time, these burgers can be a weeknight meal.
Gourmet burgers are becoming very popular and many restaurants have added deluxe options to the menu. These deluxe burgers usually come with a deluxe price tag, too - it is easy to find a $10 burger "these days." By using this recipe for a restaurant burger you can enjoy the same great tastes without the hefty price tag. Give it a try - you may never want to use your grill again.

How to Choose Hamburger Meat

When you want to make hamburgers, it is always important to buy the highest-quality meat available. It is more expensive, but it is worth it, and still costs less than ordering a gourmet burger at a restaurant. If at all possible, purchase grass fed beef. It isn't all hype - grass fed meat really does taste better, and its better for you. Cattle are meant to eat grass, not grain. Grain fed cattle are unhealthy and produce less nutritious meat. In fact, many of the "bad" things about red meat are really the product of grain feed. Grass fed beef actually has less fat, fewer calories, more vitamin E, and significantly greater quantities of omega-3 fatty acids than grain fed, feedlot beef. For all the stats and numbers, check out the Eat Wild website.
I've experimented with less expensive ground beef (I'm talking about you, log of beef in a plastic tube), but it does not hold together well for pan cooked burgers. Store made burgers are superior for pan cooking because they are made in molds, which creates a very uniform burger. The uniform diameter and thickness of the burger allows for even cooking. This ensures a burger is evenly cooked to temperature. If you cook multiple burgers, it also means all burgers should be done at basically the same time, eliminating waiting around for that one larger burger to finish cooking. Also, for just one person, I do not like to buy a whole tray of beef and make my own hamburger patty. To ensure the meat is high quality and will stick together in the pan, I shop for burgers at a high-end grocery store in my area. The store has a variety of tasty burgers with traditional toppings like bacon, cheddar, Parmesan, blue cheese, and more already mixed in with the meat. This gives the burger an amazing, all-around flavor - instead of bacon in some bites, you can have bacon in every bite! If you do make your own burgers, I highly recommend you try mixing some shredded cheese in with the meat.
If you do make your own hamburgers, make sure to handle the meat as little as possible and mix ingredients with a spoon to minimize hand/meat contact. The heat from your hands can actually cause the fat to start melting and makes the meat more dense, which can lead to the dreaded "hockey puck burger." Make the burger as evenly thick and wide as possible or, better yet, use a home burger mold. For only a few dollars, you can create uniform, professional-looking hamburgers time after time.

Equipment Needed for Pan Cooked Burgers

First and foremost, pan cooked burgers require a frying pan/skillet. If at all possible, use a pan without a non-stick coating. This recipe does not work as well in coated pan because the exterior doesn't develop the nice, crunchy layer this recipe is designed to produce. Other ingredients and equipment are:

• 1 T butter per burger
• A pastry brush or regular spoon
• A sturdy spatula
• A cereal bowl (optional)
• Buns, condiments, toppings, etc.

How to Pan Cook Burgers

1. Melt approximately 1 tablespoon of butter per burger. You probably won't use a whole tablespoon on each one, but it gives you a little leeway - pasty brushes tend to take up some of the butter. I do not have a microwave, so I used the stove. Butter melts very quickly. Always start with a low heat setting or just a few seconds in the microwave. It is better to wait a few extra seconds or turn the microwave back on than deal with hot, exploding butter!
2. While the butter is melting, pre-heat your skillet. Depending on your stove and pan, use medium or medium high heat. Water should sizzle when it hits the pan, just like when you cook pancakes.
3. Brush, or spoon, a liberal coating of butter on each side of the burger.
4. Place the burger in the pan. You should hear it sizzle immediately. If you do not, the pan is too cool and you need to raise the temperature setting. Do not flip, touch, poke, or prod the burger. Let it sizzle away for 3-4 minutes.
5. After 3 or 4 minute have passed, you should notice the burger looks, literally, half cooked. The bottom of the burger's edge should look cooked and the top half should still look raw. Use a rigid spatula to carefully flip the burger. You basically want to scrape the bottom of the pan as you push the spatula under the burger. This removes the desirable crust from the pan and keeps it attached to the meat.
6. Allow the burger to cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Use an instant read thermometer to measure the burger's internal temperature, or use the simple hand testing technique demonstrated in the video. If you are not absolutely certain you trust your burger meat, go ahead and cook it to a safe 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are confident your meat is freshly ground and high-quality, you can opt for a medium-rare burger and a lower temperature - but always make sure to cook the meat to at least 140 degrees.
7. When the burger is done, carefully scrape the pan, again, to insure the crust stays on the burger. If you want, you can place the burger on a paper towel to absorb some of the grease. If you do, be prepared to loose some of that tasty crust.
8. To make your burger a cheese burger, place the cheese on top of the hot burger and cover it with a small bowl, such as a cereal bowl. Allow the burger to rest for a couple of minutes while the residual heat melts the cheese.
9. Place your burger on a bun along with your favorite toppings/condiments and enjoy!

 

Weeknight Burgers

I know it seems too good to be true, but this recipe allows you to create perfect, restaurant style burgers with a delicious crunchy exterior in under 10 minutes. Obviously, they aren't health food, but sometimes you need to relax and indulge a little. Because it does not require a grill, this method is perfect for hot or cold weather, people that don't own a grill, and those who simply would prefer not to deal with the hassle of heating and cleaning a grill for a simple weeknight meal. I hope you have the chance to try this recipe soon!