Just a Great Burger

So, have you ever gone to a great restaurant and asked yourself why their burger's taste so much better than the charbroiled hockey pucks you cook at home?

It's honestly not that difficult. There are only a few basic rules to abide by and the rest will fall into place.

RULE # 1

-Fresh Beef (buy it the same day, don't freeze it if you can help it)
Always buy your meat from a reputable source. If the cornerstore butcher is sketchy, don't even bother. It's cheap enough that you can get it from a reputable vendor and still pay pennies on the dollar compared to other cuts of meat. Also, to be honest, you can still make a great burger with frozen ground beef that you defrost.

RULE # 2

-Season the Meat Well
The standard seasoning I use is 2 parts Salt, 1 part fresh ground pepper, 1 part garlic powder and 1 part onion powder. This is commonly known as "house seasoning." You can typically use about 1 tsp of seasoning per pound of beef, but obviously it adjust the amount to your tastes. Also, I always put worcestershire sauce in my hamburgers. At least a couple tablespoons adds a little depth of flavor.

RULE #3
-Be aware of texture
Probably the biggest killer of a burger is bad texture. If you have stale bread and you like your hamburger cooked well, taking a bite will be like eating two pieces of cardboard filled with sawdust. Instead, maybe add something smooth and creamy (avocado) and something crunchy (well rendered bacon). Or, get creative, crisp up some canadian bacon and top the burger with hollandaise sauce, call it hamburgers benedict. (I didn't say burgers were healthy) At the same time, if you are using very soft brioche buns, consider something crunchy on the inside to balance the soft outside. TEXTURE, TEXTURE, TEXTURE.

That's my only three rules. Other than that, the sky is the absolute limit. The picture above is (delicious yes)

A Grilled Pancetta, Avocado, Crispy Onion and Swiss Cheese Burger on a Brioche Roll. (with a side of homemade sweet potato chips) also known as, the amazing burger.

Recipe: Homemade Sweet Potato Chips

This recipe is quite difficult without a mandolin. You can try to cut the potatoes by hand, however, it's not recommended. You can also use a good cheese grater if you have one with the right depth blade or you can try to use a vegetable peeler to shave the pieces down. They may look funny, but they will taste just as good.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato (2 Large sweet potatoes are easily enough for 4 people)
House Seasoning
Oil for Frying (Canola or vegetable is fine but "frying peanut oil" is preffered)
A large bowl or baking sheet
a spider (a tool to use when deep frying)
Paper Towels

Heat the oil to 300 degrees in at least a 1 quart Saucepan filled to about 1 inch below the top. The bigger the pot you can afford to use the better, but don't overfill it. When you add the food the oil level will rise which is especially terrible on a gas stove if it decides to overflow.

Slice the potatoes as thin as possible using any method you can.

Line the bowl or sheet pan with paper towels.

once the oil comes to temperature, drop in each slice of potato one at a time. They will sink and then quickly rise to the surface. Cook them until the bubbling slowly begins to dissipate. If they begin to turn grey or dark brown they are over done. Once finished, using either a slotted spoon or the spider, remove the chips and place onto the flat sheet pan or the bowl and immediately season with house seasoning. Continue this process until all the chips are cooked. Season each layer as you go on. If you begin stacking chips on top of chips you may want to put another layer of paper towels in order to whick away the extra oil so none of the chips get soggy.

Thats it! Toss and enjoy. Amazing, simple, and once you eat them you will ask yourself, 'seriously, that's it? Why doesn't anyone make fresh potato chips anymore'

P.S. Don't forget to shut your oil when you're done frying.