Hola Mi Gente,
Let me tell you a secret that isn’t really a secret: I’ve only really liked burgers for about a year. I know, it’s weird. It’s been a low point in our marriage as Ben loves them. Whenever I used to go out of town (remember when we could go out of town for work or to see family without worrying about a worldwide pandemic?) I would joke that he was going to eat burgers all week long. It’s been the food of his birthday month. My concession when I know he’s tired or frustrated.
So how did I change my mind? I guess I took the advice I often give my students: remember that you’re in control of the textures and flavors you like when you’re cooking. I think part of my pre-burger days had to do with two major factors: I do not enjoy soggy bread, and I would rather not eat under-seasoned ground meat.
When I first started toying with nailing down this recipe a few months ago it was because I was really obsessed with caramelized and almost charred onions. They are smokey and sweet, potent with a really distinct flavor. I wondered what it would be like to put them in my burger meat instead of on my burger (the less I have on my burger, the less soggy it gets; I’m a tomato, cheese, and ketchup mujer myself).
Then, I started adding in other flavors I knew would marry well: garlic (duh), soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and some of my favorite spices and herbs. I will say this outright: this is not a minimalist burger. When I bite into this burger I get the sweet and smokey flavors of the onion, the acidity in the worshestershire sauce, the umami in the soy sauce. With the fattiness in a good cheese and the simplicity of a toasted bun, it is summer heaven on my tastebuds. It’s not a boring burger because all my senses come alive as they decipher and absorb all the distinct flavors coming together.
Texturally, it’s also really firm on the outside, NEVER crumbly, and incredibly juicy. The secret to this is a tip I learned from a Turkish chef when making kefta: shaping the meat into a ball and throwing it in a bowl for several minutes allows the egg and breadcrumbs to make a cohesive mixture that sticks to itself and has a really connective structural integrity.
It works perfectly in the timing of this recipe, too, because you can do all of this while your onions are cooking. They are the very last ingredient I add before shaping and grilling. All in all the process takes about 15 minutes, but trust me when I tell you that it’s absolutely worth it. In the end, you’ll have a perfectly juicy burger with flavor distributed evenly and generously, and a patty that isn’t going to crumble or fall apart in two bites.
I’m not a long-enough stan of burgers to tell you what bun or cheese or condiments to use. And honestly, it’s entirely up to you, and should be to your taste not mine. Just know that the simpler you keep it, the more you’ll enjoy the flavor of the burger itself, and the easier it will be to eat.
Pair these with a bit of watermelon italian ice (with your preferred libations), and settle in for a summertime delight.
Buen Provecho,
Caramelized Onion Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 LBS Ground Beef You want a beef with a good amount of fat in it to ensure juicy burgers.
- 4 TBSP Butter
- 1 Large Onion Halved and then sliced.
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 Egg
- 1.5 TSP Dried Oregano
- 1.5 TSP Chili Powder
- 2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce (GF specific if making GF)
- 2 TSP Soy Sauce (Tamari for GF)
- 1/2 TSP Pepper
- 1.5 TSP Salt
- 3 TBSP Bread Crumbs
Instructions
Caramelized Onions + Burger Prep
- Preheat a pan over medium high heat and melt butter in the pan. Once the butter is melted, add your onion to the pan and lower heat to medium low. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the onions and stir them every 2 minutes or so. You want your onions to become translucent, and then begin to change color to an amber color. If they begin to char, lower heat a little bit and stir more often. It will take about 15 minutes to get the onions to the point where they are caramelized.
- In the meantime, combine all the other ingredients in a large bowl. Mix them together well, and then begin to shape the mixture into a ball. Grab the ball and throw it into the bowl from about 2-3" above. Repeat this process as your onions caramelize. You will see the texture of your mixture begin to look more homogenous (see picture above), and the mixture will stick to itself and hold it's shape without crumbling. Once the onions are done, add them to the mixture. Work them in quickly and throw the mixture for another minute or so to recover the smooth texture. Separate into four sections and shape into burgers.
Grilling
- Heat up your grill to medium high heat (375F-400F). Add your burgers to the grill and do not flip until at least 3 minutes, so you can get a good sear. After three minutes, flip and cook until they are to your desired temperature about 3-10 more minutes (Medium rare ~135F, Medium ~145F, Well Done 160F). Remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes before assembling and garnishing to your liking. Enjoy!
Mary-Beth Johnson
Mary-Beth is a creative, food-obsessed, Georgia transplant living Chicago. She is proudly and fiercely Latina, and more specifically Chapina. In her day to day she is a food educator to students around Chicagoland aged 3 to 80+, both virtually and in-person. She is passionate about cultivating the truth that every person has an understanding of food that deserves being brought to the table, and that time in the kitchen can be sacred, passionate, and an act of love for self and others. Outside the kitchen you can find her at the intersections of infertility, chronic illness, and a deep love for the dignity of all humans. She hopes to create a space that is holistic about the role of food in the social, political, relational, and physiological dynamics of our world.
