The Best Barbecue Burger

Memorial Day is, of course, a day to remember those who have served our country, and given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  But it has also come to be generally recognized as the kick-off to the summer season.  In our area, this means almost the end of the school year, outdoor pools are officially opened, and grills are brought out of hibernation.

Just in time for the holiday weekend, I thought I would share one of our family favorites.  It’s actually my husband’s “recipe” – for what has come to be known as a “Mitch Burger”.  It is really more a method or technique than a recipe, but it is famous with all who have tried one.  So, dust off your grill, if you haven’t already.  It’s time to make a delicious, juicy burger to rival all restaurant burgers.

There are a few secrets that make these burgers better-than-your-average Joe Shmoe burger.

To start with, it is always best to use quality meat.  We use fresh burger to make quarter pound, hand-formed patties, never the frozen hockey puck patties.  I like ground chuck, and you need it to have a little fat, about 80/20, so the patties will hold together and remain juicy after grilling. 

The next secret is the seasoning.  We mix Montreal Steak Seasoning and barbecue sauce into the meat while forming the patties.  We like Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce.  Give each patty a generous shake of seasoning, and a swirl of sauce, then mash it all in.  Be careful not to mix in too much barbecue sauce, because too much sauce makes the patties fall apart.  After forming the patties, give them one more generous sprinkle of Montreal Steak Seasoning.

We use a gas grill, and Mitch heats it to 450º, using direct heat and then turns the grill down to medium.

The next important step is to grill the buns. This truly takes the burger to the next level. Generously butter each half and sprinkle with garlic salt. Mitch grills the buns on the top rack of our Weber grill. Grill until toasty and each bun has those signature grill marks.

As for grilling the burgers, baste one side with more barbecue sauce. Transfer the burgers to the grill sauce-side down. Mitch has perfected this, too, using a double spatula technique. Scoop the patty onto one flat spatula and use another to gently ease the burger onto the grates.

Once your burgers are all on the grill, you can baste the tops of each burger with more sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Toward the end of the grilling time on the second side, you can place the cheese on each patty and grill for a couple more minutes.

A note on cheese – you can of course use any cheese you choose, but we like Colby Jack because it melts nicely on the grill and has a nice smooth flavor. Mitch folds the corners over onto the patties, to prevent major cheese drips from falling through the grates into the flames.

Once your burgers are cooked and your cheese is nice and melty, it’s time to build your masterpiece.

We like to use homemade ranch dip spread on one bun, instead of mayo, then another dose of barbecue sauce, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and BACON. Don’t forget the bacon. Often we include an onion ring, as well, but I forgot them this time, as they were our inaugural run for the season.

You can make any changes you like, but we find this burger to be a classic combination of All-American flavors. It is juicy, messy goodness that is sure to satisfy any burger craving.

Happy Memorial Day & Happy Grilling!