The Kitchn shares a diagram illustrating how they build a burger with an explanation on why the ingredients are stacked the way they are.
I like their illustration, but my ideal burger is considerably simpler. It goes a little something like this:
Toasted top bun
Butter slathering on bun
Lettuce...maybe
Melted cheese
Patty
Butter slathering on bun
Toasted bottom bun
The lack of non-meat ingredients has to do with my dislike towards raw tomatoes in sandwiches and the "Oh god, why did I do that?" regret I feel when I eat raw onions and subsequently have raw onion essence infused in my mouth for the rest of the day. I'm okay with pickles, but I don't require them. If there's lots of butter, I'm a happy gal.
I've found it extremely tasty to simply incorporate external ingrediants, internally....adding onions or chorizo or cheese etc. etc. inside rather than outside...it gets cooked therefore less intrusive outside. Best recent ingrediants....coffee (as a liquid), brown sugar, garden greens and so on. bring it on!!
If I'm adding onions I only add Walla Walla Sweets or when they are out of season just a plain red onion. Never a regular white or yellow onion. That's when you get he onion taste throughout your mouth. Personally I think if you are going to put raw onion on anything it should be a red onion.
I'm so glad you asked this question. This is a pet peeve of mine. I do not like getting a burger with the veggies between the cheese and the bun. This is the proper order (to me): Top bun, toasted, melted cheese, burger, pickles, onion thinly sliced, tomato, lettuce, mustard, bottom bun. Most often I do not add tomato, or lettuce. I really dislike mustard against the cheese. It gives a tang that is not tasty. When the veggies are on top of melted cheese it seems to be a much sloppier experience. If I opt for lettuce I prefer it shredded as it is easier to eat than a whole leaf of lettuce that sometimes makes everything slide around. I also prefer red onion.
almost the same as the picture except i place the onions on top of the cheese then tomato then lettuce but if the burger is good enough, all those veges get pulled off.
I absolutely hate a soggy bun, I will seriously stop eating a burger once the bun starts to feel wet, so I have to have my ketchup or BBQ sauce (the only wet things I put on my burger) on the patty with pickles and lettuce between it and the bun.
I like my chopped red onions & fresh, non-pickled jalapeno slices on top of melting cheese. They're less likely to fall out of the burger that way. Any bacon should be at the very top. I like mayo on the top, especially with bacon, and spicy mustard on the bottom. Both buns griddled or toasted. And a little less than a 1/4 teaspoon of anchovy paste in the burger patty really makes a difference.
@chascates, don't you find the flavor of raw jalapenos takes over the burger? I really wish Five Guys would use the pickled ones, every time I've tried their (fresh) jalapenos, it just ends up making the predominant flavor 'burn.'
I take care of the pungent onion flavor by placing thinly sliced onion on the just-flipped burger, then placing the cheese on top to melt. By the time the meat is done, the onion has softened and mellowed.
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20 Comments:
I will take mine American Zen/Commando style style - Bun, American cheese, beef, salt. And I am beging to waiver on the need for cheese.
Nick Solares at 5:05PM on 05/28/09
I've found it extremely tasty to simply incorporate external ingrediants, internally....adding onions or chorizo or cheese etc. etc. inside rather than outside...it gets cooked therefore less intrusive outside. Best recent ingrediants....coffee (as a liquid), brown sugar, garden greens and so on. bring it on!!
burgerbanquet at 6:14PM on 05/28/09
My ideal burger is a very simple cheeseburger with lettuce and onion. I wrote a quite detailed step-by-step procedure to make it at http://sites.google.com/site/matteorisoldi/i-like/hamburger
risoldi at 6:21PM on 05/28/09
Omit the mayo and mustard, and this looks like my kind of burger.
JGordon at 6:42PM on 05/28/09
If I'm adding onions I only add Walla Walla Sweets or when they are out of season just a plain red onion. Never a regular white or yellow onion. That's when you get he onion taste throughout your mouth. Personally I think if you are going to put raw onion on anything it should be a red onion.
KingBoo at 6:43PM on 05/28/09
I'm so glad you asked this question. This is a pet peeve of mine. I do not like getting a burger with the veggies between the cheese and the bun. This is the proper order (to me): Top bun, toasted, melted cheese, burger, pickles, onion thinly sliced, tomato, lettuce, mustard, bottom bun. Most often I do not add tomato, or lettuce. I really dislike mustard against the cheese. It gives a tang that is not tasty. When the veggies are on top of melted cheese it seems to be a much sloppier experience. If I opt for lettuce I prefer it shredded as it is easier to eat than a whole leaf of lettuce that sometimes makes everything slide around. I also prefer red onion.
kp73120 at 9:59PM on 05/28/09
Toasted bun, mayo, burger, bacon, cheese, burger, bacon, cheese, mayo, pickles, toasted bun.
NotAmerican at 4:24AM on 05/29/09
almost the same as the picture except i place the onions on top of the cheese then tomato then lettuce but if the burger is good enough, all those veges get pulled off.
stewmeat at 9:12AM on 05/29/09
Way too complicated and busy. Mine is...
Soft top bun, toasted
Dime size dab of ketchup or El Yucateco hot sauce
Melted cheese, preferably American
Burger
Soft bottom bun, toasted
ESNY1077 at 9:54AM on 05/29/09
I absolutely hate a soggy bun, I will seriously stop eating a burger once the bun starts to feel wet, so I have to have my ketchup or BBQ sauce (the only wet things I put on my burger) on the patty with pickles and lettuce between it and the bun.
PanemEtCircenses at 12:32PM on 05/29/09
this is my favorite blog/website. i personally love mustard (no ketchup) and pickles!!! and cheese.
helpandbehelped at 3:24PM on 05/29/09
Bun, cheese, patty, bun. Sometimes raw onion above the cheese.
ratbuddy at 3:39PM on 05/29/09
Thanks to AHT I now put my mayo on the bottom bun. My order:
top bun
lettuce (optional)
tomato (optional)
cheese
patty
mayo
bottom bun
If no lettuce and tomato, I like pickles above the cheese.
Sakura at 7:02PM on 05/29/09
I like my chopped red onions & fresh, non-pickled jalapeno slices on top of melting cheese. They're less likely to fall out of the burger that way. Any bacon should be at the very top. I like mayo on the top, especially with bacon, and spicy mustard on the bottom. Both buns griddled or toasted. And a little less than a 1/4 teaspoon of anchovy paste in the burger patty really makes a difference.
chascates at 5:21PM on 05/30/09
Hold the lettuce and tomato,they add absolutely nothing to a burger.
dmcavanagh at 10:51PM on 05/30/09
@chascates, don't you find the flavor of raw jalapenos takes over the burger? I really wish Five Guys would use the pickled ones, every time I've tried their (fresh) jalapenos, it just ends up making the predominant flavor 'burn.'
ratbuddy at 12:31AM on 05/31/09
i have a mayo-phobia
that stuff is not allowed anywhere near my burger
sometimes i like a MAYO FREE spicy coleslaw on my burgers yum yum!
Deeberry at 6:48PM on 05/31/09
actually, hold the ketchup too ... too darn weird tasting for me, i have never been a fan of the stuff
my perfect burger is a chicken burger with lettuce, avocado, tomato, olive tapenade, and spicy stoneground mustard
or a bison burger with mustard, pickles, and lettuce
or a salmon burger with spicy mayo-free coleslaw and apricot jam .. mmmm
Deeberry at 6:52PM on 05/31/09
I take care of the pungent onion flavor by placing thinly sliced onion on the just-flipped burger, then placing the cheese on top to melt. By the time the meat is done, the onion has softened and mellowed.
soozm32 at 11:41AM on 06/01/09
@ratbuddy: You're right. It does hijack the thing. But I'm such a sucker for HOT I fall for it most of the time. Bacon is a better treat.
chascates at 11:44PM on 06/01/09