Calling all burger fanatics! The search for the perfect hamburger is over. You can stop googling “how to make the perfect hamburger”. You don’t need to buy any more gadgets and tools off TV commercials.

All you need to do is follow these pieces of advice from a trust food scientist to make the best burger ever.

Start with the meat.

Start by grabbing some beef short ribs from your local market. If you’ve heard that they tend to be tough, forget this.

You can get around that problem by grinding the meat at home. This way you know how much fat goes into each individual burger.

To spice it?

Big on spices? Maybe even breadcrumbs. Leave those for your meatballs. They’re not needed in a patty. (Hold that salt for now. It’ll come up later.)

Shape that patty properly.

Next, work the meat into a patty. It’s ready when it starts to stick to the palm of your hand.

Before cooking, shape it into a volcano. Bring the edges up a bit leaving a divot in the center. It’ll even out as it cooks.

Here comes the salt…

Now you can grab your salt. Add some to eat patty right before cooking.

Griddle, pan, or skillet?

Drop into a shallow cast iron skillet coated with pork or beef fat. (Avoid using butter. It’s likely to burn.)

The skillet helps cook your burger nice and evenly — avoid those burnt, dry, overcooked areas!

Flat side of the patty goes down first.

Watch closely as it cooks.

Once the bottom side starts to brown, it’s ready to flip.

Do. not. touch. the. burger. Let it do its thing.

Also note: you should not test your burger by cutting into it.

Timing it can be tricky, too. You can give each side three minutes on the skillet. BUT still watch your burger closely. Try to develop the skillset where you can touch your patty and know it’s ready.

So, what about the cheese?

American? Cheddar? Munster? They all melt well. Let’s be real, though. American is a bit bland. Munster is super complex. Opt for cheddar if you want a flavor profile in the middle.

And the bun.

Texture is always better. Kick it up a notch by toasting your bread in butter.

For those toppings.

Don’t forget about texture, color, and taste. It’ll make all the difference in constructing your perfect hamburger.

Watch it all go down here:

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