Un-Wimpy Burgers

The origins of the hamburger are as controversial as the genesis of the universe. There are five well known claims as to its creator.

They are, in date order: 1) the Menches family in the Midwest in the early 1880's, 2) Charlie Seymour of Wisconsin in 1885 at a county fair, 3) Louis Lassen of New Haven, Connecticut at his luncheonette in 1890, 4) Otto Kusaw, a chef at a restaurant in Hamburg, Germany, (hence the name hamburger), in 1891, and 5) Fletch Davis, from Athens, Texas in 1904 where he sold them at the St Louis World's Fair.

The goal in making a hamburger is to maximize flavor and juiciness.

Here's where a few additions come in. For every pound of meat I mix in a half cup of beef/veal stock and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, as well as a generous helping of kosher salt and black pepper.

The stock, if you've degreased it properly, will not add that much fat. But because of it's gelatin content, (denatured proteins), it will contribute delicious moisture.

Olive oil is a fat but not saturated. It will further increase the hamburger's juiciness without adding unhealthy fat. The oil will augment the flavor profile of the burger as well.

Form your burgers, place them on a hot grill, flip them only once, and DO NOT press them with the spatula. Squishing them will cook them quicker but you'll squeeze out some of the juice.

The last thing you need to do to achieve a juicy burger is to not cook it beyond medium. I promised myself when I started food writing that I would never open up the well-done-meat can of worms and I'm not now.

If you insist on overcooking your meat, knock yourself out. But the fact remains that the less you cook it, the juicier it will be. Your choice.

How long your burger will need to cook depends on its thickness, the intended degree of doneness, and the temperature of your grill. Professional cooks learn to judge the doneness by touch.

The more done it is, the harder it will feel when you poke it. Of course you could cut it open but this will dispel some of the juice. You'll just need to practice with your grill and the thickness level of the burgers that you prefer.

Follow all the above steps and you'll quickly see why Wimpy went for the burgers and left Popeye with the spinach.

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