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The Ultimate Hamburger

From

June/July 2005

The Ultimate Hamburger

Our Ultimate Hamburger recipe began with a panade—a blend of bread crumbs and milk—that helped to bind the burgers together. We also added bacon fat to the beef mixture. The rich, smoky-tasting fat added flavor and kept the meat moist. A little minced garlic also helped flavor the meat. We were gentle with the beef mixture while mixing and shaping the burgers—overworking the meat can yield tough, dense burgers.

Serves 4

For this recipe, you want ground beef that is 85 percent to 90 percent lean. With the added bacon fat, 80 percent lean beef will make slightly greasy burgers. Crumble the cooked bacon slices over a salad, or use the slices as a burger topping.

Ingredients

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