Burgers are simple: Burger Expert purchase a patty at the store, grill it, and serve. But vast burgers—those juicy, you still recognise them fromthe summer of 09 burgers requires some more expertise. Enter Jamie Schweid of Schweid and Sons, a New York-based ground beef purveyor that's been nearby for hundreds of years.
When I met Jamie over a burger aq(what else?) at Genuine in Gotham West Market, he chatted about burgers the equivalent way many do wine—with enchantment and passion that left me reflecting the nuances of, well, ground meat.
3. Know your chuck from your brisket (and your short rib from your sirloin, for that matter). If you've ever bought meat off of a menu, you know that there are various cuts of beef (flank, porterhouse, and ribs, to name a few). In the burger world, Jamie demonstrates, there are only about four cuts meriting knowing, each of which can be combined into different mixtures:
Short Rib: Meat from the rib area of the cow has a robust and powerful flavour (think of the richness of a veal shank in osso buco). For this reason, it's often used in a smaller ratio to round out the flavour profiles of other cuts.
Brisket: This cut has a very meaty flavour that comes from its naturally-occurring oleic acid.
Sirloin: "Having a burger with a high sirloin ratio is like having a steak," says Jamie. It has a very hearty flavour that's similar to that of short ribs. He explains that it works well in burgers because of its texture—as opposed to a strip steak, which doesn't hold well in a burger.
Chuck: This cut is beefy, but it has a clean taste and isn't overwhelming. (It also happens to be Jamie's favourite.)
4. Understand the terms of burger packaging. We've already covered "prime" meat (which is essentially young, high-fat meat), but there are also terms like "choice beef," "Certified Angus" and "grass-fed."
5. Check the freshness of the meat. In addition to the state of the beef, you should always check the expiration date on the flesh, and if listed, the day it was ground. Jamie says, "It should have been crumbled that day." And when the packaging means an expiration date, follow it.
6. Keep your patties cold and touch them with care. In serving your meat for the grill, you should always keep it as cold as viable until you're just ready to cook the patties—once they get heated, they're much more likely to fall exclusively on the grill. As for herbs and marinades? "This is where I have to take a belief. If you have the right meat, there's no cause to over-season or marinate. The meat should stand for itself." He recommends mixture kosher salt on each side of the burger, which also helps form a charring effect when pan-frying.
7. Don't over-think the cooking method. Avoid futzing with the burger once it's on the grill—the longer you touch the meat, the more possible it is to break apart. And never force down on it while it's cooking, as this just pushes the right fats out of the burger. Jamie says, "Flip once, and you're done."
8. Don't over-cook it and permit it to sit. While Jamie says he isn't one to tell people how long they should cook their burgers, he advises that the longer you cook it, the drier and less flavoursome it will be. (He goes for medium-rare.) He also states to err on the side of warning: "When you take the burger off of the grill, a lot of people don't realise that it still cooks once it's removed." He suggests removing it from the grill when it's 160° F and letting it sit for a few minutes before serving.
9. Top it with whatever you want—there's no incorrect answer. Jamie's burger of an option is served on a potato or brioche bun with American cheese and barbecue sauce, but he says, "The goddess of the burger is that there are so many toppings and buns that complement the meat." It's sufficient to find what works for you—there's really no right or wrong way to serve it.
Brisket: This cut has a very meaty flavour that comes from its naturally-occurring oleic acid.
Sirloin: "Having a burger with a high sirloin ratio is like having a steak," says Jamie. It has a very hearty flavour that's similar to that of short ribs. He explains that it works well in burgers because of its texture—as opposed to a strip steak, which doesn't hold well in a burger.
Chuck: This cut is beefy, but it has a clean taste and isn't overwhelming. (It also happens to be Jamie's favourite.)
4. Understand the terms of burger packaging. We've already covered "prime" meat (which is essentially young, high-fat meat), but there are also terms like "choice beef," "Certified Angus" and "grass-fed."
- Choice beef is a step below prime meat (as determined by the fat marbling), and select is the reasonable level of beef sold in retail. It's also the thinnest (less of that kind fat), but it doesn't have a lot of flavours. Luckily, you can regularly tell the difference—all packaged beef is marked with its USDA grade.
- Certified Angus beef uses a 10-point grading system to determine if a cut of meat meets the standards to be suited as such a cut.
- Grass-fed beef symbolises, as the name suggests, cattle that were raised eating only grass rather than grain. It doesn't have any fat marbling and has a different flavour profile than grain-fed animals—it's often gamier, leaner, and slightly healthier. But Jamie (who prefers grain-fed beef) says the health advantages are minimal: "We're talking 10 calories per serving on a 4-ounce patty, but it's same hormone-free."
10. Do what makes you happy. Yes, this is cheesy, but it's good to keep in memory—if you prefer a well-done 85/15 blend, then go for it. Jamie says, "You're a true burger lover if you eat and appreciate burgers." It's that easy. He adds, "You should never be overwhelmed when cooking a burger or feel inadequate in anyway—it's probably the easiest food to make."
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