Steakhouse Burger
To any real fan, a hamburger is never “just a burger.” A great burger is a work of art, passionately thought out and painstakingly executed. It’s the very extension of the grill master’s identity.
So with the smells of charcoal and grilled meat beginning to perfume backyards across the country, we challenged L.A. Times burgermeisters everywhere to submit their recipes in our third annual Battle of the Burgers. The response was amazing. We received submissions from all over the country (and even the world), for creations combining common and unusual ingredients, many drawing from local flavors and regional cuisine. Every recipe was at once unique and uniquely American.
Thousands of votes were tallied to narrow the choices to the top 20 burgers. The best recipes were then put to task in the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen. The burgers were judged by Food section editors and staff. It was tough, but after days of testing, exhaustive judging (and maybe a little post-burger napping), we came up with five favorites.
Steakhouse patties
In a large bowl, combine the ground steak with the salt, several grinds of pepper, the powdered onion and garlic powders, beaten egg, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and Parmesan cheese. Mix the ingredients together until combined, being careful not to overwork. Cover and refrigerate the meat for 30 to 40 minutes.
Divide the mixture and form into 6 patties, making sure to indent the center of each patty so it does not plump up on the grill. Crack a little more black pepper over each patty and refrigerate until ready to grill.
Caramelized onions
Halve the onions and thinly slice. Place the onions in a bowl and toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat.
Warm a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add one-fourth cup olive oil, and when the oil just starts to shimmer, add the onions. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring infrequently.
After about 20 minutes, stir in one-half teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, along with the sugar. Cook an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the onions begin to caramelize, and their volume has reduced by more than half, 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from heat and remove the onions, leaving any leftover bits and juices in the pan (the pan will be used to make the steak sauce).
Mushroom reduction
In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic, cooking until the shallot is nearly translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and season with one teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper, or to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 hours until the mushrooms are soft and reduced in volume by over half. Add the wine and, off heat, carefully light a match over the wine to burn off the alcohol. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Steakhouse burgers
Heat the grill.
Halve the burger buns and brush the bottoms with steak sauce.
Grill the burgers, brushing the tops with steak sauce after they are flipped. Just before the burgers are finished, add the buns to lightly toast. When the burgers are done, remove and rest under foil for about 10 minutes.
Add a large scoop of mushrooms to the bottom of each bun. Place a burger over the mushrooms and top with caramelized onions, then the bun top.
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