American Beef Burger Recipes

Ever wondered why a burger usually made with a beef patty is called a hamburger? According to folklore, amongst the first people to make the burger were brothers Frank and Charles Menches. The story goes that they fell short of pork for their sausage sandwiches. They substituted pork with beef but weren't pleased with the outcome. To add flavor to the meat, they added coffee, brown sugar and a few other ingredients. The outcome was served by them at the Erie County Fair in 1885, and the name coined was in honor of the city (Hamburg), New York where the fair was held.

Burgers are a favorite among American fast foods. Not only do they taste good, they are also very easy to prepare. Store-bought beef patties will have you serving up a meal of burgers in no time. Though contemporary burger patties are made from different kinds of meat and poultry, the best kind are made entirely of ground beef.

America's Favorite Beef Burger

Ingredients

• 1 small onion
• 1 egg
• 500 g good-quality minced beef
• 4 burger buns
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large onion
• 2 pickled gherkins
• A handful of iceberg lettuce
• Mayonnaise and Ketchup

Preparation

1. Finely chop the small onion. Mix it with the egg and minced beef in a large bowl. Next, divide the mixture into four equal sized portions. Oil your palms and roll each portion into a ball. Then gently press each ball to flatten it, but maintain at least 3 cm thickness. Ensure that all the patties are of the same size and width for them to cook evenly. Place them in a plate. Cover the plate with cling film and keep in the refrigerator to become firm.
2. Chop the large tomato and onion into rings. Slice the gherkins. Place the sliced tomato, onion, gherkins and lettuce on separate plates and put them on the table along with the jars of mayonnaise and ketchup.
3. Prepare the barbecue to medium hot by heating it for approximately 40 minutes. Brush one side of the burger with oil and place it on the barbecue rack, so that the oiled side makes contact with the rack. The cooking time depends on how well you want your meat done. Cook for 5 minutes until the surface is dark brown. Brush the other side with oil and carefully turn over with a pair of tongs and cook for another 5 minutes. Don't press the meat while cooking or you will lose all the juices. Follow this time frame if you want your beef patty medium done. If you want it pink in the center, cook it (on each side) for 2 minutes less, and one minute more if you want it well done.
4. Take the burger off the barbecue but don't use it until it stops sizzling. Meanwhile, slice the buns in half and place the cut-side down on the barbecue rack for about a 1 minute. Place a burger patty within each bun and allow each person to add their choice of accompaniment. If you choose to assemble each burger, then place a nice crisp leaf of lettuce on the toasted surface of the lower half of the bun. Place 2 slices of tomato on the lettuce, and on the tomato goes the beef patty. Top off the patty with 2 slices of gherkins and a few onion rings and sandwich it with the other half of the bun. It is advisable to allow each person to add their choice of sauce, as most people prefer either mayonnaise or ketchup.

Spicy Sauce Beef Burger

Butter Burger

• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 pounds ground beef
• 4 ounces American cheese, cut into 6 portions
• Salt and pepper

Spicy Sauce

• Hot sauce
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeos
• cup ketchup
• cup yellow mustard

To serve

• 6 onion slices
• 6 leaves lettuce
• 6 tomato slices
• 6 hamburger buns, sliced in half

Directions

1. Mix the ground beef with the butter cubes and add salt and pepper in proportion. Divide the mixture into six portions. After lightly oiling your palms, roll each portion into a ball and insert a piece of cheese into the center of the ball of meat. Press the balls into patties and cook them on a hot grill or in a skillet.
2. Mix the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, ketchup, hot sauce and chopped jalapeos in a bowl.
3. Assemble the burger by placing the butter patty on the lower half of bun. Top it generously with the spicy sauce, slice of tomato, onion and lettuce and sandwich with the top piece of the bun. Your saucy burgers are ready to be served!

For most of us, the mere thought of a juicy beef burger sets our taste buds tingling. The best part of making burgers is that you can include only those accompaniments that you like, thus creating your own custom-made burger!