Gordon Ramsay's Top Tip For Perfectly Seasoned Burgers
Hamburgers, considered an iconic American sandwich, originated (not surprisingly) in Hamburg, Germany, where, during the early 19th century, they began chopping up high-quality beef, seasoning it, and making it into patties. Later, this concoction came to America (at this point being called a hamburg steak), where lower quality meat replaced it, thus making it a less expensive choice in restaurants.
Since then, chefs like Gordon Ramsay have taken the burger to a new level, and his recipe for preparing the perfect one has become a standard for those with discriminating palates. Ramsay claimed on Reddit that there are only five things everyone needs to know how to cook: a healthy breakfast, a braising dish, chicken, cake and of course, a great burger. Ramsay owns over 70 restaurants around the world, featuring of course, his classic hamburgers.
So, what's his special technique for creating that great burger? It's all in the seasoning.
Flavor, flavor, flavor
As Ramsay told ABC News, he recommends rolling all sides of the burger in the seasoning mixture. This should be done the day before cooking, suggests Ramsay, and refrigerated so the patties stay firm. He believes seasoning should be added right before grilling, again while it's cooking, and also on the bun itself. And, when it comes to the "Hell's Kitchen" chef, his "secret" grilling method involves brushing his patties all over with butter while they cook. "If you want to become even more chef-y," says Ramsay, "make it a red wine butter, a chipotle butter ... it is up to you to sort of make it your own."
If you like your burger spicy, take a page out of Ramsay's cookbook, "Ramsay in 10," per Insider, where he advises you to top it with a combination of mayonnaise and Sriracha — or mustard if you can't take the heat. Ramsay, who could be considered a real-life "burger king," recommends adding garlic powder and grilled onions to the patty to further enhance the flavor of the beef.