Pickle Butter Will Totally Elevate The Flavor Of Your Homemade Burgers
It is safe to admit that we spend more time fussing over the condiments of our homemade burgers than the actual patty itself. There is a good reason for this. The condiments bring an extra sensation to the burger experience. Whether it's cheese, ketchup, olives, onions, mustard, or mayonnaise, everything you add needs to elevate the burger's flavor. One of the best, easy-to-make condiments to achieve this is pickle butter.
Pickles have been a longtime friend of the hamburger. Laying some crisp dill pickle chips across the top of a burger lends a wonderful acidity that cuts through the savoriness of the burger and provides an excellent textural contrast. Butter, if you take Gordon Ramsay's word for it, also works to complement the burger as its milk fats add a rich, beefy depth to the patties and an all-around creamy and buttery flavor.
Pickle butter combines the two ingredients into an intensely flavorful concoction; you get the bitterness of the pickles, along with the richness of the butter. And, it comes together to ooze down the side of your homemade burgers, giving them more flavor than you would likely expect.
How to make pickle butter
You can make pickle butter using either melted or softened butter. Melted butter is going to give you a great incorporation of the ingredients, really injecting all of the flavors as if you were making a sauce. Plus, you can serve it immediately by drizzling over the burger. Softened butter works if your plan is to make a compound butter that you can keep and reuse.
Pickle brine is also going to be your friend here. If you were to use only chopped pickles, their flavor could be lost in the boldness of the butter. Adding the brine concentrates the flavor and injects it right into the butter. It brings forward that acidic, pickling flavor that compliments burgers so well. Chopped pickles can be thrown in for some extra texture, along with additional herbs and spices like fresh dill, garlic or onion powder, pepper, and a dash — or two of hot sauce for an extra kick.
Once your burgers have come off of the grill, you can apply your pickle butter. The compound version can be spread over the buns or placed atop the warm patties and allowed to melt down the sides. The melted version can be spooned on as you see fit. Regardless, both will over a briny, rich, crunchy bite that will send your taste buds soaring thanks to the elevation of two ingredients that, while good on their own, are truly fantastic together.