MY ULTIMATE BURGER FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

It is no secret that my brother Henry and I love burgers.  It's actually one of our bonding moments.  On our way home from school I'd swing Henry by my favorite spots to eat (Korean rice bowls, mainstream Mexican, and yes, Burger joints) and the procedure would always be the same. Henry would give me MASSIVE side-eye and give me that suspicious brother look, and I would have to explain to him, "Why would I have you eat something I thought you wouldn't enjoy? Am I the mean sister? No, that's Amanda, so eat up!" And wouldn't you know, he loved it all.  And he still gives me trouble when I try to take him somewhere new, which I think is his little brother duty.  

Over the course of these culinary excursions, Henry and I tasted practically every burger of note in town. He zeroed in on his favorite, The Apple Pan, and has never looked back.  Now our burger journey is back in our kitchen, where I make my "girlie" burger as Henry would call it, with arugula, swiss cheese, and a garlic aioli (basically a fancy French mayo), and Henry makes his "meaty meat boy monstrosity", as I call it, a combination of bacon, cheddar, and at least half a jar of bbq sauce, which Henry is very picky about.  These are the recipes for how to make mine, and Henry's burgers.  Enjoy!




Claire's Ultimate Burger
For 4-6 burgers
2 lbs burger blend (20 % fat ground chuck)
1 1/2 tbl salt
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbl pepper
2 tbl worcestshire sauce
1 tsp thyme, finely chopped
a little vegetable oil

For Garlic Aioli
1/2 cup Mayonaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (or any type of mustard you prefer)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
Large pinch of lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the sirloin, chuck, salt, garlic, pepper, and worcestshite sauce. Mix with your hands until just combined. You don't want to over work the meat. Carefully shape into 6 patties that are 3-inches wide and about 1 inch thick.  Heat a gas grill to high. Brush both sides of the burgers with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes, and flip over the burgers. Cook burgers until brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes for medium rare (3 minutes if topping with cheese) or a minute longer for each degree of doneness (5 minutes for medium, 6 for medium well, 7 for well done).

For the garlic aioli, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and taste to adjust the seasoning.

To serve
Good burger buns (my local bakery has delicious brioche buns I like to use) lightly grilled and buttered
arugula
garlic aioli
swiss cheese (optional)
sliced tomato
red onion, sliced thinly


For a Henry Burger,
Cheddar cheese
Bacon, cooked and sliced in half
Barbecue sauce