This Bun for Hire: Building a Better Burger

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WHAT'S COOKING for your Labor Day barbecue? Chances are, it's burgers.

When throwing beef on the grill, more than half of U.S. consumers opt for hamburgers over steak, according to a 2008 survey funded by the Beef Checkoff, an industry market-research program. But merely slipping a patty between two slabs of bread doesn't make you a gourmet burger chef -- that's why locals are flocking to the seemingly endless number of meat-and-buns joints opening in and around D.C. But if you ditch the Costco patties and stale buns and look to the experts for inspiration, you can re-create the craze on your grill.

That means homemade, hand-formed burgers that start with great meat. Nick Furlow, butcher at the Organic Butcher (6712 Old Dominion Drive, McLean; 703-790-8300), opts for ground chuck for beef burgers. "It's got a little more fat, which makes it juicier, more tender, more flavorful," he says. Though he prefers the lower-priced, high-in-fat chuck, his shop will grind all varieties of meat -- including Waygu beef, lamb and even ostrich -- provided you call ahead.

And of course, cow isn't the only thing that goes nicely on a bun. In their new cookbook, "Two Dudes, One Pan: Maximum Flavor From a Minimalist Kitchen" ($25, Clarkson Potter), caterers/restaurateurs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo offer recipes for pork burgers with fennel-apple slaw and lamb burgers with pickled red onions and an aioli made from harissa, a spicy North African pepper paste. To come up with your own signature sandwich, "Just think about things you like to eat and the ingredients that are on that dish," Shook says. Like sausage-and-pepper subs, turkey-and-gouda sandwiches or Reubens with extra sauerkraut? "Maybe you could take that and turn it into a burger."

What you put on that burger, matters, too -- just look at the popularity of the topping selections at Big Buns Gourmet Grill (4401 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-276-3032). Co-owners Craig Carey and Tom Racosky recommend going beyond the lettuce-tomato-onion triumvirate. Think black-bean mango salsa, roasted corn salsa, avocado slices, bacon, fried onion straws and six varieties of cheese. Many of these can be easily re-created at home, but you can also hit Harris Teeter or Trader Joe's for accompaniments. Serve mini-burgers and guests will have the opportunity to try more than one flavor combination.

Anything goes on a burger, really. Carey cites a fried egg as an out-there topping that adds a delicious sloppiness to the mix. Shook likes fries, slaw and other bar-food staples but draws the line at fine-dining favorites like fois gras and lobster that are popping up on menus across the country. "That's not even a burger to me anymore," he said.

The experts differ on where sauces should go, but Shook advocates strongly for sauce on top. He puts the burger directly atop the bottom bun -- "because we like to let a little bit of juice settle into the bun" -- and then piles the other toppings on top. "Usually, our sauce is a little like a dressing. It dresses all the other condiments."

If your designated griller accidentally overcooks the burgers, a good sauce can save you. Carey, a self-described "sauce fanatic," recommends tweaking traditional sauces, adding jalapenos or fresh tomatoes to Thousand Island dressing, for example. The shop's popular Chipotle Pesto Aioli is essentially mayonnaise zipped up with by pesto, chipotle peppers and a touch of cilantro. Carey suggests putting sauces in those plastic ketchup and mustard squeeze bottles and leaving them on the topping bar at a backyard party.

Feeling overwhelmed? The minimalist approach works, too. "If it's good meat, you shouldn't need to put anything in it," says Furlow. In fact, many burger experts apply this less-is-more philosophy to seasoning. Onion salt and garlic powder are common in patty recipes, but salt and perhaps a touch of pepper should be all you need.

Besides the bread, of course. For Shook, a good roll can make or break a burger. He likes his to be soft and buttery. Brioche is good, as are King's Hawaiian Sweet rolls or potato rolls. Ciabatta and other stiff breads won't do. When you bite into those, "the burger shoots out the back," he said.

Not liking meat, or even fish, is no obstacle at a burger bash these days, either. Oversize portobellos, slices of eggplant and even grilled cheeses topped with burger sauces and toppings often stand in for ground-beef patties. The veggie burger route is another option, but home cooks can go beyond the token box of Boca Burgers.

Vegcooking.com offers a handful of mushroom and veggie burger recipes. In "The New Moosewood Cookbook," seminal vegetarian cookbook author Mollie Katzen offers a recipe for a lentil-walnut burger.

No matter how you plan to grill, proper preparation is key. In his book, Shook recommends making a mold -- either using the lid of a plastic container like a peanut butter jar or cutting a circle out of a block of Styrofoam -- to ensure all of your burger patties are the same thickness so that they cook at the same speed. Says Shook: "Don't be pattying burgers when your guests show up, because you're not going to have as much fun."

RECIPE: LAMB BURGERS
Makes 4 burgers
» Harissa aioli (recipe below)
» 1 3/4 pounds ground lamb
» 2 tsp. kosher salt
» 2 tbsp. canola oil
» 6 burger buns
» 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
» 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
» 1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
» 2 cups arugula
» picked red onions
Stir the aioli ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until serving (or up to two days).

Place the meat in a large bowl and use your hands to work in the salt. Form the meat into four patties. Add the oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the burgers, covered, until browned, three to four minutes. Flip the burgers and cook, covered, until your desired degree of doneness, another two to three minutes. Place the burgers on a platter and set aside. Wipe out your skillet with a paper towel. Spread the cut side of each bun with some softened butter, then place them cut-side down in the pan and cook until lightly toasted.

Harissa Aioli
» 1 cup mayonnaise
» 1/2 cup prepared harissa
» 3 tbsp. ketchup
Spread some aioli on the top half of each bun and place a burger on the bottom half. Top the burger with some pickled onions, feta and arugula, add the top bun and serve.
from "two dudes, one pan"

Written by Express contributor Julia Beizer
Photos by Lawrence Luk for Express