Name: Heritage Commons Cheeseburger Recipe
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef (80/20); 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp coarsely ground black pepper; 1 tbs vegetable oil (or neutral oil); 4 pieces sesame seed hamburger buns; 4 slices American cheese slices (or cheddar); 2 tbs butter (softened); 4 tbs mayonnaise; 2 tsp yellow mustard; 4 tsp ketchup; 0.25 cups red onion; 1 medium tomato; 4 leaves iceberg lettuce; 8 slices dill pickle slices; 0.5 cups store-bought or homemade burger sauce; 1 tsp optional: Worcestershire sauce

Method

Burgers

Form patties

Divide the 1 lb ground beef into 4 equal portions (about 4 oz / 115 g each). Gently form each portion into a patty about 3.5 inches (9 cm) in diameter and roughly 3/4 inch thick. Make a shallow indentation in the center of each patty with your thumb to prevent doming while cooking. Do not overwork the meat.

Season

Season both sides of each patty with kosher salt (about 1/4 tsp per side) and coarsely ground black pepper.

Cook patties

Heat a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers and is hot, add patties without crowding the pan (cook in batches if necessary). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side without moving so a crust forms. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes on the second side for medium doneness. Adjust time +/- 1 minute for desired doneness. During the last 30–45 seconds of cooking, place a slice of American cheese on each patty and cover the pan with a lid to melt the cheese.

Rest patties

Transfer cooked patties to a plate and let rest for 2 minutes to redistribute juices while you prepare buns and toppings.

Buns & Toppings

Prepare vegetables

Thinly slice the tomato and red onion. Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Have pickle slices ready. Use about 1–2 tomato slices and 2 pickle slices per burger, plus one leaf of lettuce and a few thin onion rings.

Toast buns

Heat a clean skillet or griddle over medium heat. Spread softened butter on cut sides of the sesame buns. Place buns cut-side down on the skillet and toast until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Assemble burgers

Spread about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise onto the bottom bun (or 1–2 tablespoons of the optional burger sauce). Place the lettuce leaf on the mayo, then the cheesy beef patty. Top the patty with tomato slice(s), red onion rings, and 2 pickle slices. Spread ketchup and mustard (about 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp ketchup) on the top bun, then place it on top. Serve immediately.

Optional Sauce

If using optional burger sauce, spoon 2 tablespoons onto the bottom bun in place of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon on the top bun for extra flavor. If you like, stir 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce into the burger sauce for depth.