The Costco Connection

Michael Symon’s
Lola Burger

A great burger is all about the meat.

Make sure you don’t buy super-lean ground beef or your burger will be dry and flavorless. I recommend you use equal parts brisket, beef cheek and sirloin; they’ll yield about a 75-to- 25 meat-to-fat ratio. But even more important than the cut of meat is the grind. The best texture results from passing your meat through the large die (¼ inch)

twice. This is more important than the actual cut, provided you retain the ratio of three parts meat and one part fat.

Michael Symon ( michaelsymon.com) is a chef and co-host of the TV show The Chew. His most recent cookbook is Michael Symon’s Playing with Fire: BBQ and More from the Grill, Smoker, and Fireplace (Clarkson Potter, 2018; not available at Costco).

Burger’s best buds French fries. This traditional side is great whether you like them plain, with ketchup or mayonnaise or smothered in cheese or chili, or made from sweet potatoes or yucca.

Chips. With flavors such as
salt and pepper or barbecue,
or something more advent-
urous, such as Thai chili or
maple bacon, potato chips
are a classic fit for making a
meal out of your burger.

Salad. Again, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what kind of salad you have: pasta salad, fruit salad or a veggies-only dish.

And don’t forget: Iceberg
lettuce leaves make a great
bun alternative.

Other sides to consider include coleslaw, applesauce, baked beans, onion rings, Tater Tots, green beans, baked potatoes and grilled vegetables.

—Stephanie E. Ponder

Michael Symon
Lola Burger

8 slices bacon

24 ounces ground beef, 75% lean
Kosher salt and cracked
black pepper

4 thin cheddar cheese slices

4 English muffins, split

4 large eggs

1 dill pickle, sliced ½ cup pickled red onions

4 teaspoons spicy ketchup

Build a medium-hot fire in your grill or preheat a stovetop grill pan.

Cook the bacon in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, turning once, until crisp, about 5 minutes.

Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain, and reserve the bacon fat in the pan.

Form the ground beef into 4 patties, each about 3½ inches in diameter. Season the patties liberally with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place the burgers on the grill or in the grill pan and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the burgers and top each with a slice of cheese.

Grill for 3 minutes for medium-rare.

Remove to a plate. Add the English muffins to the grill or grill pan and toast for 1 minute.

Cook the eggs sunny side up in the bacon fat while the burgers rest.

Build the burgers by sandwiching them between the muffin halves along with pickle slices, red onions, bacon, an egg and some spicy ketchup. Makes 4 servings.