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.
Recipe reprinted from Michael Symon’s
Carnivore: 120 Recipes for Meat Lovers, by
Michael Symon with Douglas Trattner.
Copyright © 2012 by Michael Symon.
Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an
imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
COSTCO CONNECTION
A Burger to Believe In, by Chris
Kronner and Paolo Lucchesi (Item
#1247512); Fit, by Bobby Flay (Item
#1247512); and The America’s Test
Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook,
by America’s Test Kitchen (Item
#822042), are available in early
June at most Costco warehouses.
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