We've always been real sticklers for the manner in which we build our burgers. We change up the ingredients going into the patty quite often, but today we're talking about the physical order in which the ingredients are layered. By stacking your burger in a certain manner, you can actually help tame the rogue condiments and escaping vegetables (we're looking at you tomato) and enhance the flavor of your burger!
We've been told 100 times over (and then some) that all of this is nonsense, just throw some meat and veg on a bun and dive in! But for us, there are certain tastes on a burger that when in combination with each other enhance their flavors, plus there are some things that just get messy when placed next to each other.
To start, we'd like to say that deep down, we're burger purists. We like a toasty bun, perfectly cooked farm fresh meat and if we're feeling saucy some bacon or jalapeno with a little mayo. But, we know that many of you prefer a burger with a bit more color and design and structure to it.
Here's how we go about it:
We begin with the bottom bun (obviously!) which we prefer toasted slightly. It will help hold your condiments in the bread and not on your shirts. This would stand to reason that condiments come next, but only your ketchup and mustard. Mayo has a more delicate texture and can get lost down below, plus it can help anchor your veggies up top!
Next up is pickles. They go under the meat so their strong crisp flavor doesn't overpower your tomato that gets added later. Add your meat and your cheese (which is hopefully melted) and then your tomato. If your cheese is melty enough it should hold the tomato still. Add your lettuce (it acts like a blanket and keeps the tomato in place) and then your onion and mayo. We prefer red onion for taste and color both. Top it off with your toasted top bun and you're all set.
If we use bacon we place it on the meat, but under the cheese. It keeps it in place and allows the taste of the two meats to mingle. Plus, it's nice to have the cheese hang onto things so you don't take one bite and end up with an entire strip of bacon that's pulled out of the assembly.
It seems like a great deal of information, but once you start assembling, it will go together in a snap! Do you like your burger layered a different way? Let us know how and why in the comments below!
Related: Recipe: Old-Fashioned Juicy Burgers
(Image: Alaina B. licensed for use under Creative Commons and Sarahrae)
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My husband would love this post - he is OBSESSED with layering his burgers "the right way" and will be visibly disappointed if one of the 80 condiments gets forgotten in the fridge.
I'm more of a burger minimalist - pickles, ketchup, mustard.
I like my tomato on top of my pickle and just a few finely diced bits of onion under that but otherwise, I'm down with your approach!
People often don't realize that making burgers and cheeseburgers is a bit different. so, I offer my cheeseburger tips if you need them: http://danamccauley.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/cheeseburger-tips-for-dad
mmm... this picture (as well as the tacos below it on the front page) make me ready for dinner...
i'm not remotely traditionalist with this sort of thing, but i think every burger should have cheese on it. tomatoes and lettuce are great, and i prefer grilled onions to raw (usually).
Avocados are also great.
ketchup, mustard, and mayo - IMO - aren't necessary...
i follow that basically but i usually put the onion under the meat patty with the pickles otherwise it ends up sliding off everywhere.
It depends on my mood, but for a more plain burger I like my cheese under the patty, with ketchup and creamy horseradish sauce on top of the patty. When I feel like a more complicated burger I put mayo/creamy horseradish and cheese below the patty with lettuce, tomato, and avocado on top. It's fairly odd that I'm so particular though, as I'm not even a huge burger fan haha.
For me: Tomatoes and lettuce should be under the patty, so the weight of the patty keeps them in place.
Pickles are between the top bun and patty. That is where cheese goes too if having a cheese burger. Onions go here too, preferable with the pickles in the holes so it makes a flat surface.
Light mayo on both buns or sandwich bread (never toasted, btw) ketchup and mustard in pickle zone.
Burger should be smashed to flatten.
Sometimes ill just have a patty on white bread with ketchup. delish
We almost do the opposite of that diagram.
When the patty is just about done, we put the cheese on it so that it melts on the grill for a while. While the meat is cooking, we arrange all the salads on the bun so that when the meat is done, we just add the patty on and we can go.
Saves time since we don't have to fluff around with salad after the patty is cooked.
It's imperative that the cheese is beside the meat though. It needs stay warm and melty.
The bun should always be buttered and given a generous amount of mayo. The tomato (which is seasoned with salt) and the mayo MUST touch each other. I don't care about the order of anything else on my burger.
Only rule I have is like buda, meat and cheese have to be together, and we put the cheese on the meat whilst its just finishing cooking.
Other than that its a free-for-all. Whatever we have in our hand first goes on first, whether that be lettuce, beetroot, tomato or all the various toppings of choice.
this picture and thread has inspired me to make burgers on the grill for dinner tonight... went with Bison instead of beef to make it a little healthier... also got an avocado yesterday to spruce it up...
thanks for the inspiration. now if only the work day was over already...
I agree with the poster who puts the veg below the meat to stabilize it. But also as a general principle I don't put two vegetables next to each other, the wetness makes them slide around. Specifially, the tomato goes on the bottom and presses into the bun a little to hold it, then the lettuce goes on top. I haven't figured out how to keep the condiments from squeezing away, so I eat my burger in a circle.
Alright. I'm leaving work right now for a cheeseburger.
Great suggestions all! Many burger epicureans out there representing!
Lettuce and tomato on the bottom to keep the lower half of the bun from getting soggy. I like my burgers greezy.
Cheese? Absolutely. Swiss is ideal.
Toasted buttered bun with a schmear of sour cream.
Grilled onions. Although a raw red onion is also deelish.
Dill pickles.
OMG. I need to get out of here. I am jonesing hard.
At Wendy's it was:
top: spoon of mayo spread, spoon of ketchup spread, four pickles, four onion rings, a tomato or two to cover, and a big slice of lettuce.
On the heel: meat patty, cheese, and then mustard in a W bead.
I like my burgers with just cheese and ketchup though.
I like it with grilled pineapple with sauteed onions and a small dash of soy sauce. I'm not into lettuce and tomato on my burgers. But I'm vegan so I don't know if my opinion counts.
For me the best trick to assembling a burger is to start early. Most people wait for the burgers to be done to start dressing the bun. We often grilling with six people, and all the burgers are done at once. In my back yard it goes like this: When the grillmaster (gm) flips the burgers, get the buns on; when the gm adds the cheese, pull the buns and start dressing. Now your bun is burger-ready and there is less of a scrum for the ketchup bottle.