By Rodney Richey, Herald Bulletin Feature Writer
ANDERSON — The way a person cooks a hamburger is as individual as fingerprints, since the process contains so many variables: type of meat, ratio of fat to lean, thickness, grilling time, type of grill, type of wood used in open fire, toppings, cheese, buns, condiments, etc.
For instance, one of the best burgers this writer ever had was in a dump of a place on the beach in Playa del Rey, Calif. It was called The Shack (you can read about it on the Internet). And the big attraction was the Double Shack, with a half-pound of beef charbroiled, topped with Monterey jack cheese and a split, charbroiled Louisiana hot link.
Of course, you could eat a bowl of soap shavings on the beach in Playa del Rey and probably enjoy yourself just as much. In other words, it’s not the burger, but the care one puts into it that matters, as well as the atmosphere in which it is served.
That said, we contacted a few people in the county who cook hamburgers for a living, asking them for their own tips or rules for making the best.
“Try not to flip it so many times, so the juice stays inside the burger. Don’t press down too much, so the flavor stays in.”
Matt Cauley
The Bank Restaurant
110 W State St.
Pendleton
778-1446
“Buy the best ingredients you can get. That’s always a good way to start. I like a leaner mix, like an 85/15 mix, along in there.”
Bill Pitts
Lemon Drop
1701 Mounds Road
Anderson
644-9055
“I definitely like to put garlic seasoning on them. And I like to grill the buns, because that makes them wonderful.”
Rachel Trent
The Lighthouse Café
102 N. Harrison St.
Alexandria
724-7150
“We charbroil ours, and we know how long it takes for the size of hamburgers we have. And we have special seasoning for them, but we’re not going to tell you that.”
Brenda Stamm
Kroakerheads
1239 Meridian Plaza
Anderson
649-7311
“Some places put a weight on their burgers, and that’s not good, because you lose all the flavor, all the juice.”
Gabriela Meanor
Sahm’s at Pendleton
1251 Huntzinger Blvd.
Pendleton
778-1577
“I cut into (the burger) about halfway, just a couple of chops, to make sure it gets cooked all the way through. At home, I put 21 Seasoning and salt and pepper on them.”
Chris Hall
The Toast
28 E. 13th St.
Anderson
644-8131
“My secret is, don’t cook them too long. I cook mine for three minutes on each side. That’s it.”
Bobbie Rousey
Lucy’s Dining
2460 E. Ind. 67
Chesterfield
643-3144
