09 Mar The Ultimate Burger Building Guide

Burger assembly is an art form. Too much sauce or an incorrectly placed tomato will cause the patty to slide around or if you use the wrong kind of bread, you’ll end up with a crumbly, difficult-to-eat burger. But nothing beats a nicely prepared burger – where each bite, you receive succulent beef, fresh crunchy lettuce, sweet tomato, and the tangiest burger sauce. We’re getting hungry just thinking about it!

The key to making the perfect burger is to use the correct meat and cooking technique. Once you’ve mastered the foundations, the architecture of your burger can improve the taste and overall eating experience. The perfect burger can be anything you want it to be, with unlimited variations of crunchy, gooey and tangy-sweet toppings, different methods of preparation and seemingly infinite choices for meat and buns. 

Step One: Burger Buns

Nothing compares to a traditional hamburger bun sprinkled with sesame or poppy seeds. However, the choices are endless. If you prefer your bread to have a savoury flavour, sesame buns are a good choice. Sesame rolls are light and airy, with sturdy bottoms that can hold up to heavy patties. Brioche buns are also a hit if you’re looking for something distinctive with a hint of sweetness. 

Whichever bread you use, toasting it beforehand is the key to getting it to hold together. To keep the outside of the bun fluffy, toast only the inside. Just cut the bread in half and prepare a griddle or frying pan over low heat. Place the bread cut side down for a couple of minutes, or until lightly toasted.

Step Two: The Meat

The meat is what gives a burger its flavour and is arguably its most crucial component. Although the traditional burger has an all-beef patty, the options are endless. With its buttery, almost sweet flavour and exquisite umami undertones, Wagyu burgers are the pinnacle of a good dining experience. At Blake’s Fine Foods, our 180g Wagyu Burger Patties are a top seller and recommend trying your shot at making the ideal Wagyu Burger. Our 190g Grassfed Beef Burgers is another great choice if you are into a more traditional option. 

Step Three: Cheese, Please!

If cheese is incorporated into a burger, it should be melted. Cheddar, Gouda, American Jack Cheese or Emmental are the most reliable firm cheeses to use. After flipping your burger, top it with a small slice of your preferred cheese, for that perfect melt. Since you don’t want the cheese to overshadow the flavour of the burger, it’s important to choose one that is neutral in flavour and not too overpowering. 

Step Four: The Salad

Lettuce: Choose something crunchy, like Iceberg or Romaine lettuce, bunch it up, and slice it into ribbons  if you’re looking for a straightforward option. The distinctive peppery flavor of rocket, which pairs well with cheese, makes it another excellent choice. Coleslaw or cabbage is a fantastic addition to your list of burger toppings since it provides the ideal crunchy contrast to a luscious beef burger.

The lettuce serves as a barrier on top of the bun, keeping the patty’s fluids from seeping in and causing it to become soggy. The lettuce’s freshness is preserved by avoiding direct contact with the hot patty, which also prevents the lettuce from withering. 

Tomato: Choose ripe tomatoes without too much pulp—if you can find them, go for maximum-flesh heirloom tomatoes. When used as fundamental components rather than sitting on top of the patties, slippery vegetables like lettuce and tomato are less likely to slide off the burger. While the weight of the patties and the texture of its bottom surface will assist hold the tomato in place, placing half of your toppings on the bottom and half on top of the burger prevents it from being top-heavy and thus unstable.

Pickles: Sliced pickles are a must-have and serve as a counterbalance to the heavier ingredients. 

Onion: Although sweet red onions are preferred over white ones, don’t forget them either way. For a homage to the days of fast food burgers, slice them into rings or finely chop them. If you prefer sweetness and softness to pungency, caramelize the onions until they are ready to pair with barbecue sauce.

Step Five: Colourful Condiments 

Nowadays, it’s all about spicing up your burger with a variety of colourful sauces and dips, including several flavours of BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and flavour-infused mayonnaise. Between the top and bottom buns, divide your condiments. By doing this, you can avoid an abundance of sauce that will drip and ooze out as you eat, preserving the distinctiveness of their flavours. If you’re using mayo, it’s advised to spread it on the bottom bun since the fat in the mayo will act as a barrier to stop the bun from absorbing burger fluids and becoming soggy.

Step Six: How to Assemble

1. Lightly toasted burger buns
2. Sliced Pickles
3. Burger patty with melted cheese
4. Add your salad – onion, lettuce and tomato in that order
5. Lastly, a spread of sauce on the top bun

This combination of ingredients ensures that the burger holds its shape, making it easy to eat.

Cooking methods, timing and toppings are completely up to the individual — this is where you can get creative and invent your unique burger recipe. But if you follow these recommendations, your hamburger will be plump and oozing with flavour.

Blake’s Fine Foods provide only the tastiest of exquisite meats and seafood. We source our products from local producers, in addition to; internationally accredited suppliers. We do Wagyu beef the right way!