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Steakhouse Steakburger Recipe

Hamburger on homemade brioche bun
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I serve these Steakhouse Steakburgers in a bowl because they are so juicy.
Serve with: a cola or root beer.
Course:
Dinner
,
Lunch
,
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
difficulty scale

Makes:

Servings: 2 burgers

Takes:

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 1 pound loosely ground short rib meat or chuck steak, 20 to 30% fat
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
  • 1 teaspoon  Morton Coarse Kosher Salt 
  • 2 buns
  • 4 slices high quality thick bacon
  • 2 iceberg or Romaine lettuce leaves, cold
  • 2 slices of raw Vidalia, Walla Walla, or red onion, about 1/8" thick, broken into rings
  • 2 slices of a wide tomato
  • 2 tablespoons Meathead's Burger Glop
Notes:
About the meat. My favorite is ground beef short ribs. If you can get it boneless, you still need to remove the silverskin just below the top fat cap. It is more common bone-in, so you need to buy almost double what you need because you need to remove the silver skin, the bones, and the leathery cartilage wrapped around them. If rib meat is not available, go for chuck at least 20% fat.
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.
About the bottomings.  This baby is so good, you may want to eat it nekkid, or use just a splash of steak sauce.
Optional mix-in. To add some excitement, mix in 1 ounce of finely raw chopped bacon. If you do, cut the salt in half.
Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

  • Prep. Get a pad and a pencil and keep it nearby so you can take notes until you have the process mastered. Prepare the condiments and have them ready but keep them cold in the fridge. When you are cooking, you want to be focused on the meat, not fussing around setting the table.
  • Mix the black pepper, onion, and garlic powder in a small bowl. No salt yet. It can compress the meat and we want it loose to hold the juices. Spread the meat out on a plate and sprinkle the spices onto the meat distributing it evenly. Gently form balls of meat about 2" (51 mm) across and weigh them. Adjust to 8 ounces (227 g) each. Try to smooth over deep crevices. Deep cracks allow heat to penetrate to the core too quickly. Gently press them into disks about 3/4" (19 mm) thick and and about 4" (10 cm) wide. It should have air pockets for juices to gather and to keep it tender. Don't use a hamburger press like this one.
    Burger press
  • Fire up. Set up your grill for 2-zone cooking. The indirect side should ideally be about 225°F (107°C). Try to keep it under 250°F (121°C). On a charcoal grill, push all the coals against one side of the grill and raise them up. I like to get the coals about 1" (25 mm) below the food grate. The Hovergrill is a great way to get the coals up high on a Weber Kettle. You can also use bricks to raise the lower charcoal grate. On a gas grill, turn one or two burners on high and leave the others off. Locate the spot on the surface where the temp is close to 225°F (107°C). That's where the meat will go. When the food grate is hot, clean it well with a wire brush or another tool.
  • Cook. Place wood chips or pellets on the coals or, if you are using gas, in a packet or aluminum pan as close to the hot burner as possible (read my article on The Science of Wood). Place the burgers on the indirect side. If you are cooking bacon to place on top, put 2 strips per burger on the grill in the indirect zone near the burgers. Close the lid and leave everything alone. Cook about 10 minutes.
  • Put on a heat resistant glove and push the tip of your thermometer in the side, go past the center, and slowly back it out. The lowest temp is the one that counts. Poke the center with your finger to start forming muscle memory about the stiffness of the meat at different temps. Check all burgers. You may discover that one is moving faster then the other. At about 105°F (41°C), turn the burgers over, cook another 10 minutes and poke it gently again. Notice how it has stiffened. Because they are not over direct heat, you do not need to flip them often.
  • I like to butter and toast my buns, so now's the time to put them on the indirect side. Do not walk away. They can go black in a hurry. When they are done, you can set them aside.
  • When the burgers are about 20°F (-6.7°C)below the temp you want (see my award winning Food Temperature Guide), sprinkle them generously with salt, paint them with vegetable oil, and move them to the direct zone. The oil will help seal in moisture, conduct heat, and keep them from sticking. If you are on a gas grill, crank it to Warp 10. If necessary take the meat off while the hot side heats up, lid down. If the fire flares up move the burger to a spot that doesn't have a flare because flares can burn the surface and deposit soot. On a charcoal grill you can also use a small squirt gun to tame flares. Just don't drown the coals and be careful not to kick a lot of ash onto the meat. Flip the meat every minute, acting like a human rotisserie, so all the energy is expended on one surface at a time, not on cooking the interior. The interior will warm, but not too much. Remove the burgers when the interior reaches 5°F (-15°C) below the desired temp. Don't overcook them while waiting for the second side to be perfect.
    Rare burger interior
  • Serve. To prepare the burgers, spread the glop on the bottom so it can help hold the burger in place. Remember, you have only two fingers on the bottom and eight on top, so you want to put the slippery stuff on top. The glop will also help keep the juices from destroying the bun. Add the burger patty and any toppings then crown with the top bun.
    Grasp the sandwich with both hands, and no matter what Momma told you, put both elbows on the table. Push your chair back a few inches so you are leaning forward over the bowl. Try to keep the juices off your shirt.