Truffle Oil Is The Easy Addition For Luxurious Burgers

On the surface, burgers may seem like grubby, casual food. Yet, with a few quality ingredients, hamburgers can become the height of luxury. Swapping out American cheese for comté, lettuce for arugula, and an onion ring for sautéed mushrooms will give your burger the gourmet vibe you're after. However, truffle oil is the ingredient that will instantly take your burger from casual to luxurious.

Although most truffle oil doesn't contain real truffles, it still tastes similar to the actual thing. Truffle oil has an earthy, slightly peppery flavor that enriches beef's savory taste. Burgers with truffle oil are a staple for myriad gourmet burger restaurants — one of Gordon Ramsay's upscale burger chains has a truffle burger listed as one of its specialties.

Truffle oil can taste quite strong; however, its low smoke point diminishes its flavor when cooked. Depending on whether you want a subtle or strong truffle taste, you can sprinkle the oil into the patty before cooking, drizzle it on top afterward, or mix it into some mayonnaise for a creamy truffle dressing.

For a gourmet burger, opt for a higher quality cut of meat, such as Wagyu beef. Place the ground beef, salt, pepper, and a splash of truffle in a bowl. Using your hands or a spoon, evenly mix all the ingredients together. Preheat the griddle or stove to medium-high heat and form patties with the ground beef mixture.

Place butter into the pan. Once it melts, add the patties inside, as well. Allow the burgers to cook, flipping them every now and then so each side can cook evenly. A minute or two before taking it off the stove, lay a slice of aged cheddar on top of the burgers and allow it to melt onto the patties. Remove the burgers and place them onto lightly toasted buns with a bed of arugula and red onions.

To top off the burger, whip up a quick truffle aioli. Squeeze mayonnaise into a bowl and add a splash of truffle oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Whisk the ingredients together and spoon it onto your luxurious truffle burger.