The Best Technique To Cook Thick, Restaurant-Style Burgers

Any burger lover will tell you that almost nothing beats a thick, juicy one that's done perfectly. Whether you like it blue (rare), medium-rare, or well done, a patty prepared exactly to your taste is tough to top. Restaurants and chefs can spend years hunting for a recipe and method of preparation that claims its place as The One. But what if we told you there's a special way to make restaurant-style burgers that any chef would give his or her right arm for — and you can do it in your kitchen at home? This marvelous technique is so simple and effective, and will allow you to make gourmet burgers that stand out from the rest.

It's called reverse-searing – a pretty cool name that aptly describes how your patties will be cooked. It's almost like an inside-out method if you think about it. You pre-cook the burger patty in the oven first to get the inside done evenly and to your liking. Then, you sear it in a very hot skillet with a bit of oil to give it a delicious, crispy outer crust. This method is great for nice thick patties that struggle to cook evenly in a pan, either because they're too dense or they've been formed unevenly, leaving you with a result that resembles a patchwork quilt of meat that's underdone, too done, and burnt. Yuck.

First, you'll need to get the ingredients together and ensure they're good, fresh ones. The fresher and higher-quality your ingredients are, the better your burger will be because fresh goods hold more flavor. Plus, they're better for you because they have fewer preservatives and higher nutritional value. We suggest using 80% lean beef as it has better flavor and texture, in whatever quantity is needed to make the number of burgers you'll be serving. Follow these tips for making the perfect burger patties, and aim to make your patties between 1½ and 2 inches thick. Here are some great burger recipes that you can try out. Next, preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

While heating, grease an oven rack with cooking spray and pop it on top of a baking tray. By doing this, you create a little space between the tray and your patties, which allows the heat to flow all around them. This is called convection heating, and it makes for super-even cooking. A useful tip is to line the baking tray with greased baking paper, which makes cleaning up after cooking much easier. Season your burger patties, then place them evenly onto the rack and pop them into the middle of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes. The middle zone, as it's called, supports all-around even heat distribution. 

After around a half hour, use a meat thermometer to test the doneness of the patties. The internal temperature should be 120 degrees Fahrenheit for rare doneness, 135 degrees for medium, and 145 degrees for medium-to-well-done. When done, take them out of the oven and let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes while you heat a cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of avocado or coconut oil to high heat. These oils work well because they both have a high smoke point. When the oil starts smoking, carefully put your patties into the pan so you don't get burned by any splatters of oil. Finally, sear them for 60 to 90 seconds on each side, then serve them immediately in your favorite burger style.