Hamburgers!

Yippee!  We just finished dinner and it was a success!  When I was growing up, my mom often made hamburgers for dinner and I loved them.  But, I've never been able to make hamburgers as an adult that I just loved--until tonight.

My husband and I were talking the other day about how I should try and figure out how to make them well at home because I've been very disappointed with the hamburgers that we've had out lately (except for 5 Guys Burgers and Fries).  So, tonight I set out to do that.  I looked up "how to make great hamburgers on the stove" and found several great tips on a few sites.  Here's the sum of those directions that worked for me.

#1  Use a cast iron pan and heat it up first.  Cast iron can heat up dry, so it's okay to turn on the pan before you start cooking.  Then, put a tablespoon or two in the pan and let it heat until it shimmers.

#2  Form your patties loosely.  I'd always formed them pretty tightly before. 3/4" thick was what I read was best.  Season lightly with salt and pepper or we use Montreal Steak/Hamburger seasoning.

#3  Cook the patties for 4 minutes on a side.  Don't flip.  Don't check.  4 minutes on the first side, then flip over.  After 3 minutes, put a small pad of butter on the burgers and put a piece of cheese on top.  Cover for the last minute with a lid.  If you aren't putting cheese on them, just let them cook for 4 minutes without covering and then remove from the pan to serve.

#4  Don't cook more than 2 or 3 burgers at a time in your pan.  I know I used to crowd the pan with 4 or 5 burgers at one time.  Not any more!

I only used 80/20 hamburger, not even sirloin or 90/10.  My family loved them!  I loved them, too.  I also loved that it only took me 30 minutes to get dinner on the table--which is a record for me.  I served the burgers with lettuce, buns, pickles, and condiments.  On the side, I served steamed asparagus drizzled with olive oil and sea salt.

I'm so excited to have actually made dinner in 30 minutes tonight and that my family loved it!

Additional notes:
1.  Using the Hamburger Montreal Seasoning helps a lot.
2.  DON'T use preformed patties.  They won't cook through in time.  In fact, they'll be totally red in side!  One of the keys is to have a loosely formed patty from fully defrosted ground beef.