No Labor Day barbecue would be complete without a great, classic burger.
By Susan Benton
The Ultimate Man Burger recipe below is grilled to perfection and topped with just the right combination of flavors guaranteed to make everyone at your backyard barbecue happy! 
The Ultimate Man Burger
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
No Labor Day barbecue would be complete without a great, classic burger.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ground brisket or chuck
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- freshly ground black pepper
- 8 hamburger buns, split
Toppings:
- 8 thin slices Swiss cheese
- Sauteed Mushrooms (recipe below)
- Sliced Purple Onion
- Sliced Heirloom Tomato, drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh chopped chives
- Thick Slice Bacon, cooked, one piece cut in 1/2 per burger
- Herbed Horseradish Mayonnaise ( recipe below)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, lightly season ground meat with salt and pepper and mix in gently with your hands. To shape the burgers, take about 1/8 of meat and form it into a meatball; then flatten it a between your hands until it’s about 1/2 in. thick. Turn the patty on your palm while firming up its edges with the thumb and forefingers of your other hand (your goal is to get rid of a crumbly edge). Repeat with remaining meat. Let burgers rest at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for high heat (450° to 550°). Wipe grate with oiled paper towels.
- Grill burgers 5 to 7 minutes, topping with cheese during the final minute.
- Transfer burgers to a clean plate. Clean grate with oiled paper towels. Toast buns on grill 1 minute and serve with burgers.
- Assemble burgers and add favorite toppings. Serve Horseradish Mayo spread on bun, top burger with onion, tomato, sauteed mushrooms and bacon.
Notes
For a medium to well-done burger, cook over medium-high heat (about 450°) for 10 minutes total; cut to check doneness. Buy the right meat. Brisket has the perfect mix of lean and fat to make a juicy burger. For uniform texture, ask your butcher to grind it twice for you. Don’t overwork it. Also, let the patties rest before cooking. Otherwise they’ll be chewy. Start with a clean cooking grate. Dirt makes food taste bad and makes it stick. Cook it hot. Heat the grill to between 450° and 550°. Cold burgers on a cold grill are going to stick every time. Create a nonstick cooking surface. When the cooking grate is hot, wipe it quickly and carefully with an oiled square of several folded paper towels. My Dad only eats American Cheese on his burger, and my husband only Sharp Cheddar. Use what you prefer, but the Swiss really tastes great with the Sauteed Mushrooms. I purchase my Heirloom tomatoes from Dragonfly Fields at the Seaside Farmers Market. Aunt Ruby’s Green German is a juicy favorite!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
Left off the Herbed Horseradish Mayo, so including here:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/4 cup freshly minced herbs (parsley, basil, chives)
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly cracked pepper
1 lemon, seeded &juiced
Mix and keep in fridge!