Well Done Burgers Done Well

There’s a hard core group of burger purists out there that are probably horrified at the title of this post. Well Done Burgers! Never. Burgers are to be medium (at most) if they are to be enjoyed and appreciated at all, they say. Here’s the deal: I like a medium/medium-well burger as much as the next person – if I’m at a restaurant where someone who’s experienced is doing the grilling. Too often, I’ve started off grilling with the best of intentions, only to find that the burger is either (a) undercooked and I have to throw it back on the grill or (b) overcooked and dried out. So, when I tried this recipe, I hit the jackpot.

I can’t claim that I had anything to do with this recipe – not even the catchy name. This is a Cook’s Illustrated recipe that was put to the test, tried, retried and refined until they got it right. And they did. These burgers stay moist and flavorful even when grilled to well done. And they’re so forgiving, that if you leave them on for a minute or two extra, here and there, they don’t suffer. These are my go-to entertaining burgers when I want to hang out with my guests instead of manning the grill and being overly concerned about “who gets the medium-rare burger?”...

You might be wondering, what does a burger have to do with a vegetable share box. That’s where the toppings come in. I piled this one with caramelized fennel and onions (from this week’s box) along with avocado and brie. Decadent and delicious.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Well Done Burgers Done Well