It's almost July 4th, and in my mind, nothing is as all-American as the good ol' grilled hamburger. And, nothing is as delicious (seriously) as an all-American burger with homemade everything! I'm talking home-baked buns, homemade mustard and ketchup, and fresh ground steak burgers.
I may never be able to go back to bottled ketchup. I definitely won't go back to pre-ground meat. Although, I must admit, it was my first home-grinding, and I was a little squeamish. I just kept picturing Pink Floyd's The Wall music video (not all-American).
I discovered the recipes for these bad boys in an old issue of Gourmet, and couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Lady Liberty's birthday (Happy Birthday, old gal!). Luckily, Gourmet still has the recipes online too, so after you give Lady Liberty the ol' hip-hoorah and 236 spankings, you can celebrate Independence Day with the best burgers ever. Or with Will Smith. Whatevs.
Give yourself plenty of time to make these burgers. The mustard seeds need to soak 1-2 days, the buns need to rise twice, and the ketchup is best after cooling a few hours. These homemade everything hamburgers are so worth the wait and effort.
I would recommend talking to your butcher about the best cuts of beef for the patties. Mine recommended a mix of two cuts (top sirloin and a choice something-or-other), and the combo made incredible burgers. I also ran it through the thick-grind and then the smaller-grind, but you could totally keep these chunky and meaty, and it would be awesome. The recipe calls for just salt in the meat, but I did my standard salt, pepper, and a dash of worcestershire.
And, the buns are adorable. Yes, Michael Scott... That's what she said.
