We have always loved a good hamburger. And seemingly every establishment offers one version or another. So preparing burgers at home never became much of an option, nor something to showcase.

And then the burger craze went full time. After many, many sad variations, a few decent, and really nothing excellent - we finally decided to take matters into our own hands (home). Reading every article, consulting with every chef and butcher we know, we believe we created the most delicious burger available anywhere. (hmm... maybe we should open a burger joint - nah, to trendy) 

And what would be a burger with french fried potatoes? Quite frankly, it would be insulting. So with this perfect burger, we set about to creat the perfect fry. PLEASE NOTE: This is not a healthy recipe, nor suggested for daily consumption. Enjoy all things in life with moderation.

First the meat. The principle in all meat (specifically burgers), is fat content vs. protein.

As seen in the picture above, the small white particles - clearly visible - are fat. While most of this cooks off almost immediately upon hitting the cooking surface, a fair amount remains to give the burger juice and flavor.

The next, and we believe the very most important and often overlooked step, is the actual handling of the meat. First we buy the freshest, all natural chuck roast. Look for excellent marbling, and good color. Next we proceed to grind the meat at home almost immediately prior to cooking. We use a Kitchen Aid meat grinder, but most any will do. Make sure all equipment is cooled down in the refrigerator first.

Now please remember once the meat comes out of the grinder - DO NOT OVER HANDLE. We use an 8 oz commercial style patty maker on which we place a round ball of meat - BARELY FORMED INTO A BALL WITH YOUR HANDS. Again, the goal here is disturb the meat as least as possible between grinder and grill. Almost all store bought ground meat is handled, handled, and handled again - giving it no chance to remain tender and delicate. The trick to the most perfect burger is to barely handle the meat at ALL. This will create a light, tender, and juicy patty - one that can hardly ever be replicated in food service, but can be easily accomodated at home.

So to review, we use an 8 oz patty maker that creates a burger about 3/4 of an inch thick and should be cooked to a warm red center. We grind the meat as close to preparation time as possible, and we cook on an extremely hot surface to a medium rare temperature.  Our choice of sides always includes carmelized onions and mushrooms, crips lettuce, ripe tomato, and homemade dill pickle slices. And never EVER forget the most important two toppings - BACON and CHEESE. Thick sliced Nueskes Bacon, and Kraft American Cheese slices are the go to favorites in our house.

And now comes the fry. Again we must prepare these from scratch to ensure the best result. Start with Russet Idaho Potatoes - preferrably organic if possible, and use a fry cutter that makes 1/4" square fries. Soak several times in cold water to wash off starches, and then blanch first in canola oil at a temperature of about 275 degrees F for about 4-6 minutes. Drain on parchment paper, and turn oil up to 365 degrees F. Now drop the fries in again for about the same amount of time, or until cooked a nice golden brown. Drain, toss with kosher salt and chopped Italian parsley then serve immediately.

Delicious.