Forthcoming sticky summer days, and lounging with friends and family in the backyard in the early evening, invite an all-American meal with the hamburger as the focal point. But sometimes a would-be tasty hamburger turns into a burnt patty topped with wilted lettuce and a soggy bun. However, those hamburgers won’t be the result if you follow some expert advice on how to cook the perfect hamburger. Stephen Ruck, a three-year professional hamburger cook at In-N-Out, one of California’s most renowned burger authorities, would of course have the expertise needed to help all wannabe hamburger chefs. he continues to cultivate and practice his expertise by cooking in his spare time for friends and family.

According to Ruck, the two key hamburger tips to remember are: freshness and quality meat. Without these important elements, you can still have a good hamburger–but not a great one.

Everything that the hamburger is composed of should be straight from the garden. Ruck recommends the freshest produce: plump, firm tomatoes, hand-leafed lettuce, onions, buns, never-frozen hamburger meat, and 100% American Grade A cheese. According to Ruck, “Wilted, soggy, mushy, and wrinkled ingredients are the worst injustice you can give to the all-American hamburger.”

The amateur cook’s temptation is to slap a fat hamburger patty on the grill until it is well-charcoaled.  Ruck gives a few key suggestions that can increase your chances of making the patty into a succulent and juicy burger. First, the meat should be of Grade A quality, and don’t use frozen patties–remember that freshness is essential. When forming the burger into a slim eighth of a pound patty, shape it so that the center is thinner than the edges, since that part takes the longest to cook. To cook, an In-N-Out secret is to place the patties onto a griddle or a frying pan that will simulate a griddle (rather than a grill) for even distribution of the heat, rather than the random cooking of flames, and season with a salt and pepper mixture.

Cook at 375 degrees until the patty begins to bubble, for exactly a minute and 20 seconds. Immediately flip the patty and apply the cheese. Ruck recommends folding over a fifth of the standard cheese square for both presentation and taste appeal, a leftover habit he developed from working at In-N-Out. At this point, the hamburger should only remain on the griddle for another three minutes, placing the top bun on top of the patty at the last minute.

Once the patty has finished cooking, you’re ready to stack the burger ingredients. And Ruck even has a certain way of doing that. Your choice of dressing of course goes on the bun first. It could be: barbecue sauce, Thousand Island, mayonnaise, ketchup, or mustard (although the strong flavor of mustard can overpower the flavor of the meat. Because of the flat nature of the onion and tomato slices, they should go on next to balance the remaining ingredients. Compress and place the lettuce on top, then complete with the bun-topped patty and cheese.

Ruck even advises on the proper way to eat the completed hamburger–start with the double-layered cheese side first, and gobble your way through the remainder of the burger, making sure that every bite includes a taste of each ingredient for ultimate satisfaction of your great hamburger. He has a special way of making hamburgers, but there is one thing that he says, upon which every cook can agree: “In the end, it’s the freshness of ingredients that makes the biggest difference.”

~Kristin Walder 4/1/08