the most part, you’re better off selecting a sturdier
roll or, if you’ve got one nearby, a custom burger
bun from an artisan bakery. Brioche has its
adherents, but I prefer my buns to be a little less
buttery and sweet, so as not to compete with the
flavor of the beef. Do avoid anything with an overly
chewy crumb or a tough crust; a tough bun will
force the burger patty to squeeze out of the back as
you bit into it, a dreaded condition known to those in
the industry as “backslide.” Your bun should always
be more tender than your burger.
- Cook hot.
Except for extremely rare cases (as with, say, sliders
or steamed burgers), the goal when cooking a
burger is to maximize crispy crust formation and
browning on the exterior. The best way to do this is
to cook your burgers as hot as you can: high heat
and a ripping-hot cast-iron or heavy stainless steel