Recipe

August 5, 2015

Classic Beef Burger

Recipe: Amy Rosen

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Here’s our take on the famous “Animal Style” burger from the secret menu of the venerable California chain In-N-Out Burger. Previously known only to insiders, key elements include mustard fried onto the patty, slow-cooked onions, homemade sauce and fresh toppings.

Ingredients

Patties

  • 11⁄2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 medium cooking onion, finely chopped (about 11⁄2 cups)
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 4 soft hamburger buns
  • 11⁄4 lb. lean ground beef
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 4 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 dill pickle, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 4 slices tomato
  • 4 extra-thick processed-cheese slices
  • 4 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce

  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp pickle relish
  • 1⁄2 tsp sugar
  • 1⁄2 tsp white vinegar

 

Directions

Yield: Serves 4-6


  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-low and brown onions with a good pinch of salt, stirring often, for about 25 minutes, or until tender and golden brown. (If pan goes dry, add 1 tsp of water at a time, not oil.) Set aside.
  2. To make special sauce, stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Form beef into 4 patties. Season each side with salt and pepper. Add 1⁄2 tbsp oil to onion pan and heat over medium-high. Fry patties without moving them until well browned and crusty on first side, about 3 minutes. While patties are cooking, spread 1 tsp mustard on raw side of each. Flip patties (so mustard side is down) and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
  4. Split buns and dry-toast open sides down in a large nonstick frying pan for 1 minute.
  5. Layer each bun bottom with a big dollop of special sauce, pickle slices, 1 tomato slice, patties and 1 cheese slice. Divide onions among burgers, add lettuce (and ketchup, if you want) and top with other bun halves.

 

Photographer:

John Cullen

Source:

House & Home August 2011

Designer:

Food styling by Ashley Denton; Prop styling by Stacey Smithers

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