Build a Better Burger: Tips from a World Burger Champion

Build a Better Burger: Tips from a World Burger Champion 

While anyone can make a pretty decent burger, not everyone can win the title of World Burger Champion. We talked to 2012 World Burger Champion, Jason Stucki, to learn a few pro tips and up our burger game. Jason is also a chef and Grand Champion BBQ Pitmaster so he knows a thing or two about making meat more delicious. Read on for some of Jason's burger making secrets. 

Source the Best Ingredients:

• Beef 

The cattle breed as well as the cuts used to make ground beef will affect how beefy a burger will taste, and the moisture retained once cooked.  Snake River Farms American Wagyu ground beef is a blend of Wagyu and high quality American breeds, making it really beefy with a great fat to meat ratio (75% lean to 25% fat). This means the burgers are juicy and flavorful.

• Buns 

Choose buns that are soft, but dense enough to hold up to the burger and toppings. Look for 2 to 2 ½-inch buns for sliders and 4 to 4 ½-inch buns for full-size burgers. Buns are a personal preference, just keep the bun-to-burger ratio in mind. For most burgers, I prefer brioche or challah buns with their slightly sweet eggy flavor, great texture and golden crust. I also like potato rolls for sliders.

• Mayonnaise & Greens

Real mayonnaise has a higher fat content than the juice dripping from the burger. Applying a thin layer on the toasted bottom bun repels the juice from the burger so the bottom bun is less likely to get soggy. Placing your favorite lettuce or fresh greens on top of the mayo and under the burger adds another layer to catch the juice dripping from the burger.

• Toppings 

The sky is the limit! After the burger has been flipped, place cooked or hot toppings directly on the burger followed by the cheese. Place cold toppings like sliced tomatoes on the burger while plating, and sauces under the toasted top bun.

Shaping

Keep the meat very cold and handle it as little as possible. Use 3 ounces shaped into a 3-inch patty for sliders, and 7 to 8 ounces shaped to a 5-inch patty for full-size burgers (the burgers will shrink while cooking, so they'll end up the same diameter as the buns). Form loose balls, then shape in advance and refrigerate until ready to cook so they are cold when they go on the grill. 

Seasoning

Season each burger with plenty of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper on each side right before placing it on the grill. 

Cooking

Cook burgers on a grill or on cast iron set at 425°F. When the burger has cooked halfway up the sides and has released itself from the grill (approximately 4 minutes with sliders, 5 to 6 minutes with full-size burgers), it's time to flip. Only flip once, and immediately top with hot or cooked toppings and/or cheese. Close the lid for 3 to 4 more minutes. The burgers are ready when the cheese has melted and the burger has released itself from the grill. It's important to leave the burgers alone so they develop a great sear, which adds an incredible amount of flavor and a steak-like texture. Snake River Farms burgers are best when cooked to medium with a hot, pink center. 

Plating

Let burgers rest for a couple minutes on a cooling rack before putting them on buns. This reduces the risk of a soggy bun. Use the time to toast the buns on the grill while the burgers rest. Then assemble the burgers and serve.

About Jason Stucki 

Jason is a chef, restaurateur, World Burger Champion and Grand Champion BBQ Pitmaster. He grew up on a farm in southern Utah raising cattle, pigs, goats, chickens, and fruit and vegetable crops. His family cooked all of their meals on a wood burning stove and ate what the land provided. They opened an organic restaurant and bakery in the 80's in Moab, Utah where Jason worked.

Over the past 13 years, Jason has owned restaurants and bars as well as catered large-scale events and festivals. His past projects include Lucky 13 Bar & Grill, Zocalo Mexican Bistro, Lucky 13 Smokehouse, and The Trolley Wing Company.

Jason now works as a consultant and enjoys cooking competitively as well as teaching barbecue, grilling, and live-fire cooking classes. Jason has won many awards and is currently competing nationally on the professional BBQ circuit.