Despite the constant craving, I don’t eat cheeseburgers every day.
I eat them merely three or four times a month. But when I do, I try to make it count. I don’t like to waste my time – or calorie intake – on fast food, not even for In-N-Out, unless I’m on a road trip.
(Click on the photos to see the countdown to No. 1)
The best burgers are destination burgers, the sort of sandwiches that are not merely sustenance to get you through the day but events worth celebrating with a glass of red wine or ice-cold mug of beer.
The patty means everything to a good burger. I refuse to eat burgers made with frozen patties, which are always disgusting. If I’m eating a burger, I want the chef to have firsthand knowledge of exactly what’s in the meat.
I much prefer a single, very large patty to a couple of thin ones doubled up to mimic a Big Mac or Double Double. I like it cooked medium-rare, which allows fresh beef to taste like fresh beef.
I adore real cheese, the kind that tastes great on its own and tastes even better on a burger: cheddar, blue, Gruyere, Gouda, taleggio, feta, pretty much anything other than Kraft American Singles or Velveeta.
Every time I see a chef try to mimic In-N-Out or McDonald’s, with their double-stacked patties and processed cheese, I have to ask, “Why would you want to mimic that?”
As for the bread, it should exist to merely help you bring the fillings to your mouth. If it gets in the way of that or becomes the dominant flavor, it fails. As for everything else – lettuce, tomatoes, onion, maybe a pickle or jalapeño – the simpler the better, in most cases.
For the past couple of years, I’ve compiled a list of favorite destination burgers. I thought about creating another entirely new list again this year.
But then I decided it was time to launch a Burger Hall of Fame.
This list will live permanently online, and I’ll add to it over time with new inductees. This initial roster includes a few burgers that I’ve written about previously, but also a few that I have only recently discovered. They are all extraordinary and timeless.
Contact the writer: bajohnson@ocregister.com or on Instagram: @bradajohnson
