Square Deal Hamburger
Here is how to make a square hamburger, using sliced bread instead of a hamburger bun. This is a juicy, hearty two-fisted burger that will fill you up! This recipe can be used for 3 to 6 burgers, depending on the size you make your hamburger patty.
Here is how to make a square hamburger, using sliced bread instead of a hamburger bun. This is a juicy, hearty two-fisted burger that will fill you up! This recipe can be used for 3 to 6 burgers, depending on the size you make your hamburger patty.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- ground black pepper
- 1 egg well-beaten
- 1 pound lean ground beef (1 used 8% fat ground beef.)
- 1/2 medium white onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine (for sauteing onion)
- 2 slices american cheese for each burger (you may use any type of sliced cheese.)
- 2 tablespoons softened butter (for buttering outsides of bread slices)
- mayonnaise to taste
- 2 slices bread for each burger (you may use whole wheat, white, or rye. i used hearty white bre
- Carbohydrate 6.14775208333333 g
- Cholesterol 108.181333333333 mg
- Fat 26.9575 g
- Fiber 0.519637513160706 g
- Protein 16.7717 g
- Saturated Fat 11.8511970416667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (120g)
- Sodium 226.820916666667 mg
- Sugar 5.62811457017263 g
- Trans Fat 3.06974258333332 g
- Calories 336 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large mixing bowl, beat one egg.
- Add 1 pound of lean ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and a dash of ground black pepper.
- Use an electric mixer to mix these ingredients until the mixture is fine.
- For my burgers, I separated the ground beef mixture into 3 equally-sized portions.
- I used one portion to form a hamburger patty in the shape of one of my bread slices (a little larger, to allow for shrinking as it cooks).
- Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet, and add hamburger patty.
- Fry until done all the way through and crisp on the outside.
- Meanwhile, spread softened butter on 1 side of each of 2 slices of bread.
- Toast the buttered side in a skillet, and return it to your work space, toasted side up.
- Also, while your hamburger is frying, saute 1/2 finely chopped onion in 1 tablespoon butter, until soft and clear.
- When your hamburger is cooked, begin assembling your sandwich burger.
- On top of each of the 2 slices of toasted bread, spread mayonnaise, to taste.
- Then, on each of the 2 slices of bread place 1 slice of American cheese on top of the mayonnaise.
- Next, place sauteed onion of each of the two American cheese slices, as much as desired.
- Place the fried hamburger patty on top of the sauteed onion on one of the bread slices.
- Complete the sandwich by putting the other half on top of the half with the hamburger patty, sauteed onions meeting the hamburger patty.
- The outside of the bread will be soft.
- Spread the upper side with butter, and turn it over into a skillet, and then spread the other side with butter.
- Place the skillet over low heat, and toast both sides of your burger sandwich, melting the cheese, and blending the flavors.
- Move your completed burger sandwich back to your work space, and cut it into two equally-sized halves and serve immediately with Seasoned Oven-Baked fries.
Unlike circular patties housed in domed brioche, a square burger mirrors the geometry of standard sandwich bread for complete coverage in every bite. Culinary physics dictate that ground meat shrinks horizontally by roughly ten to fifteen percent during moisture loss, meaning raw square patties must be shaped slightly larger than the bread dimensions. Handling lean beef requires mechanical assistance because lower fat percentages lack internal lubrication. Utilizing an electric mixer breaks down muscle fibers rapidly, creating a fine protein matrix that holds together without falling apart in the pan. Fresh onions offer sharp sulfur compounds that mellow into sweet caramelization when sautéed over medium-low heat for eight minutes. Dehydrated onion flakes lack the moisture content required to yield translucent softness, rendering them unsuitable here. American cheese contains emulsifying salts that prevent oil separation under heat, guaranteeing a uniform melt at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Processed slices outperform aged cheddars in this application because aged cheeses release free oils and separate into rubbery curds when subjected to pan-toasting. Swapping wheat varieties alters the structural integrity; dense rye bread holds up to heavy mayonnaise applications better than airy white sandwich loaves. Gluten-free sandwich bread substitutes function adequately if brushed with an extra teaspoon of melted butter to compensate for structural dryness.
