It’s National Hamburger Day!

Did you know that May is National Hamburger Month? I did not know that. Today is actually National Hamburger Day. I’m glad I didn’t know that the entire month was dedicated to the Hamburger. Otherwise; my guys might have insisted on burgers every night.

What is a Hamburger? At it’s most basic; it’s ground meat (usually beef if we are talking classic); that is seasoned, formed into patties and then grilled or pan-fried. The patties are then placed between two slices of bread or in a bun, topped with onions, pickles and whatever else you like. Squirt on the ketchup and you’ve created the Iconic American Burger.

Five Fun Burger Facts

It is most likely that the hamburger sandwich first appeared in the 19th or early 20th centuries, but there is much controversy over its origin. Over the years, the hamburger has become a culinary icon in the United States. And rightfully so since Americans consume enough hamburgers each year to circle the globe 32 times. Let that sink in for a minute.

The world’s largest hamburger was prepared on September 2, 2012, in Carlton, Minnesota by Black Bear Casino Resort and weighed in at 2,014 pounds.

According to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the hamburger was invented by Fletcher Davis in his small cafe in Athens, Texas in the 1880s. He served his hamburgers on fresh slices of bread with ground mustard and mayonnaise, onion slice and sliced pickles. Supposedly the local townspeople raised money to send him to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, where the hamburger made its international debut.

In 1921, Walter A. Anderson (a short-order cook) and E.W. Ingram (an insurance executive) founded White Castle in Wichita, Kansas. It is the oldest hamburger chain. They served steam-fried hamburgers, 18 per pound of fresh ground beef, cooked on a bed of chopped onions, for a nickel.

The Big Mac was introduced in 1968 for the price of 49 cents.

And now that you have more useless information floating about in your brain; let’s enjoy a classic burger the old fashion way – cooked up in a cast iron skillet.

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Classic Skillet Hamburger
1/2 Red Onion
1/2 large Beefsteak Tomato
4 Green Leaf Lettuce Leaves
1-1/2 lb Ground Chuck
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
4 Hamburger Buns
4 tablespoons Butter
Ketchup as desired
Mustard as desired
15 to 20 Dill Pickle Chips

Peel and slice half of a good red onion into 4 rings. Set aside. Slice tomato into rounds; set aside. Rinse and pat dry lettuce leaves; set aside.

Divide meat into 6-ounce portions. Lightly mix each portion with a big pinch of kosher salt and some black pepper. Form each portion into a ball; then flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Press an indentation into the center. Set aside.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle skillet with lightly with kosher salt. Place burgers into the heated skillet and cook undisturbed for about 4 or 5 minutes; flip and continue to cook for another 4 minutes or until desired doneness is reached.

Remove the burgers to a plate, tent and let rest 5 minutes so the juices redistribute.

Meanwhile, brush top and bottom buns each with about a 1/2 tablespoon of soft butter. Place buns on a sheet pan buttered-side-up and place under the broiler until warmed and lightly toasted. Keep an eye on the buns; it won’t take long to toast.

Place bottom buns on four plates. Squirt ketchup and mustard as desired on the bottom bun. Top with lettuce, tomato and slice onions. Arrange pickle chips generously over the top  for a pickle in every bite. Place the juicy hamburger patties on top of the pickles, crown with the top buns.

Enjoy a classic burger with a side of fries and your favorite soda beverage.