Recipe from Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home By Julia Child and Jacques Pépin. Random House, Inc, 1999.
Julia Child’s
Pan Fried Thin Burger
Ingredients
- 1 small minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1-1/4 pound fresh ground chuck (preferably 15 to 20 percent fat)
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 red onion, sliced very thin
- 1 tomato, sliced thin
- Iceberg lettuce leaves
- Small whole pickles
- Thin Cheddar or Swiss cheese slices
- Butter
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- 4 soft hamburger buns
Directions
- In a small sauté pan, over high heat, sauté the shallots in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Divide the meat into 4 portions. One at a time, flatten each by chopping and spreading the meat with light strokes of your chef’s knife.
- Season each with salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of the shallots. Blend into the meat, chopping and turning it as you shape the portions into 4-1/2 to 5-inch round patties, 1/4-inch thick.
- Toast the hamburger buns and distribute them to your guests. Suggest that they dress the bottom halves of their rolls as they wish while you cook the burgers.
- Lightly dust the surface of a large, hot sauté pan with salt. When the pan is very hot, but not smoking, lay a patty in the pan. Rapidly add a second burger. Brown the meat, about 20 seconds. Turn patties to other side. Cook until done, about 1 minute. Remove cooked burgers to a warm platter. Repeat process with 2 remaining burgers. Place finished burgers onto guests’ buns as quickly as possible so they can add their finishing touches.
