Dish · american

Hamburger

A ground beef patty, grilled or griddled, served in a split bun with any combination of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and condiments.

Where it comes from

Ground beef patties trace to German immigrants from Hamburg, who brought a minced steak dish to American cities. Several diners and fairs claim to have first put it inside a bun, and no single claim is settled.

What cooks argue about

Cooks argue over a thin, smashed patty seared for a crusted edge against a thick patty cooked to medium for a juicier center, and over salting the outside versus mixing it into the meat.

Nobody has published a hamburger recipe yet. The page stays out of search until one exists, which is the rule for every thin page here.