Recipe: How to Make Old-School Diner Burgers from Scratch

When Jimmy Hurlston co-founded Easey’s in 2015, there were only a handful of Melbourne eateries doing American-style burgers properly. Five years later it’s a different story, but even today few Australians approach the art of classic burger-making as seriously as Hurlston does – right to down to sourcing the perfect bun and pickles.

With summer barbeque season looming, it’s a good time to start marking your own burgers from scratch – and Hurlston has shared his tried-and-true recipe with us. You can use your choice of a barbeque, flat grill, griddle or seasoned cast iron skillet, but from there the method is quite specific.

To start, a mince of 50 per cent chuck and 50 per cent brisket is most desirable. After forming your patties but before cooking them, apply a liberal coating of McCormick Grill Mates All Star Burger Seasoning to give your burgers a flavourful crust. “It adds a complexity of flavour to the beef,” Hurlston says. “It sets off the meaty flavours that already exist, and give you something else to taste.”

As for condiments, for Hurlston you can’t go past the ‘holy trinity’ – mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard – that combine to make what’s often called ‘special sauce’, plus sliced burger-style cheddar. He recommends pickles from family-owned Mornington Peninsula company Dillicious, co-founded by an American expat, and pillowy Martin’s Potato Roll, which Easey’s gets shipped directly from the US. “There is absolutely no substitute,” he says. “It is the greatest hamburger bun of all time.”

The most important factor to Hurlston is the build order. More specifically: whether the toppings go under or on top of the meat. “I’m a strong believer that it should always go on the bottom,” says Hurlston. “That way the fruit and vegetables can absorb the juices that come out of the beef before they reach the bottom of the bun. It becomes a whole burger.”

Jimmy’s diner burger

Makes 6 complete burgers

Preparation/cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

840g ground or minced beef
Burger seasoning (such as McCormick Grill Mates All Star seasoning)
1 brown onion
1 iceberg lettuce
3 tomatoes
12 slices cheddar cheese
400g Dillicious Garlic and Dill Pickles
60ml mayonnaise
40ml ketchup
40ml mustard
20ml oil (either peanut, olive or canola)
6 potato buns (such as from Martin’s Potato Rolls)

Method

Preheat the grill or skillet to ¾ heat (220 to 250 degrees). Shape the mince into 6 rough 140g patties approximately 15mm thick. Make sure you don’t handle the beef too much. Season patties liberally with McCormick Grill Mates All Star Burger Seasoning.

Wash and slice the tomatoes to approximately 6-8mm. Wash and finely shred the iceberg lettuce, either by hand or using a knife dipped in lemon juice. Peel and slice the onion to 3-5mm slices. In a mixing bowl, combine all the sauces into the ‘holy trinity’.

Pour the oil onto your grill or skillet and place the patties down on the cooking surface. Using your spatula, lightly press the patties down and cook on that side for approximately 3½ minutes, then flip. Cook on the other side for approximately 3 minutes and remove from grill to rest.

Apply 2 pieces of cheese per patty and allow them to melt whilst you toast the buns: lightly butter the rolls before placing them, open side down, on your cooking equipment to lightly toast. Remove buns and lay on a plate.

On the bottom bun, use a spoon to apply a small dollop of your ‘holy trinity’ sauce, then a handful of shredded lettuce, two slices of tomato and a few onion rings. On the top bun, use a spoon to apply a slightly larger dollop of your sauce and three slices of crinkle-cut pickles. Place your cooked patties on top of the onion and place the top bun on top to complete.