The Julia Burger

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds steak, trimmed of all visible fat and cut inlo 2-inch chunks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil for pan-frying
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 lettuce leaves, cleaned
• 4 fresh Kaiser rolls. toasted and buttered
• 4 slices sharp Cheddar cheese
• Mayonnaise
• Ketchup
• 4 thin slices raw onion

Directions

1. Add the steak pieces to a food processor with the salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Pulse briefly, only until the meat can come together and no large pieces remain. Remove any obvious white gristle you see. With a light touch, shape the meat into 4 patties without compacting it; you want some looseness here. Each burger should be about 1/3-pound. Extra-thick burgers are trickier to cook well, so aim for thinner patties, about 1 1/2 inches thick, and cook them quickly over strong heat.
2. Before the burgers go on, have the bacon cooked crisp, the tomato sliced, the lettuce washed, and the Kaiser rolls toasting. Butter the rolls while they are still hot. Once everything is ready, cook the burgers on either a grill or in a cast-iron pan. Whatever you use, resist the urge to smash them with a spatula. Add the cheese during the final 2 to 3 minutes on the second side so it has time to soften and melt.
3. For grilling, the fire should be hot enough that holding your hand 2 inches above the grate is comfortable for only 3 seconds. If you are using a gas grill, that is 450 degrees F. Oil the grill well, then place the burgers over the hottest area and sear them for 3 to 5 minutes per side. If they are getting too dark, slide them to a cooler part of the grill to finish. For pan-frying, warm the peanut oil in a heavy skillet until it is very hot and nearly smoking. Sear the burgers over high heat for 3 minutes on each side, then lower the heat. Continue cooking over moderate heat, turning the burgers every few minutes.
4. Check the burgers frequently by touch, or use an instant-read thermometer. For rare to medium-rare, remove them when they are between 125 degrees and 130 degrees F. As with steak, the burgers should rest before serving, either in a warming oven at 170 degrees F or on a warm plate loosely covered with foil; 3 minutes is enough.
5. Allow the buttered rolls to cool slightly, then spread each side with a little mayonnaise and an even lighter layer of ketchup. Set a burger on each bun, cover the meat with bacon, and add enough lettuce to cover it as well. Finish with a tomato slice and a thin slice of raw onion, then add the top bun.