Ultra Crispy Burgers

Ingredients

• 6 ounces beef sirloin, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 ounces beef brisket, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 12 ounces oxtail, fat and meat carefully removed from bone and trimmed of silverskin, bones discarded or reserved for another use
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 slices American cheese
• 4 soft white burger buns, lightly toasted
• Pickles chips and sliced onions, optional

Directions

1. Set the 1/4-inch die, blade, and feed shaft from your meat grinder in the freezer until they are very cold. While they chill, spread the meat chunks out on a rimmed baking sheet with space around each piece, then freeze for 10 minutes, just until the meat feels firm but is not frozen.
2. Move the meat to a large bowl and give it a quick toss so the cuts are mixed together. Run it through the grinder straight onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or foil.
3. Keep the ground meat on the sheet and separate it into 4 piles right there, then gently shape each pile into a patty about 4-inches wide and 1/2-inch thick. You want them loose, with ragged edges, so do not fuss them into perfection. Be generous with salt and pepper. Slide a wide spatula under each patty and turn it over carefully; if one breaks up, just nudge it back together. Add salt and pepper to the second side too, then chill them until cooking time. If you are not cooking right away, the sheet tray can be covered with plastic wrap and held in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
4. Add the vegetable oil to an 8-inch sauté pan with a heavy bottom, set it over high heat, and wait until the oil smokes. Ease a patty into the skillet and leave it alone until the underside has a deep crust, about 2 1/2 minutes. This is the moment to crack the window, silence the fire alarm, and expect splatters. Turn the patty with a spatula, gently, then lay cheese on top. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until it reaches the doneness you want; the patty will be at least medium, and it stays juicy all the way to well-done.
5. While that happens, add pickles and onions to the bun bottom, if you want them. Set the cooked patty on the bun, cap it, and eat right away. Cook the rest the same way, pouring off the fat between burgers so only 1 teaspoon remains in the skillet.