For the Meat: 

• We use a blend of 80-20 (80% lean, 20% fat) but you can really use whatever you'd like and whatever blend of meat you'd like. Just make sure it’s good quality.

• Pro-tip: grind the meat yourself using a food processor or grinder attachment.

Seasoning:

• We don't use any special marinade or seasoning, but what most restaurants do is season more aggressively than the average home cook. 

• By seasoning the burger on all sides (not just top and bottom, remember the sides!), you're able to really create a nice crust.

Cooking: 

• HEAT! Assuming you don't have a super hot plancha like we do at Virginia's, you'll want to get a heavy cast-iron pan as hot as possible and use an oil with a high boiling point (like grapeseed oil).

Bun:

• We use a buttery brioche bun but you can use whatever you'd like, or no bun at all to avoid gluten. Butter lettuce wraps would be a nice alternative.

Make it.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoons red wine

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or canola oil

• Cabot cheddar

• 4 brioche buns, toasted is desired

• Mayonnaise to serve

Procedure:

Step 1

• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, scraping the bottom of the skillet, and cover to keep warm.

Step 2

• Form beef into four equal-sized patties, about 4x4-inches wide and 1-inch thick. Season aggressively all over (remember the sides!) with salt and pepper.

Step 3

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high. Once the pan is very hot, add oil and burgers and cook, flipping just once, until cooked to desired doneness, about 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Add cheese and cover to melt. Transfer the burgers to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.

Step 3

• Serve with toasted (if desired) buns, mayonnaise, caramelized onions , and additional condiments of choice—we would never turn down a thick slab of bacon and a fried egg. Pair it with a nice glass of red wine or a crisp beer. Reed recommends a nice IPA from Other Half.