Proper burger/sandwich stacking order

1) Pull pin.

2) Toss: While grilling, the cheese is melted to patty while buns are toasted. The initial assembly occurs directly as they come off the grill, for heat retention. The melted cheese adheres one half of toasted bun to  the patty. All toppings applied between the patty and the other half of bun. Do you prefer cheese-up toppings-down, or cheese-down toppings-up?

3) Run!

I prefer to flip it when I lift it to my mouth, so 'up' and 'down' also depends on whether you mean on the plate or in my hand.

No cheese, for me. (Just felt the need to weigh in there.)

A freind of mine keeps it super basic. 

Bun

ketchup

cheese melted into

burger

bun.

So simple but it works. Just the basics ma'am.

Me? I put mayo on the bottom to keep the juices contained. I don't want juices running down my hands. That's a waste. And an egg on top. Bacon if I'm not home (pig not allowed in the house, for reasons).

Lately, I'm using turkey burgers for the notion of better health!

Never done it, don't do drive throughs.

A radio DJ said "turning a Big Mac upside down is an entirely new dining experience".

The onions go IN the patty.

The buns get lightly toasted and lightly buttered.

Cheese always goes next to the patty and can be above, below, or both. It should be softened, not melted, because if you melt it, it disappears, and also it will continue melting after the burger is served. American cheese is perfectly fine on a burger, and there are several other appropriate choices, but each burger should include only one kind of cheese.

I hadn't considered it before now, but placing the bacon directly on the bottom bun seems like a good idea. The bacon should be crispy, so that it breaks easily when you bit into the burger.

In reply to Uncle David (Forum Supporter) :

Disagree on the onions, they need to done like an onion burger, or caramelized on their own.

Inside a burger they aren't going to break down at all.

Okay....  

I like to make burgers.  I think I have a pretty good recipe.  Feel free to tear me apart...

I'm not going to discuss the patty creation and the spices and or sauces.  Those are ever changing nd dynamic based on the mood.

I like a somewhat complex burger.

From bottom up:

Lightly toasted soft bun

Patty

Bacon

Marinated red peppers

Sautéed mushrooms

Nice cheese

Lightly toasted top bun.

Now, I agree the cheese should be right on the patty.  However, the burger stays together better with the Ooey gooey cheese holding the important toppings to the patty.  

Fried egg on top of cheese if looking for eternal bliss.

I will say this: roasted / marinated red peppers give enough sweetness (and bring some other flavors) that ketchup is silly and redundant.

In reply to J.A. Ackley :

The garbage.  Mustard skittles go in the garbage.  

How long before this thread degenerates and gets locked? 

Also (and on a related note) none of you Philistines have even mentioned the slices of pickled beets. They are mandatory and go on top of the cheese on top of the burger patty. I will allow a second cheese slice under the patty.

David S. Wallens said:

Also, for mustard, there can be only one: Ba-Tampte. 

You misspelled "Gulden's Spicy Brown".

I'll stick with something simple, BLTs.

David S. Wallens said:

No cheese, for me. (Just felt the need to weigh in there.)

Correct. Cheese is great on the side but on the burger, the cheesiness overwhelms all the subtle flavors of a truly outstanding burger. 

I would also like my pickle on the side. Preferably a large dill spear or two. 

Toyman! said:

David S. Wallens said:

No cheese, for me. (Just felt the need to weigh in there.)

Correct. Cheese is great on the side but on the burger, the cheesiness overwhelms all the subtle flavors of a truly outstanding burger. 

Your opinion is wrong.

The cheese needs to be quality equal to the rest of the ingredients, of a complimentary flavor profile, and in proportion.

J.A. Ackley said:

Also, a good burger needs a good roll. It's so underrated. I prefer kaiser rolls myself.

Agree on the kaiser rolls if I'm buying them from the store. If I'm feeling extra fancy though, I whip up a batch of King Arthur Flour's Beautiful Burger Buns and top them with sea salt. 

And of course, the elite move is lightly oiling/buttering and toasting the insides of the bun on a flat top or cast iron pan before assembling.

edwardh80 said:

How long before this thread degenerates and gets locked? 

Also (and on a related note) none of you Philistines have even mentioned the slices of pickled beets. They are mandatory and go on top of the cheese on top of the burger patty. I will allow a second cheese slice under the patty.

You didn't know the best way to cook a burger is on your solar panels?

I'm a person who flips my burger. While I agree that the patty should go directly on the bottom bun for meat juices, I hold it upside down while biting so that the bottom bun doesn't get TOO soaked and lose structural integrity.

Other than that, JG's order sounds perfect. I'll add that bacon goes on top of the cheese under caramelized onions, and runny egg goes on top of caramilized onions.

I hope nobody has mentioned garlic butter.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. 
Y'all are my people. 
 

Burgers are almost all good, but stacking order is important. I don't have much to add that hasn't been said already, but here's my immediate thoughts. 
 

Cheese, any or none, melted or not. My last burger was the recently reinstated Bleu cheese option at Red Robin (pile on the hate, I don't care) and it was awesome. 
Ketchup is fine, alone or accompanied. Bbq sauce is fine. Mustard is mandatory, but any sort will do. Mayo (the real stuff, homemade is supreme) and GTFO with your miracle whip bullE36 M3. 
Onions are best cooked, either on the grill or in the meat, unless it's a red onion, which is best raw. 
Pickles are fine, but there can only be dill. All other pickles are dumb and should be discarded. 
 

But seriously. berkeley your miracle whip. 

barefootcyborg5000 said:

But seriously. berkeley your miracle whip. 

This. I grew up in a Miracle Whip household, and it wasn't until I got to college that I realized I didn't hate mayo and mayo-centric foods like egg salad, tuna salad and potato salad--I just hated Miracle Whip. It is neither a "salad dressing" nor a condiment, it's just pure evil.

Margie

I will be at Zip's cafe later today having a Zip burger and kiddo will be having extra Zip sauce.  I have a dad friend now and we've talked about making a burger review channel.  
 

I really enjoy a simple cheeseburger, mustard, meat on bun, lettuce goes on top so other toppings don't soak into the bun.  The bun as many have stated is very important.  Every single item on every burger needs to be a quality ingredient to have a good burger.

At home we do toasted buns, 1/3 lb beef patty smashed,salt and pepper all cooked over a gas grill, American cheese, grilled onions, tomatoes from our garden and lettuce.  I do mustard but we have other condiments.  I will do pickles, wickles, pickled jalapeños, grilled jalapeños or candied jalapeños whenever I want or feel the desire.  
 

I can also list several must eat burger places.  And I can also list the most overrated burger place on the planet.

In reply to Marjorie Suddard :

My Dad loves the stuff. To me, it tastes like greasy sugar. It certainly doesn't belong in food. 

Luckily, my Mom is a Dukes woman so I wasn't subject to the Miracle Whip abuse in my early years. 

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

If you are ever in Charleston, SC, stop by Big Billy's Burger Joint and order a Breakfast Burger. Quite tasty. 

They also do Burgers Gone Wild. Sunday is elk, Monday is wild boar, Tuesday is gator, Wednesday is bison, Thursday is owner's choice, Friday is bison again, and Saturday is venison. Some of them are quite tasty as well. 

Toyman! said:

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

If you are ever in Charleston, SC, stop by Big Billy's Burger Joint and order a Breakfast Burger. Quite tasty. 

They also do Burgers Gone Wild. Sunday is elk, Monday is wild boar, Tuesday is gator, Wednesday is bison, Thursday is owner's choice, Friday is bison again, and Saturday is venison. Some of them are quite tasty as well. 

 

I'm adding to my list of places to visit.  This weekend is Zip's and some place my mother in law heard about in Ocean Springs.  
 

FYI the best burger I've found in Jackson MS so far a is Stamp's.  It reminds me of Wingfield's in Dallas. 
 

This was the burger at CS's.

 the Shirley Jones, a Reuben burger with onions instead of Kraut. Only made better by using Oklahoma onion burger style patties, but I'm a big fan of caramelized onions.

Well E36 M3, I was hoping to show off some other strange burgers I've made that have been awesome but this is the only picture I can find. 

So instead, I'll change the argument a bit. 

This is a hill I will die on, but if you are making smash burgers especially, CUT YOUR BEEF WITH PORK. Sausage more so than straight ground pork. 

I start with 80/20 ground chuck, then add roughly 1/3 of the weight in ground sausage, then mix and form. The extra fat from the sausage really adds to the crust on the smash burger, and the sausage blend itself adds a wonderful, extra, light flavoring. Our current favorite is actually a raspberry maple breakfast sausage. The hint of raspberry that pokes through really takes it to another level. 

Gotta give it to the GRM fam once again, your taste in burgers is as impeccable as your taste in cars. JG is pretty much spot on. 
The only point I'll refute, and it's a mild one at that, is if I'm doing both mayo and ketchup, the mayo often goes on the bottom bun. Otherwise it tends to get a bit too sloppy. Mustard isn't an issue in the same way, as it should be flavorful enough not to require excessive quantity and can be placed on top with the ketchup. I'm not very doctrinaire in my mustard selection, there are many great brands/varieties out there and I enjoy trying new ones, but obviously not all belong on a burger.

Kaiser rolls are definitely the preferred bun selection. Martin's potato rolls have their place as well, especially on a plain Jane cheeseburger.

There's a local joint that does a burger with fig preserves on the bottom bun. May sound a little odd, perhaps a bit bougie even, but the sweet/savory combo lends a unique quality and actually works really well. They also have the best fries I've ever had, bar none, and all of the condiments are house made and delicious. Not the cheapest burger and fries, but still <$20. Cafe Bruges.