How to Make The Most Amazing Burgers

And now I'm going to tell you the secret to making amazing hamburgers. Actually, there's not just a single secret, there's about five of them, and they're not really secret what with me publishing them on the internet and all. But that's fine. Let everyone in the world enjoy perfect hamburgers is my feeling.

Note that I'm not going to tell you what to put on your burger. That's so much a matter of personal taste that I wouldn't presume.

Plus, can you imagine if I said the best burger has, say, avocado, bacon, grilled onions and American cheese on it? I guarantee I'd be getting emails from people complaining that I didn't mention pineapple or chipotle mayonnaise or tapioca balls.

What I will tell you is how to cook a burger so that it comes out juicy, flavorful and succulent.

1. Start With the Best Ground Beef
The first step is buying ground beef with an 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio, that was ground freshly in the store that day. If you can get 100% ground beef chuck, so much the better. Here's more about how to buy the best ground beef for your burgers.

I should mention here that I have been known to make burgers with three parts ground beef chuck and one part ground pork. If you try this, you may wonder why nobody ever told you about this before, and, well, you're welcome.

2. Season Responsibly
The next thing you want to do is season your ground beef with Kosher salt and maybe one or two other ingredients, like freshly ground black pepper, or garlic powder, or Worcestershire sauce.

But don't go overboard. And the most important seasoning is the salt. Remember, if you're making your burgers with beef chuck, they're going to have a deep, meaty flavor that you actually want to be able to taste. Keep it simple.

3. Form the Patties GENTLY
Now here comes the big pitfall for most people.

When they go to form the patties, they pack them WAY too tightly. Usually, if you watch someone making a burger patty, it's like the Incredible Hulk is crushing a tank with his bare hands.

Let me assure you that these feats of strength, while awe-inspiring, will cause the cooked burgers to become hockey pucks. What you want to do instead is just very gently shape the seasoned meat into balls, and then very gently flatten those balls into patties that are about 3/4 of an inch to an inch thick. Imagine you're giving a baby a back rub and you should have the right amount of pressure.

4. Cook It in a Cast Iron Skillet
A lot of people assume that the best way to cook a burger is on the grill, but interestingly enough, the very best way is in a cast-iron skillet. When you cook a burger over a grill, the fat melts and drips uselessly onto the coals, which means your efforts to procure 80/20 ground beef will have been for naught. Then the hot coals more or less dry out the surface of the meat and you end up with a burger that, while OK, is far from amazing.

A cast iron skillet, on the other hand, keeps that fat right there where it can coat the burger and give it a luscious, meaty, fatty sheen, while also helping to produce a flavorful, almost crispy exterior. But again, most of that fat will end up in the pan. Keep a can in the kitchen and pour it there, and when the can is full just toss it in the trash. Or let the fat solidify in the pan, scrape it out and transfer it to the bin. But whatever you do, don't pour the liquid fat down the drain. Tell me you don't do that. Right?

Okay, so about the cast iron. It works so well, and the burgers cooked that way are so superior, that on nights when it's too hot to cook inside, I will get some charcoal going and plunk the cast iron skillet right down on the grill and cook my burgers in the skillet, on the grill. It works perfectly.

5. Cook The Burgers All The Way
This isn't really one of the secrets to making amazing burgers, but in the interests of food safety, I need to mention that it's a good idea to cook your burgers all the way through. I started out when it came to burgers as a pink-in-the-middle guy, but I really can't do that anymore, and I don't recommend you do either. But if you must, you should learn how to grind your own meat. If you're going to consume undercooked ground beef, you should at least know that it came from chunks of fresh beef chuck that you ground yourself moments earlier.

The Best Way to Store Lettuce to Keep it Fresh and Crisp

One of the keys to making a good salad is ensuring that your lettuce is fresh and crisp. Nothing makes for a disappointing salad like a plateful of limp, wilted greens.

There are two things salad greens need to stay crisp: moisture and air. You may have heard otherwise. Specifically, many people seem to think that the best way to keep lettuce crisp is to seal it up in a bag with all the air squeezed out.

I've even read some suggestions that involve inserting a straw into the bag to suck out every last molecule of air before sealing it shut.

Unfortunately, that advice is completely off base. Lettuce actually needs a good amount of air flow, in addition to a bit of moisture, in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

(Removing the air does help prevent oxidation, which is what causes lettuce to turn brown, but has nothing to do with lettuce staying crisp. In any case, oxidation isn't something you should have to worry about as long as you buy fresh lettuce and use it within a few days.)

So here's the best way to keep your lettuce crisp at home:

Trim off the end of the stem and separate the leaves.

Fill up the sink (or a very large bowl) with cold water and submerge the leaves. Gently swish the leaves around in the water. Any grit will sink to the bottom of the sink. Remove the clean lettuce, or empty the bowl and repeat this step for especially dirty lettuce.

Now you're going to want to dry the lettuce. The best way to do this is in a salad spinner. But don't cram the leaves into the salad spinner. Cut the leaves in half (or smaller) so that you don't bruise them trying to squeeze them in.

Salad-spin until all the water has drained away. The leaves will still be slightly damp — that's what you want.

Now take the basket out of the salad spinner and cover the leaves with damp paper towels. Transfer the basket to the fridge. (You could use a large colander instead of the salad spinner basket.) You might want to set it on a plate or tray to catch any additional drainage, but don't use a bowl — remember, you want airflow.

Once the greens have chilled for about 30 minutes, they'll be crisp and ready to use. But you can store your lettuce in the fridge this way for 3 to 5 days. Rewet the paper towels if they dry out. Squeeze out excess water — they only need to be damp, not soaking.
Note that this technique is the exact opposite of the way mixed greens are sold. Mixed salad greens come either in a bag or in one of those plastic clamshell containers. Neither one of these storage methods allows for any airflow, which is why those types of greens turn limp so quickly after you buy them.

The good news is you can use the method described above for your loose greens, too. Yes, usually those mixed greens have already been washed, but remember, it's the residual moisture from washing and then draining the greens, along with the wet paper towel, that help keep them crisp and fresh, along with adequate airflow.

(Not to mention, bagged greens have been found to be the culprit in a number of outbreaks of food poisoning, so it's a good idea to wash them yourself anyway.)

With your greens fresh and crisp, you're ready to make a perfect green salad. Also, here are some tips for making a great vinaigrette.

Thistle launches meal kits to make nutritious baby food at home

Food delivery startup Thistle was never in the business of making meal kits, those boxes of pre-measured ingredients and recipes to help customers cook at home. The startup's married cofounders, Ashwin Cheriyan and Shiri Avnery, thought that prepared meals, ready-to-heat or raw and ready-to-eat, were a better fit for their busy customers. Meal kits, they said, felt like time consuming and frustrating cooking lessons when they tried them personally.

But the startup has made an exception and is launching Thistle Baby meal kits for busy parents who want to make nutritious foods for their babies and toddlers at home. Avnery said, "When I became a mom, I would buy things at the grocery and feel like they were not up to my quality standards all the time. Even a lot of the healthier options are over-processed, pureed, with a watery consistency. They also don't taste like real fruits or veggies. And you're left wondering how long this has been on the shelf and in what kind of conditions."

Thistle Baby was designed to give parents the health and taste benefits of homemade, organic and gluten-free baby food, as well as the feeling of pride that comes from making meals for their little ones. Cheriyan said, "We think this takes 80% of the hassle out of making the food at home. And because you steam, puree and add spices on your own, you start to really learn your baby's preferences, while instilling healthy eating habits as early as possible." Thistle specializes in plant-based ingredients. Its service has always been vegan and vegetarian-friendly, though they offer omnivore meals, too.

The Thistle Baby meal kit consists of vacuum-sealed bags of apportioned, organic ingredients, flash-frozen to preserve flavor. A parent would open up the pouch, and steam and puree it however they like, then add spices also provided in the meal kit at levels they or their kids like best. The company says its prices work out to $2 per toddler or infant meal. Before now, the startup was trialing its Thistle Baby service with an invitation-only group of subscribers. As of next week, Thistle Baby will become available to any customers who sign up for it.

The startup sees its main competition as baby foods sold in boxes, pouches, and jars by groceries. However, a few other e-commerce food businesses deliver kid-friendly meals or meal kits to families' doors, too. For example, Lily & Bella in Dallas delivers organic ingredients and recipes to make baby food at home; Los Angeles-based Caer offers low-sugar organic, prepared baby foods for delivery; and NurtureLife in Chicago offers ready-to-eat meals tailored to kids' developmental stage and food preferences.

According to a recent Nielsen survey, globally 14% of consumers are already buying groceries and household goods online and via mobile. A full 30% of customers said they would be willing to do so. It remains to be seen what portion of the massive baby foods and formula market may shift to e-commerce models like Thistle's. Nielsen estimates that market generates over $30 billion in annual sales today.

8 Fun Food Events Around DC This Weekend

Rum Fest: There's a local rum movement afoot, and the best place to taste it is District Distilling Co.‘s first-ever Rum Fest. The boozy party goes down this Thursday from 5 pm to 8 pm, featuring rums from local distilleries like Cotton & Reed—all to the tune of live Reggae music. Admission is free; beverages sold separately.

FeBREWary continues: This Thursday, continue the FeBREWary at North Bethesda spot, Owen's Ordinary. The restaurant will serve a four-course tasting menu paired with five RAR Brewing beers, including an oyster stout and a blood orange IPA for $50. Head brewer Randy Mills and co-founder Chris Brohawn will lead the way. Reservations can be made by phone 301-245-1226, and the dinner itself begins at 7pm.

Fondue party: Let your inner Liz Lemon come alive this Saturday at Via Umbria, which hosts  their second annual MELT fondue fest. Guests can enjoy five types of melty cheese, from Italian fonduta to racelette, all with beer and wine parings to match. The party begins at 7 pm, and advanced tickets can be purchased online for $35 (or $45 at the door).

Winter Cask Classic: Embrace the mild winter this Saturday with Denizen's Brewing Co.‘s Winter Cask Classic from noon until  6 pm. Guests can enjoy brews from the Silver Spring host alongside other local Maryland beers fro Jailbreak Brewing Company, Manor Hill Brewing, and more. The beer garden will offer a range of activities, including s'mores, lawn games like corn hole, and street hockey.

DC Distillers Festival: Go back to the roaring 20's at the DC Distillers Festival, hosted at the Longview Gallery on Saturday. The party features 60 types of craft spirits, live music and a burlesque show in the last session. Tickets are available for three windows, starting at noon and running until 10 pm, each priced separately (plus VIP options).

Ramen World 3: This Sunday, indulge in all things ramen with Mess Hall's Ramen World 3. Guests will have two hours to try unlimited offerings from some of DC's best ramen shops and restaurants, including Sushi Taro, Bantam King, Paper Horse, and more. Tickets are $70 for two sessions: noon to 2 pm, and 3 to 5 pm.

Ice Yards: While the weather is warming up, stay cool at The Yards third annual Ice Yards festival this Sunday (previously Saturday, changed due to rain). Wintery fun includes a sno-cone bar ,igloo pods, ice-related activities, and  live music from White Ford Bronco. For $10, adults 21 and over can enjoy one drink upon entry such as a Due South Lager or frozen hot chocolate, plus food items like tomato cucumber salad, chicken empanadas, Cuban sandwiches, and more. The fun begins at noon and lasts until 5pm.

Oscars Party: Celebrate the 89th Annual Academy Awards with Boqueria this Sunday. The Spanish restaurant throws a party featuring unlimited tapas and bottomless drinks such as sangria, beer, and wine ($49 per person).

Tables for Snooker and Bhutanese Food at Weekender Billiard

It's Saturday night and every snooker table is taken at the Bhutanese pool hall in Woodside, Queens. The players are all men, most with roots in the Land of the Thunder Dragon, the young ones lanky in faded rock tees and track pants, their elders slouching in bomber jackets and bright white kicks. They rack the red balls, watch and wait.

Pema Gyeltshen, from Mongar in eastern Bhutan, opened Weekender Billiard in the fall of 2014 with his cousin Lhendup Zangmo and her husband, Jamyang Tsultrim, a native of Tibet. The name on the awning is printed in English and Tibetan — not Dzongkha, Bhutan's national language, although they share the same script. (This may be because Tibetan immigrants in Queens outnumber Bhutanese, or because, as Mr. Gyeltshen explained, there is no word for "weekender" in Dzongkha.)

The chef, Norbu Gyeltshen (no relation), was born in Tibet and grew up in Bhutan. Pema Gyeltshen, too, can trace his ancestry to Tibet, centuries back. "We're all mixed up," he said. In a corner, portraits of the Dalai Lama and the astonishingly beautiful king and queen of Bhutan, flanked by their countries' flags, tilt over a huddle of glossy black tables.

Under their gaze, the waiter brings plates of ema datse, the Bhutanese daily meal. This is often described as soup, stew or curry, none of which seem to fit its texture here: fresh green chiles, split and still armed with seeds, under a sheen of mollifyingly mild cheese.

The ingredients might suggest some cross-cultural kinship with Tex-Mex chile con queso. But in ema datse the chiles are dominant, meaty strips meant to be appreciated as both vegetable and firestarter. At Weekender, they are Italian long hots, always a gamble, erratic in heat; some are merely sweet and fleshy, others a silent shriek.

They're simmered with butter and slices of white American cheese, a surprisingly successful stand-in for traditional Bhutanese farmer cheese made from curds, minus the tang. Other versions of the dish temper the heat with mushrooms, potatoes or hard, nearly fossilized beef, dried in-house for days — delicious, once you revive your animal within and break it with your teeth.

Momos (dumplings) are smaller than some of their Tibetan counterparts in the neighborhood, dainty pleated buns disclosing beef or cabbage and mozzarella. The latter are best eaten at once, before the cheese sets. All come with eze, a hot sauce powered by ema kam, dried red chiles that in Bhutan are laid on rooftops and hung from windows to drink up the sun. One night a woman at the next table pulled a giant Ziploc bag of them out of her purse.

Ema kam is the background thrum in jasha maroo, a soup red-orange like a late stage of sunset, with a lacy veil of fat on the surface and diced chicken and crushed garlic and ginger in its depths. And in kakgur, a soup with hunks of butternut squash broken down but still tasting bright, and cheese half vanished in the broth.

Bathup is the heartiest, a great bowl of soup heavy with hand-torn dough and defiance of winter. The first spoonful is plain-spoken, but stir in the pinch of spice at the center — thingay, Sichuan pepper — and the mouth goes numb.

It would not be a meal without Bhutanese red rice, grown at high elevations in the Paro Valley, earthy and fluffy, with a slight blush. You will want, too, chewy buckwheat noodles doused with hot oil to sear in the flavors of red chile and garlic chives. And Bhutanese black tea, which in its dry state is almost more twigs and bark than leaves. This is boiled for hours, then churned repeatedly with salt and a pat of butter. It tastes deep, like being privy to someone else's memory.