Cast-Iron Indoor Burgers with great sauce

Cast-Iron Ultimate Indoor Burgers with great sauce

from Ellen's kitchen, with thanks to America's Test Kitchen 

Serves 4

Ingredients for burgers:

•  1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak tips (aka flap meat), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted

Ingredients for great sauce:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 packed tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs Worcheshire sauce
• 1 tbs minced chives
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp ground pepper

Place:

• beef pieces on rimmed baking sheet in single layer. Freeze until meat is very firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, about 35 minutes.

Working:

• with one-quarter of meat at a time, pulse in food processor until finely ground into rice grain-size pieces (about 1/16 inch), 15 to 20 pulses, stopping and redistributing meat around bowl as necessary to ensure beef is evenly ground. Transfer meat to sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat or fat.

Drizzle:

• melted butter over meat and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Gently toss meat with fork to combine. Divide meat into 4 balls. Toss each between your hands until uniformly but lightly packed (do not overwork), then gently flatten into 1-inch-thick patties. Refrigerate patties for 30 minutes. (Patties can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

Adjust:

• oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, season 1 side of patties with salt and pepper, then, using spatula, flip patties and season other side.

When:

• oven reaches 500 degrees, remove skillet from oven using potholders and place over medium-high heat; turn off oven. Being carefully of hot skillet handle, add oil and heat until just smoking. Place patties in skillet and cook until well browned on first side, about 3 minutes.

Flip:

• burgers and continue to cook until well browned on second side and burgers register 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 3 minutes. Transfer burgers to plate and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with buns.

Sauce:

• Whisk mayonnaise, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce,  chives, garlic, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Top burgers with sauce before serving.