Butterburgers

These are not diet food. Eight tablespoons of butter go into these burgers: three melted into the patty mixture, five more melting in the pan as the patties cook. The buns get dipped cut-side down into those buttery pan drippings and broiled until toasted. Every element is soaked in butter, and the result is absurdly rich and savory.

Cottage cheese mixed into the ground beef is the unexpected move here. It adds moisture and a subtle tanginess that keeps the patties juicy even when cooked through. You won’t taste cottage cheese in the finished burger, but you’ll notice the texture is more tender and less dense than a straight beef patty. Dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce round out the seasoning, and a tablespoon of chopped green onion adds a fresh bite.

The key technique: cook in all that melted butter and flip only once. That single flip lets a proper crust form on each side. Then those butter-soaked drippings become the toasting medium for the buns under the broiler, building one more layer of flavor.

Chef Tips

• Mix the cottage cheese and egg into the beef gently. Overworking ground beef makes tough burgers
• Get the butter foaming hot before adding the patties. You want a sear, not a simmer
• Flip only once. Resist the urge to press down on the patties or you’ll squeeze out all that buttery juice
• Dip the buns quickly in the drippings. Too long and they soak through and fall apart

Variations

• Cheese-stuffed: Press a cube of cheddar or American cheese into the center of each patty before cooking for a juicy lucy effect
• Herb butter: Mix fresh chopped chives and parsley into the cooking butter for an herbed butterburger
• Smash style: Press the patties thin on the hot buttery pan for crispy, lacy edges