coming up. WalMart?sells a great product for regular buns - Great ValueTM brand "jumbo" hamburger buns.
They're almost exactly like McDonald's buns and a little bigger than the other hamburger buns available at
your supermarket.
Cooking Your Hamburgers
Pre-heat your oven to warm - its lowest level, this is for later. You're going to need two electric griddles - one
to grill the meat, the other to toast the buns. Pre-heat the meat griddle to 375-400? and the bun griddle to
about 350? (this recipe has you cooking four at a time)
Note: before starting, make sure to have all of your condiments READY (because this all happens very fast)
1. Toast the crowns of 4 buns (tops) Do this by laying them face down on the griddle closely together. Put a
Dutch oven (pot) bottom side down directly on top of the buns. (open side facing up) This is only to apply
hands-free pressure to the buns so they will toast evenly. (Don't use anything TOO heavy like cast iron. You'll
smash the buns)
2. Lay the frozen patties on the other grill. After about 20 seconds, "sear" them by applying even pressure
with the back of a metal spatula, and pushing down on the front with your free hand. (careful not to burn your
fingers) Do this only for about 2 seconds... you should hear them sizzle louder while you "sear" them. After
searing them, sprinkle generously with McDonald's burger seasoning.
3. At this point, your buns are nearly done. They will have an even tan color when finished. Remove them,
and repeat the "bun toasting" process with the heels. (bottoms)
4. After about one minute since searing the patties, turn them over. Careful, don't tear the side you seared.
Add another dash of Seasoning and about a teaspoon of your prepared onions. (Don't be anal and use a
measuring spoon... no time... just two fingers and a thumb full)
5. Now quickly dress your buns. (crown, or top side) Mustard first... five "kisses" the diameter of a pencil
evenly spaced in a circle about a half-inch from the edge.
Then the Ketchup, (use Hunt's if you can) five squirts the size of a nickel.. in the pattern found on dice. Place
the pickle in the middle.
6. By the time you finish that, the meat will be done. (about 1 minute or 1:10 after turning) Remove the meat
and tilt to the side to allow excess fat to drain off. Use your free hand to hold down the onions. Place patties
onion side up on the dressed crown, top with toasted heels. (the burger will be upside-down)
7. Lay one finished hamburger, still upside-down, in the center of your pre-cut waxed paper. Wrap the paper
around the burger tightly. It should resemble a very oblong tube with two open ends, and the burger in the
middle. Then wrap the open ends underneath the bottom of the burger so it is enclosed tightly.
"Q-ing" Methods
"Q-ing" was a McDonald's term for helping the flavors to meld via mechanical means; i.e. heat lamp or
microwave.
1. Place wrapped hamburger in your pre-heated oven. (remember... oven is just barely on warm) Keep them
in there about 8-10 minutes. Hey! That's enough time to cook another batch. (if you do cook another batch
while these are "aging properly", scrape the black stuff and burnt onions to the side before beginning)
Important note:
Some ovens get too hot even on low, and this may dry out your burger. If they seem dry try
the alternative "Q-ing" method below.
2. An alternate "Q-ing" method would be to wrap the sandwich tightly in wax paper, let sit for 5 minutes, and
microwave on high for 15 seconds (while still wrapped) This will complete the "Q-ing" process without over
microwaving them like they do now. In fact, they almost taste better this way. In fact, you can use this method
on ALL of the burger recipes on this site, with the exception of the McD.L.T.
ENJOY! This is how they used to be. This is how they were MEANT to be.
(You might consider toasting your buns first, at least the crowns, to give you extra time to dress them)