What goes in a burger?

I've been asked on more than one occasion about what can a hamburger be made from? Some people mix meats like lamb and pork and emu and whatever else can be ground and made into a patty. But to me the answer is simple.

A hamburger is made from BEEF! PERIOD! NO EXCEPTIONS!

Now this is not to say that some of these other concoctions are not good, because they are. I saw a post lately about a recipe for fishburgers. Patties made from ground fish. Now this sounds good, but it's not a HAMBURGER. I do think it's okay to end the name with burger. It conveys the ground meat / sandwhich nature of the food in general. Chickenburger, turkeyburger, fishburger, etc.

But HAMBURGERS are beef. This goes back to the original ground beef sandwhich that was concieved in a diner on the docks of Hamburg, Germany. It was a ground beef patty, on buttered bread and topped with a butter-fried egg. This would eventually become the hamburger we know and love (thats another post for another day)

So what do I like in my hamburgers that I make? Well, everybody should feel free to experiment and find what they like. I like to use a 50/50 mix of sirloin and chuck. I prefer to grind my own beef. Patties are 4oz. and I do use a burger form. I find one of the best ones you can get is a lid from a jar of JIF peanut butter. Holds a perfect 4oz of beef and creates a nice 1 inch thick patty.

I season the freshly ground beef with a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Old Bay. This mix has never failed me before and I just eyeball the seasonings. Again...find what works for you.

With summer about to start, this should help you all find a perfect burger for your grilling needs. Feel free to post what you like to do for your burgers below.