Simple hamburger, no bun

The point of this photo essay is to show how hamburger patties are meant to be handled as little as possible. Cooks cringe when they observe hamburger being over-worked or being smashed on the grill with a spatula.

* fresh ground chuck
* ground chuck seasoned salt/pepper, olive oil, water.
* ground chuck brought together
* patty compacted, not squeezed, not smashed, not worked, nothing but gently compacted barely sufficient to be lifted and to hold together.
* ground chuck patty fried
* cooked hamburger patty served with simple salad and sauce; Romaine with tomato and Parmigiano Reggiano, rice vinegar with olive oil, sauce is Béchamel from pan drippings with mustard.

100% within The Zone™.