Chris Kronner’s 7 Essentials for a Better Burger
The Oakland chef and author of “A Burger to Believe In” makes a case for simplicity.
“The Kronnerburger itself is just a hamburger, but each component is thoughtfully considered. The beef is the star, and the entire process leading up to the climax — cow, grass, time, fire — is designed to maximize that idea.”
That’s Chris Kronner on the namesake burger he serves out of Oakland’s cult-classic restaurant Kronnerburger and the centerpiece of his newly-released cookbook, “A Burger to Believe In.” The message? Simplicity, quality, functionality. A burger isn’t meant to be fussy or chef-y; you can build a better burger at home when you pay attention to the quality of ingredients and the purpose they serve. What’s going to add that crunch? The creaminess? Strip away the pizzaz — bacon, blue cheese, we’re looking at you — and you’re left with a burger that hits all the right notes.
Chris is picky when it comes to what goes in a Kronnerburger, and luckily, so are we. We source from many of the same ranchers and farmers as Chris and the Kronnerburger team, so you can build a better burger at home with the same ingredients they use. Here are Chris’ 7 essentials:
The Bun
White bread buns are soft and spongy, yet strong and pliant enough. In a finished burger, the halved bun gives way between your fingers, flattening ever so slightly and molding to your grip. A Pain de Mie bun is ideal — we get ours from Tartine and Acme Bread.
The Beef
This is a burger designed to put the beef on a pedestal. That also means that the noise of most burgers is stripped away. No bacon, no melted cheddar cheese.
When using grass-fed beef, fattier is better — 80 percent lean to 20 percent fat is a good ratio. Dairy beef from Cream Co. Meat is our standby, but grass-fed beef from Stemple Creek Ranch is a great option for burgers at home.
The Pickles
Salt, acid, texture. The dill pickle, heavy on aromatic spices, an essential foil to the richness of the burger.
Our dill pickles don’t contain any sugar, and the brine is free of water. If you’re not making your own pickles, find a brand that is similarly high salt and high acid (no sugar) like McVickers Pickles or Sonoma Brinery.
The Onion
There are many schools of thoughts surrounding onion on a burger. Some prefer raw. Some like grilled. I like to split the difference, and so I slice it and cook just one side. You get the smoky char of grilled onions but still maintain the spicy crunch of raw onions.
The Mayonnaise
The cheddar mayonnaise hits the richness of mayo and the spicy, acidic flavor profile of mustard, with the textural benefit of both. It references the sauciness of melted American cheese, but with a lot more flavor and no chemical stabilizers. Also, turning the cheese into mayonnaise is fun.
The Tomato
When in season, there is nothing better than a perfect slice of ripe tomato.We source ours from both Full Belly Farm and Dirty Girl Produce. An heirloom, beefsteak, or early girl are all great.
The Lettuce
For the Kronnerburger, we never, ever use lettuce other than iceberg. Ever. Lettuce provides the crunch, the crispy, the cool — Full Belly Farms grows really great iceberg during the summer, and Lakeside Organics grows it year-round.
Get everything you need for a burger cookout and beyond delivered to your door at goodeggs.com.
Reprinted from A BURGER TO BELIEVE IN Copyright © 2018 by Chris Kronner. Photographs copyright © 2018 by Eric Wolfinger. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Chris Kronner’s “A Burger to Believe In” is out now! Pick it up at your local bookstore, or order online.
