Crisp Onion Burger Food

ONION BURGERS

Steps:

• Brown ground beef and drain. Sprinkle in the flour. Add onion soup, stir and cook until meat mixture is thickened and most of the liquid is absorbed.
• Spread mustard and mayonnaise, to taste, on bread. Spoon the ground beef mixture onto bread and top with onion.

OKLAHOMA ONION BURGERS

Steps:

• Divide the beef: Line a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the ground beef into 4 even balls. Working one ball at a time and using your hands, massage the meat until it is cohesive and tacky, about 15 seconds. Next, using clean hands, roll each into a smooth ball. Place the balls on the baking sheet, with 1 ball in the center of each quadrant. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Shape the patties: Gently press each ball into a disk-shaped patty about 3 inches wide. Place the patties on a sheet pan or large plate, and season the tops with salt and pepper. Flip the patties, and top each with a large pile of sliced onions - as many as you can balance on top; they should resemble a large haystack. (It is important to not add salt to the onions at this point, as it will draw out excess moisture, which will inhibit searing.)
• Heat the skillet or griddle: Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron or carbon-steel skillet or griddle (see Tips) over an indoor burner set to high heat or on the grates of a hot outdoor grill for a few minutes until very hot; a drop of water should skitter around the surface. (If you don't have a pan skillet or griddle big enough, you can cook the burgers in batches.) Place 1 patty of beef in the center of one quadrant of the pan, with the onions on top (do not add any oil).
• Smash the burgers: Using a very stiff spatula, press on the onions and beef to form a patty 4½- to 5-inches wide. As you smash, focus on the patty's edges so that the finished patty is slightly thicker in the center and smashed out as thinly as possible along the edges. Repeat with the remaining patties. Use the spatula to place any stray onions back on top of the burgers. Season the onions lightly with salt and pepper.
• Cook the burgers: Allow patties to cook without moving until the edges are dark brown and crusty, 1 to 2 minutes. Holding the spatula upside down (so that the head of the spatula is angled down to increase leverage), scrape the edges of each patty off the pan, working around each patty to ensure that you don't leave any crispy edges behind. When the edges have all been loosened, turn the spatula back over (so you are holding it the standard way) and flip the patties onion side down. Use the spatula and tongs or a fork to tuck any stray onion slices mostly under the patties.
• Steam the cheese and buns: Add a slice of cheese to each patty. Place the top half of each burger bun on top of the cheese, and place the bottom half of each bun on top of the top bun, split-side down. Cover the pan or griddle with a large domed lid, a large overturned saucepan or a clean folded dish towel. (To avoid a fire, make sure the edges of the dish towel do not hang over the skillet or griddle. If cooking on an outdoor grill, just close the lid.) Continue cooking until the onions are browned along the edges and the buns are steamed through, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• To serve, open the cover or lid. Remove the bottom burger bun halves to a serving platter. Add pickles and condiments as desired. (These burgers don't typically need condiments.) Lift each burger from the skillet with the spatula and transfer to the bottom bun. Serve immediately.

CRISPY BURGERS

Steps:

• Lightly mix together the sirloin, brisket, chuck, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and the garlic powder in large bowl with a fork until just combined.
• Divide the mixture into 6 equal mounds. Gently press each meat mound between two sheets of wax paper to make a thin patty, each about 4 inches wide and a little under 1/2 inch thick. (I used a tortilla press for this. If you don't have one, use a rolling pin.) Refrigerate until ready to use. The patties can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot and smoking. Place each patty on the griddle and cook, undisturbed, until a deeply caramelized crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip each patty and top with a slice of cheese. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer until the cheese is melted and the desired doneness is reached.
• Meanwhile, brush the inside of each bun with melted butter and place on the griddle until toasted, about 1 minute. Place each burger patty on a bottom-bun half. Dress each bun top with ketchup, mustard, onion and pickles and flip on the the burgers. Serve immediately.

CRISPY FRIED ONION RINGS

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, whisk the first 5 ingredients. Separate onion slices into rings. Dip rings into batter. In a deep-fat fryer, heat 1 in. of oil to 375°. In batches, fry onion rings until golden brown, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

SID'S ONION BURGER

Steps:

• Working in 2 batches, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add 3 beef balls and, using the back of a spatula, press down on them until they're thin; cook for 1 minute.
• Top each patty with a portion of the onions; season with salt.
• Press onions into the meat and cook for 1 minute more.
• Flip burgers; flatten with the spatula. Place a cheese slice on each patty and let melt while onions and meat brown.
• Serve on buns.

CRISPY ONION RINGS

Steps:

• Put the onions in a large bowl and cover with milk. Let soak for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a fine-sieve over a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt, chili powder, and cumin, if using. Stir in the beer until a smooth batter is formed. Set aside.
• Drain the onions and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Blot the onions with paper towels until dry.
• In a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot, pour in the oil to a depth of about 2 inches. Place over medium heat and heat to 400 degrees F. (The oil must be heated to 400 degrees F. since the temperature drops oil to about 375 degrees F. when the onions are added.)
• Working in batches, transfer about 8 to 10 of the onions to the batter and mix to coat well. Using tongs, pull several of the onions out of the batter, and let any excess batter fall back into the bowl. Carefully add to the oil and fry, flipping once, until golden brown and crispy, about 3 1/2 minutes per batch. Using the tongs, transfer to a dry paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining onions. Serve immediately.