‘Dad, These Are Really Good.’ The Key to Making Better Burgers—Without Any Beef - WSJ

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Food & Drink

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Grind the chicken: Cut chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. On a baking sheet, arrange chicken pieces in a single layer. Transfer to the freezer until hardened, 1 hour. Working in small batches, place chicken in a single layer in the bowl of a food-processor. Pulse and blend the semi-frozen chicken until it's coarsely ground. You should see separate bits of skin and meat, not a uniform paste.Make the patties: Lay a large rectangle of parchment paper on a work surface. Tightly pack ground chicken into a ⅓ measuring cup, making sure there are no air pockets. Use a butter knife to release the puck of chicken onto parchment paper. Repeat with remaining chicken, arranging pucks on parchment at least 2 inches apart. You should have 10-12 pucks.Place another rectangle of parchment on top of chicken, then use a flat-bottomed plate to press each puck into a patty about ⅓ inch thick. The patties may look big, but they’ll shrink considerably while cooking. Use scissors to cut around the parchment around each patty, then stack the parchment covered patties and freeze for at least 1 hour.Take as many patties as needed out of the freezer and let them thaw slightly, about 20 minutes. You don't want them to thaw completely, only to the point where they are pliable. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix fine sea salt and black pepper.Toast the buns: Spread cut sides of buns with butter. In a large cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, toast buns, cut-side down, until golden brown, 2-4 minutes. Transfer buns to serving plates and wipe out skillet. Spread one cut side of each bun generously with mayonnaise and the other side with Dijon mustard. Set aside.Cook the burgers: Return skillet to medium-high heat. Swirl in just enough canola oil to coat skillet, plus ½ tablespoon butter per patty. You can probably fit about three patties at a time, making sure not to overcrowd pan. Have large metal lid or sheet pan handy to cover pan.Remove parchment from one side of patties and generously season on that side with salt-pepper mix. Keep salt-pepper mix close to stove. When butter is foaming, place patties in skillet, seasoned-side down, and remove remaining parchment. Season tops of patties with remaining salt-pepper mix. Patties will splatter hot fat, which can flame up, so exercise caution. Use a flat spatula to gently press down on patties for even contact with the cooking surface. Swirl skillet so fat distributes evenly around patties. Cook, without moving patties but continuing to gently press down on them, until underside is deeply browned and edges are crispy, almost like fried chicken, 2-4 minutes.Carefully flip patties and press them gently into pan again. (Be mindful of flames. If patties catch fire, immediately cover pan with metal lid or sheet pan and turn off heat.) Place a slice of cheese on each burger and cook until underside crisps and browns and interior cooks through, 2-4 minutes. Place 1-2 cheese-smothered patties on each bun and serve immediately with a side of pickles.

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In a large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside. Make the garlic-lemon mayo: In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, garlic and lemon juice until thoroughly combined.Toast the buns: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan, cast-iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Liberally butter the interior of each hamburger bun and place on the pan or griddle, buttered-side down. Toast until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Wipe out the pan.Cook the shrimp: Set pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil to pan. When fat shimmers, add half the shrimp, split-side down. Use a spatula to smash shrimp, letting them butterfly out. As you feel the fibers in the shrimp break apart, continue pressing to get them as flat as possible. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip, smash again, and cook until browned on opposite side, 2-3 minutes more. If using cheese, drape clusters of 2-3 smashed shrimp with a slice each. Once cheese melts, use a spatula to transfer each cluster of shrimp to a bun. Top with tomato, lettuce, onions and pickles, if using. Slather garlic-lemon mayo on top buns and place on burgers.

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In a large bowl, combine turkey and pepper. Fold in cold butter, making sure it is evenly distributed but not melted. You should see dots of butter in the meat.With lightly oiled hands, divide meat-butter mixture into 6 equal patties, and set aside. (No need to fuss about getting them all to the exact same weight. Close-enough will do.)Set a large heavy-bottomed frying pan or cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. You can also cook on a gas grill set to medium. While pan heats up for a few minutes, liberally butter buns. When pan is hot, set buns on it, cut-side down, gently pressing center to make sure entire surface of bun has contact with pan. Toast until golden brown, 1-2 minutes, and remove to a plate, rejoining tops and bottoms to help keep them warm. Work in batches if necessary, depending on the size of the pan.Wipe any crumbs from the pan and return to heat. Liberally salt turkey patties and place in pan, working in batches if necessary to leave enough room to press them down. To smash the burgers, lightly oil the bottom of a small saucepan, plate or a heavy spatula, and use it to press down hard until the burgers are about ¼ inch thick. Cook until a nice crust forms on the underside, about 2 minutes, then flip and sear until the opposite side is equally browned and crisp.Lay a slice of cheese on each burger and cook until melted, about 2 minutes.Place 1 or 2 patties on each bun. Top with tomato, lettuce, onions, pickles, mayonnaise and mustard.