Juicy Pub-Style Burgers

Ingredients

• 2 lb sirloin steak tips (trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch chunks; also sold as flap meat)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
• salt (to taste)
• 1 tsp black pepper (plus extra for seasoning patties)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 4 hamburger buns (toasted and buttered)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the 1/2-inch chunks of steak on a baking sheet in a single layer.

2. 2

   Freeze the steak until very firm and starting to harden around the edges but still pliable, about 35 minutes.

3. 3

   Place one-quarter of the chilled steak in a food processor and pulse until finely ground into 1/16-inch pieces, about 35 pulses, stopping to redistribute around the bowl as necessary to ensure meat is evenly ground.

4. 4

   Transfer the ground meat to a second baking sheet and repeat the pulsing process with the remaining 3 batches of steak.

5. 5

   Spread the meat over the sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat or fat.

6. 6

   Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 300°F (150°C).

7. 7

   Drizzle the melted butter over the ground meat and add 1 teaspoon of pepper.

8. 8

   Gently toss the meat with a fork to combine the butter and pepper without overworking the meat.

9. 9

   Divide the meat into 4 lightly packed balls, then gently flatten them into patties 3/4 inch thick and about 4 1/2 inches in diameter.

10. 10

    Season one side of the patties liberally with salt and pepper.

11. 11

    Using a spatula, flip the patties and season the other side.

12. 12

    Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking.

13. 13

    Using a spatula, transfer the burgers to the skillet and cook without moving them for 2 minutes to develop a crust.

14. 14

    Flip the burgers and cook for 2 minutes longer.

15. 15

    Transfer the patties to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the burgers register 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare or 130°F (54°C) for medium, about 3 to 6 minutes.

16. 16

    Transfer the burgers to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.

17. 17

    Transfer to the toasted, buttered buns and serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Sirloin steak tips are also sold as flap meat. Be gentle when shaping the patties; taking care not to overwork the meat ensures the burgers won't become dense or tough. Patties can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 day before cooking.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• burger
• beef
• skillet
• baked
• pub-style