Kenji's Better Big Mac

Entered for safe-keeping. By Kenji López-Alt, Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats, who sought to make a higher quality Big Mac, keeping the balance of tastes and small bun size, while omitting the long list of preservatives and thickeners. This is my kind of copycat - make it better, not the same! More at: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/05/the-burger-lab-building-a-better-big-mac.html. Kenji uses the Wonderbread or Sunbeam bread for the small diameter and the squishiness. It may not be clear in the ingredients list but you need 1 1/2 buns: 1 top and 2 bottoms. This recipe calls for a meat grinder, a microwave, a refrigerator, a toaster oven or broiler and a stove-top.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 1

Ingredients

• PATTIES

• 3 1⁄4 ounces boneless beef short ribs, well-chilled
• 1⁄4 cup onion, finely minced

• SAUCE

• 1  teaspoon onion, grated on a Microplane grater
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  sweet pickle relish
• 1  teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  marmite or 1⁄4 teaspoon vegemite or 1⁄4 teaspoon  maggi seasoning
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric

• BUNS

• 1  egg white
• 1  whole  hamburger bun (Wonderbread or Sunbeam)
• 1  bottom-half  hamburger bun (Wonderbread or Sunbeam)
• 2  tablespoons sesame seeds

• BEGIN ASSEMBLY AND COOK PATTIES

• 1⁄4 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 4  dill pickle slices
•  kosher salt, to taste
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1  slice  top-quality American cheese (such as Boar's Head or Land O' Lakes)

Directions

1. PATTIES.
2. Pass beef through meat grinder fitted with 1/4-inch plate twice. Form into 2 even balls and flatten into 4-inch patties using wet hands against a cutting board.
3. Scrape patties up with thin spatula and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Place the 1/4 cup minced onion on a double layer of paper towels on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 10 minutes on LOW power (setting 1 or 2) until mostly dehydrated, but not browned. Set aside.
5. SAUCE.
6. While onion is dehydrating, combine grated onion, mayonnaise, relish, mustard, sugar, marmite and turmeric. Stir to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.
7. BUNS.
8. Preheat toaster oven or broiler to high.
9. Use one finger to spread a very thin layer of egg white over the top of the top bun. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and place under the broiler for 30 seconds until set. Set aside.
10. Use a sharp, thin knife to cut off the very bottom of the bottom bun half, creating a single circular piece of bread with cut surfaces on both sides.
11. Toast cut side of top bun and bottom bun, and one side of center bun piece under broiler until light golden brown.
12. BEGIN ASSEMBLY AND COOK PATTIES.
13. Place bottom bun and center bun on cutting board toasted-side up.
14. Spread half of sauce on each.
15. Divide dehydrated onions evenly between bottom and center buns and top with lettuce. Place 2 pickle slices on each.
16. Season burger patties with salt and pepper, to taste.
17. Heat a heavy-bottomed 10-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat until lightly smoking.
18. Add patties and cook WITHOUT MOVING until first side is crusty and browned, about 1 minute.
19. Scrape up patties with a stiff spatula and flip.
20. Top 1 patty with 1 slice cheese.
21. Continue cooking until cooked through, about 1 minute longer.
22. Transfer cheese-topped patty to bottom bun and cheeseless patty to middle bun.
23. Place top bun on top of center, then stack center bun on top of bottom.
24. Serve immediately.