The first time I tried a dry aged burger was at Peter Luger. It completely changed the way I looked at burgers.
It tasted more like a steak than a burger. By using dry aged meat, the flavor was so intense and the burger was incredibly juicy.
I always wanted to make a burger that good at home, but finding dry aged meat was nearly impossible. Even the few stores that offered it were incredibly expensive.
So I said “f--k it, I’m going to make my own.” I started dry aging meat for various amounts of time to find the age that I liked the best. What I arrived at was a perfect balance of flavor at the 30-day mark. A patty that I would consider the “Ferrari” of burgers.
You can use these dry aged patties for any type of burger, or use them in other recipes to bring your meatballs, chopped cheese, lasagna, dare I say… tacos (I hate tacos) to the next level.
For my first example of a burger, I went with what I call the “High Steaks Classic.” Here’s what’s in it, and how to make every component (full disclosure, the true high steaks classic is served without a bun, but for the sake of normalcy, I did include a bun).
- Bottom Bun
- Caramelized Onions
- Crispy Bacon
- High Steaks Dry Aged Burger Patty
- AMERICAN Cheese
- Bread & Butter Pickles
- Fried Egg
- Top Bun
Start by slicing an onion in half, splitting the root. Cut the root and end off and peel off the skin of every onion. Use WAY MORE onions than you think you need. They will shrink.
Slice the onions into 1/8th inch slices.
Add enough olive oil to cover about half the bottom of a pan. Stainless steel pan is ideal, but any pan will do the trick, although I’m not the biggest fan of cast iron for this.
Turn the heat on medium heat, add one onion slice in the oil to test the heat. It should sizzle but the oil should not be smoking.
Add the rest of the onions to the pan with salt, and gently mix.
Continue adjusting the heat and stirring through the entire process. These should be cooked on a medium heat for the majority of the time. Cooking them on high heat will cause them to brown too quickly and not release enough water.
Once the onions have achieved your desired doneness, finish by adding salt and pepper. Adjust to your desired levels.
Put aside. I recommend making a large batch, as this takes minimally more effort. Save the extras for various recipes the rest of the week.
I recommend using thick cut bacon from Costco.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Lay down the bacon strips in an even layer. They can be touching but not overlapping.
Cover the bacon with another sheet of foil.
Place an equal size baking sheet on to the top layer of foil and press down.
Place into the preheated oven for about 1 hour. You can check on the bacon to make sure it’s not burning.
I mean with all due respect if you’re doing all this I think you know how to fry an egg tbh.
Season your high steaks dry aged burger patty with salt.
Press it in to a preheated pan.
Wait until a crust has formed and flip it.
I recommend flipping it 3 total times (each side touches the pan twice) to get an optimal crust.
Press the patty with your finger or use a thermometer to measure the doneness of the burger. It should be about 130°F for medium rare.
On the last flip, add American cheese and remove from heat.
I mean same as the egg. I think you know how to toast a bun.
But I recommend letting the butter brown in a pan on low heat and then toasting the buns in the butter once it barely starts turning brown.
- Bun
- Onions
- Bacon
- Burger
- Cheese
- Pickles
- Egg
- Bun