Forget Prepackaged Ground Beef If You Want A True Rare Steakhouse-Style Burger

The one mistake you don't want to make when cooking a burger? Using the wrong beef. While there are plenty of other factors, such as the freshness of the bun and how well the toppings work together, the core of the burger is the beef patty. For the truest steakhouse-style burger, stop buying prepackaged ground beef at the store. "Go to your butcher and get some freshly ground beef," chef Britt Rescigno, founder and chef at Fiamma, exclusively tells Chowhound. She would know: her restaurant is known for the Fiamma Steakhouse Burger, a blend of filet tips, ends of New York strip, elk, and venison from the restaurant's own butchering process.

Emmanuel Inocencio, graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Pasadena, California, and chef de cuisine at The Great Oak Steakhouse, agrees. "Having a butcher fresh grind ground beef for you would help ensure you are using fresher quality meat for a rare burger as opposed to something that has been pre-ground and sitting on a shelf for a longer period of time," he exclusively tells Chowhound. When choosing your beef blend, go with an 80% lean and 20% fat combination, which allows for a juicy burger that crisps quickly, helping that center stay rare.

If you want a crust on your burger, then 80% lean beef is a good way to go because that fat helps crisp the outside without drying the burger out. However, you also need the cooking surface's temperature to be hot enough to get a crust. "High heat is the hot ticket when it comes to getting a solid crust on the outside for a burger you still want to cook to a rare doneness," says Emmanuel Inocencio. "A really hot flat top will help you get a great crust." For reference, the pan should be around 450 degrees Fahrenheit to build that crust quickly. To maintain that rare interior, the burger should be cooked to 125 degrees Fahrenheit in its center.

When looking for a crispy crust, "don't smash the juice out of it while cooking," advises Britt Rescigno. To build even more flavor, she suggests seasoning the beef patties at least half an hour before cooking to let the seasonings absorb into the burger and break through its surface. While the crispy exterior and rare interior are the perfect pairing, keep in mind that undercooked meat can cause foodborne illness. "For home chefs, I really recommend knowing where your beef is coming from," Inocencio says. "You're going to know and have the peace of mind the beef is as fresh as it can be."