Chef's Kitchen

Justin started his culinary career at a deli in Buffalo, New York, when he was 15. At 16, he moved to The Georgian House, an all-day restaurant. He decided to go to a culinary arts school, Paul Smith's College in upstate New York from 1994-1995 and then transferred to Johnson & Wales University to get his Associate degree. While in school, he worked at an Italian/Mediterranean bar and grill, then spent a summer working in France. When he returned, he worked nights at Palomino for Restaurants Unlimited (RUI) in Minnesota and days at Lucia, a small local restaurant. He decided to move to Seattle and ended up at Cutters Bayhouse at Pike Place Market where he was lead cook and then sous chef from 1998-2001. He then moved to Ruth's Chris when it was in the Bank of America building in downtown Seattle, staying a year, then opening the Bellevue Ruth's Chris location, staying two years. He left and worked at The Brooklyn for a year. When he heard the executive chef job was open at Cutters, he returned to his old stomping grounds and RUI, staying until 2009. He left with the idea of opening his own place, which took longer than expected, but finally opened in 2011.

The perfect burger, by Owner/Chef Justin Mevs

There are many factors involved from start to finish in preparing the perfect burger. Some key quality points that I look for  are texture, flavor and juiciness. The key factors I use in the preparation of our burgers at The Lucky Diner that result in what I think is the perfect burger are:

Selection:

• Buy your beef from a butcher that grinds their beef in-house. There are several butchers and markets in the Seattle area that grind high-quality beef. I've done a lot of research on this and have found Don and Joe's in the Pike Place Market has my favorite grind. Shop around a bit and see who has yours.

• Beef that is pre-ground and shipped can lose its juiciness from being packed in large quantities. Shipping can also compress the beef and the burger will lose the crumble effect when you eat it.

• Buy a mix that has an 80/20 meat to fat ratio. The higher amount of beef fat, the more moist, juicy and full of flavor the burger will be. I think an 85/15 blend is acceptable, but if you go any lower than that, it will effect the quality and flavor of the beef. Let's face it--if you are that concerned about the fat content of a burger, you might just want to switch to a turkey burger or avoid using a mayonnaise-based sauce to save on calories. The beef is the most important part of a burger in my opinion.

Preparation:

• Burger patties come in many different forms and holding methods. This is a critical area that can really effect the burger.

• I portion my burgers on the heavy side in order to retain the juices while cooking.

• A patty weight between 6-8 oz. is a good size to retain a good texture and the juices during the cooking process.

• Form your patty just before cooking. The meat should be loosely formed, then grilled or seared immediately. This method ensures the retention of juices and will have a nice "crumble" to the texture.

• Pre-portioned and stacked patties can actually solidify the meat and squeeze out flavorful juices before you even begin to cook.

• Be sure the sides of the burger are well-formed and there are no cracks. This will prevent the burger from crumbling or splitting while cooking.

Cooking:

• Burgers should be well-seasoned and cooked at a very high heat. I advise you to use a hot grill, broiler or sauté pan.

• Searing the exterior at a high temperature will seal in the juices and you will have a juicy burger for sure!

• Turn or rotate the burger on each side during the cooking process to ensure even cooking.

• Only flip your burger one time while cooking.

• If you need to finish cooking your burger in the oven to avoid burning, this is an acceptable method.

• I would avoid using a meat thermometer to temp the burger. You do not want to break the sear on the exterior which will cause all of the flavorful fats and juices to escape. Doneness can be measured by touching the burger. it is a skill learned over time, but once  you have it down and you're eating "the perfect burger," you will realize it was worth the time!
   

The Lucky Diner
2630 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
206-805-0133

www.TheLuckyDiner.com

Click here to see Owner/Chef Justin Mev's recipe

November 2011