The important thing to the right burger toppings, based on a golf membership chef

The summer season is nearly upon us, which suggests grilling season has arrived. For many individuals, that additionally means an inflow of yard burgers, which generally is a wonderful factor as long as they’re expertly grilled and — of equal significance — they’re garnished with the best mixture of toppings.

Setting up a scrumptious burger patty and grilling it with confidence is simpler than you suppose. Our beforehand printed column on making perfect sliders offers all of the steerage you want. Relating to selecting the best toppings, properly, that’s a bit extra difficult.

“A very powerful elements of a burger are the meat and the bun, however an especially shut third place is how the burger is constructed,” says Ben Harris, the chief chef at The Sea Pines Resort.

In Harris’ opinion, the commonest pitfall that each newbie {and professional} cooks could make when topping a burger is an absence of restraint. You’ve probably seen these “kitchen sink” burgers on menus, the place a dozen or so condiments and toppings are crammed in between the meat and the bun. What seems to be like a concoction of indulgent extra on paper in actuality eats like a sandwich the place too many flavors and textures overwhelm the palate and go away the diner unhappy.

To keep away from falling into that lure, Harris likes to work with teams of three — a creamy aioli, for instance, which is balanced by an acidic factor (suppose pickles, jams, or chow chows) and contrasted by a “enjoyable ingredient” that introduces a definite texture.

“We attempt to deal with three toppings that complement one another and in portions that don’t make the burger collapse,” he says. “It’s essential that you just don’t find yourself with an unstable burger.”

There’s a cause that the traditional mixture of lettuce, tomato and onion is simply that — a traditional. However not all lettuce-tomato-and-onion pairings are created equal. High quality, particularly, needs to be your primary focus. “Use a pleasant heirloom tomato and a regionally grown purple onion,” Harris suggests, “and ignore the leaf lettuce and go along with iceberg for some good texture and freshness.”

For extra inventive combos, Harris advises at-home grillmasters to consider regionality. Being a North Carolinian, he likes to lean on native flavors from his dwelling state — mustard, chili and onions. As one other instance, he factors to a Hawaiian burger served at Fraser’s Tavern that options grilled pineapple, teriyaki-smoked pulled pork, and a ginger aioli.

Probably the most outlandish — however profitable — mixture of burger toppings that Harris has encountered was additionally born at The Sea Pines Resort. Extra particularly, it was created by the chief chef at Hyperlinks, An American Grill and served through the week of the RBC Heritage match in 2023. The Champions Burger, because it was known as, featured a Wagyu beef patty accented by foie gras and topped with aged muenster cheese and shaved Perigord truffles, all of which was complemented by a truffle-and-roasted-garlic aioli. “The burger was a type of once-in-a-lifetime culinary experiences,” Harris remembers. “Whereas it was positively on the heavier facet, it was one nice burger. The flavors had been so complementary to 1 one other.”

Extra lately, the resort has created the Defending Champion Burger, which spotlights a number of toppings chosen by the winner of the RBC Heritage. The burger that at the moment graces the Fraser’s Tavern menu (and can stay there till subsequent April) was conceptualized by Scottie Scheffler. It options an Previous Bay aioli, in addition to crispy Applewood bacon, pepper jack cheese, onions and fried jalapenos. “Scottie chosen some toppings that basically complement one another properly,” Harris acknowledges. “You get some great texture and spice from the jalapenos after which a pleasant hit of creaminess with the Previous Bay aioli.”