Classic Hamburger

Put the ground chuck in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, garlic, onion, and black pepper. Set aside.

Wet the bread, then gently gather the wet bread into a ball. Express water from the ball by lightly squeezing it with both hands. Don’t squish it. Don’t mangle it. Simply keep it in a ball and add gentle pressure to express a little of the water. This will keep the bread nice and wet and also keep you from making a mess by squishing the bread through your fingers or drop it on the floor before you can get it into the bowl.

Add the bread to the meat and seasonings. Mix well. I use my hands to thoroughly blend all of the ingredients. The meat mixture will take on a creamy look when the bread is well incorporated.

Shape into patties. Because of the higher fat content these patties will shrink more than a leaner ground beef, so make them larger than you want your finished product. I got six patties out of the 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck.

Cook (fry, grill) until the juices run clear. Because I am a little bit—okay, a lot bit—careful about food-borne pathogens, I cook the beef to a well done stage. This doesn’t mean that the burgers have to be dry with no juices left; it simply means that the meat has reached an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F, which still leaves a lovely, juicy burger.

Serve with your favorite condiments.