We’ve been profiling some of the best NY-area restaurants for the past several months, and this one is actually a nationwide winner. Luckily they have locations in over 20 states, and every major metro is chock full of this beef lover’s mecca. Last week I had the pleasure of shoving over a full pound of delicious beef in my mouth with my friend and fellow writer, Eric. We experienced the bliss that is the Morton’s hamburger, and I’ve been craving another one ever since. That’s saying a lot, since usually I’m fairly tame with my eating… a salad for lunch, a yogurt and fruit, a sandwich, etc. 20 ounces of beef smothered in pure decliciousness was certainly a treat.
Eric and I took over an hour to chow down on that much beef, his burger was brimming with bacon and cheese, and mine with perfectly sauteed mushrooms. When the beef lovefest came to an end, I couldn’t help but ask Joe, the lovely gentleman that had invited us to the feast, if there was a way I could duplicate this heavenly burger at home. This was certainly one of the best burgers I’ve had in New York, if not the country. If you’re anywhere near a Morton’s, I recommend going there to get the whole beefy experience. If not, this recipe’ll do ya just fine:)
Morton’s “Million Dollar” Hamburger
Serves Six
4 pounds coarse-grind ground sirloin
4 large eggs
3/4 cup tomato juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 large hamburger buns
3 tablespoons clarified butter
Six 1/2-inch-thick slices tomato
Six 1/4-inch-thick slices Spanish onion
6 large leaves iceberg lettuce
Ketchup or another topping, for serving
(see Note; optional)
Directions
1. Preheat the broiler. Lightly oil and position the rack as close to the heat source as possible.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sirloin, eggs, tomato juice, salt, and pepper. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly. Divide the meat into six equal portions and gently form them into patties. Transfer to the broiler pan, and using a small sharp knife, make a crosshatch mark on the top of each burger about 1/8 inch deep. (This lets the juices percolate through the burger, and we also like the way it looks.)
3. Brush the inside of each bun with butter. Toast the buns in the broiler for about 30 seconds on each side, or until lightly browned; be careful that the buns don’t get too browned. Remove the buns and cover to keep warm. Reposition the broiler tray so that it is about 6 inches from the heat.
4. Broil the burgers for 3 to 31/2 minutes on each side for rare, 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, and 41/2 to 5 minutes on each side for medium.
5.To serve, put the bottom half of each bun on a plate. Top with a burger and then a tomato slice, onion slice, and lettuce leaf. Add the top of the bun. Repeat to make five more burgers. Serve with ketchup, if desired.
