Total Time 20 minutes

Here is a cheeseburger you might find in taverns and bars, plump and juicy, with a thick char that gives way to tender, medium-rare meat. It is best cooked in a heavy, cast-iron skillet slicked with oil or fat. Ask a butcher for coarse-ground chuck steak, with at least a 20 percent fat content, or grind your own. Keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook, and then when you do, form your patties gently. Season after the meat is in the pan.

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

• ½ teaspoon neutral oil, like canola, or a pat of unsalted butter
• 2 pounds ground chuck, at least 20 percent fat
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 to 6 oz of Roquefort cheese
• A sufficient amount of onion jam to cover the top piece of the ciabatta bun
• 4 ciabatta buns cut in half
• Lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and condiments, as desired

Instructions

1. Add oil or butter to a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet and place over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently divide ground beef into 4 small piles of around 8 ounces each, and then lightly form these into thick patties of around 3 ½ inches in diameter, like flattened meatballs. Season aggressively with salt and pepper.
2. Increase heat under skillet to high. Put hamburgers into the skillet with plenty of distance between them and allow them to cook, without moving, for approximately 3 minutes. Use a spatula to turn hamburgers over. If using cheese, lay slices on meat.
3. Continue to cook until meat is cooked through, approximately another 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare. Remove hamburgers from skillet and allow to rest for approximately 5 minutes; meanwhile, toast the buns. Place hamburgers on buns and top as desired.
4. While the burgers are resting, place the buns on the grill. For the bottom place it buttered side down on the griddle. For the top place it on the top of the Weber bread rack crust side down with a sufficient amount of cheese and then onion jam, to personal taste.
5. After the burgers have rested assemble the Tavern Burgers and enjoy

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016596-hamburgers-tavern-style