1 pound ground beef
8 hot dog buns or 16 hamburger buns
1/2 medium onion
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
American cheese (optional)
Pickle slices (optional)
Prepare the beef patties ahead of time by separating into 16 1 ounce portions and flattening each one on wax paper into very thin square patties, about 2-1/2 inches on a side. Using a small circular object like the tip of a pen cap, make 5 small holes, evenly spaced in each patty. Freeze the patties (still on the waxed paper) completely and you are ready to cook. If you are using hot dog buns, cut off the ends and then cut each bun in half to make 2 buns from each. If you’re using hamburger buns, cut each down to about 2-1/2 inch square. Slice the onion into match size pieces. Grill the faces of the buns in a large pan over med. heat. In the hot pan, spread out tablespoon size piles of onions 3 inches apart. Salt and pepper each pile of onions. On each pile of onions, place a frozen hamburger patty. You may have to spread the onions out some so that the hamburger lies flat. Salt each patty as it cooks. Cook each burger for 4-5 minutes on the onions. If you made the burgers thin enough, the holes will ensure that each patty is cooked through without flipping them over. Assemble by sandwiching the patty and onions between each grilled bun.
Makes 16 burgers
NOTE:
If you want to add pickle slices to your burger, stack them on top of the grilled onions. For a cheeseburger, you will have to cut the slice of American cheese the same size as your burger then it goes on top of the onions and under the pickles.