picked fermented onions and/or jalapeno’s are better than the unpickled kind, IMHO.
Oklahoma smash burgers with Tillamook cheese (pretty much any flavor you like) don’t really need anything else.
Lately I’ve been focusing on my guacamole burger: homemade guac, thick-sliced raw Vidalia onion, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, American cheese, burger pan-fried in bacon grease, cooked Pittsburgh (seared black outside; red inside) in bun toasted on the inside (bagel button). Serve with homemade slaw and baked beans.
I grind lean steak, form a 1/2 pound burger, put it in the freezer for a bit, vacuum seal it, then sous vide rare. A quick touch of the torch for searing, then on a bun.
Condiments vary with what ingredients I have, but guacamole is one way to go, mustard/ketchup/onions another option, and just plain meat another.
I love mushroom swiss burgers, but have recently switched to gouda slices which offer much more flavor.
I saute mushrooms and onions in a little garlic-infused olive oil, with a splash of wine towards the end. That, plus the gouda and a little lettuce and I’m good to go.
To my mind a good burger is all about the beef itself, the toppings should enhance the flavor, not dominate or overpower it.
Both carmelized and raw onion are tasty. Plain yellow mustard and ketchup are classics for a reason.
If I want the taste of beef I’ll grill a steak or smoke a brisket on the WSM. To me a burger is just a delivery vehicle for other flavors. To that end my burgers resemble open-faced sandwiches.
So I make my patties meatloaf style: half a pound or so of ground chuck with some onion powder, garlic, A1 sauce, a splash of wooster sauce, and some Montreal Steak seasoning added to the meat before the patty is formed. Once on the grill (charcoal always, although I’m debating getting a Traeger before next spring) I paint them with some imported HP sauce or original recipe KC Masterpiece, and maybe another sprinkle of the Montreal. Grill for ~25 minutes, 3 flips. Once the patties are a minute or two from being done I’ll add a thick slice of Tillamook sharp or pepperjack cheese or both and let it/they melt into a puddle of goo before pulling the patties off the grill.
Assembly of the burger is as follows: half a bun on a plate, add a smear of Portland ketchup (unpretentious, organic, low sugar. Good stuff). Add the patty on top of that, cheese side up. On top of that add a thick smear of mayo, followed by a double layer of kosher dill slices. Add some more KC Masterpiece. Top with a pile of caramelized onions. Eat with a fork.
Manna from heaven, it is.
Of course, a burger ordered in a restaurant is a totally different beast. But I very rarely eat burgers in restaurants so it’s basically a non-issue for me.
I should add I live in Iowa - the ground beef is generally a very excellent quality, something that doesn’t necessarily hold true in other regions. I can understand wanting to jazz up the gnarly stuff.
If you are a “bacon on burger” person, give a try to a burger with a couple of slices of good deli pastrami.