“Too much” ruins a burger. If I take a bite and a bunch of crap squeezes out of the backside of the bun, it’s a problem.

Whenever I get back from a camping trip I always grab a smash burger from the shittiest looking mom and pop joint I can find.

Tbf after camping trips anything covered in salt will be god tier. My wife and I did a weekend backpacking trip but didn’t bring any great food. On the way home the only place to stop was a Shoneys and we still joke that it was the best meal we’ve ever had.

As a burger hater and language lover I hereby contribute the word you were looking for in your title instead: it’s “conversely”. Enjoy! 😉

i think its important that all the ingredients chosen fit well together (i guess thats the case for all food?) also i will not stand for the egrigious pickle-slander in the comments

Good: Maillard reaction. That lovely, savory sear on the meat and juices. This is why a proper slider tastes good.

Bad: Dry cardboard. Usually created by people who don’t know how to grill.

Cooked to medium rare. Juicy. Toasted bun. Lettuce, tomato, cheese, and maybe even a fried egg.

An overcooked, dry burger is just not edible for me.

The trick is the balance, between meat, seasoning, vegetables and to a small degree, sauce and seasoning. E.g. putting too much meat on it and less than 3 out of 4: salad, onion, tomato, pickle, would be too little. Ingredient quality matters a lot. Cheese is a nice bonus. Variations according to taste are “obvious”, hot or mild sauce, different veggies…

It shouldn’t be uncomfortable to eat, but I’m also disappointed if it’s too small. Imo, you should need both hands.

Most burgers are fine. Not excellent, not special.

Most common things that ruin a burger for me:

• soggy bread
• poor construction (falls apart, leaks, toppings aren’t spread)
• too much grease (especially on the bread)

To make a good burger, stay simple. Just get quality ingredients and cook them well. Smash burgers make things easier and go a long way. No kraft plastic-cheese.

Sometimes a thinner crispy smash burger is great, other days i prefer a thicker juicier burger but still with some good sear. I don’t like when the meat is overseasoned and it tastes like meatloaf - just a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic. Toasted bun. Light sauce or none.

A good cheese can make a burger, American is not a good cheese. Pickles ruin everything.

I cooked Oklahoma onion burgers yesterday.

Really simple.

1. Season your mince with salt and form into small rounds.
2. Smash the burgers topped with really finely sliced onion smashed straight into the burger on a hot griddle (I used a soapstone in my Kamado).
3. When the lacey edges of the burger are starting to caremalise, flip and add a slice of cheese.
4. Place the top of the bun on top of the cheese and the bottom face down on top of that. This lets the buns steam a little and soften.

Serve.

Five ingredients: beef mince, onion, salt, cheese, bun.

Great burger.

Meat.

Lack of meat.

An extra patty or a couple slices of bacon + barbecue sauce makes it great. Lettuce is hit or miss with varying degrees of freshness depending on the store, so sometimes it’s just better without.

To me a burger is a very simple thing. Few ingredients, cooked properly, simple.

When people just keep stacking sloppy stuff on top it just feels like distractions.

As a non food comparison, it’s Like somebody with toktok going on their phone, a streamer going on twitch on their PC and a show going on tv at the same time with led gamer shit everywhere

What makes a great burger? Good meat, fresh ingredients, and not terribly wet. Bonus if it’s reasonably easy to consume.

What ruins it? Cheese