Sous Vide Cheese Burgers

Serves 4 to 6

Cheeseburgers cooked on a grill are a classic summer treat.  The downside to grilling burgers is that they tend to shrink in width and swell up in the center.  This leaves a small, usually tough, burger.  By using the Kuraidori Precision Cooker you can eliminate this shrinkage when cooking.  When making these cheeseburgers make sure you do not use the vacuum seal method or overwork the meat when making patties.  This will make the burgers tough which should be avoided.  Take care to make sure the burgers are spaced out in the bag when they are placed in the water bath.  Top your burgers with your favorite toppings.

Ingredients
1.3kg medium ground beef
Salt pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns
6 slices American cheese
1 tbsp vegetable oil or bacon fat
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp water

Directions

1. Preheat the water bath 50°C.
2. Using a scale, divide the ground beef into six 8-ounce portions.  Form patties with each portion of beef making sure to keep them on the thicker side, about 1 ½” thick.  Do not overwork the meat as over compressing it will make it dense and tough.  Press it just until it sticks together.
3. Carefully place the burgers into a bag making sure they sit separately in it.  Use the water displacement method. Take caution not to remove too much air as it can compress the meat and result in a tough final product.
4. Place the bagged hamburger patties into the water bath and cook for a minimum of 40 minutes to a maximum of 2 ½ hours.
5. Take the bag out of the water bath.  Remove the hamburger patties from the bag and let them rest on a baking sheet lined with paper towels until they have come back to room temperature.  Pat dry completely.  Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
6. Heat a cast iron fry pan on high heat.  Add the oil or bacon fat and bring it to a shimmer.  Add the butter to the pan.  In batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, add the hamburger patties and sear until brown, about 60 seconds.  Flip the patties to sear the other side.  Add the cheese to the top of the burgers.  Put a tbsp of water into the frypan and cover with a lid.  If a lid cannot be found a baking sheet can be substituted.  Once the cheese has melted completely, about 60 seconds, remove the patties from the frypan and place on a toasted bun. 
7. Garnish the cheese hamburgers to your liking and serve.