The Mack Burger Recipe
- by Chef David Rose
- Last updated Nov 21, 2024
When you’re craving the golden arches but want something homemade, substantial, and, let’s face it, more delicious, The Mack Burger is your new go-to. Skip the drive-thru and head on home to build a big burger that’s loaded with bigger taste.
Why We Love This Burger Recipe
From the juicy, steak-on-a-bun taste of a NY strip burger and gooey American cheese to the zesty, impossible-to-resist tang of our special sauce and crispness of a dill pickle, this burger is love-at-first-bite amazing.
Tools You’ll Need Before You Start
- Whisk
- Medium Bowl
- Large Cast Iron Skillet
- Burger Press
- Separate Cast Iron Skillet
- Saucepan
How to Cook the Mack Burger
If you’ve always wanted to combine your love of cheese with the incredible taste of steak, get ready to be delighted. The mack burger starts with the ultra-lean, bold, beefy flavor of a 6 oz. Omaha Steaks PureGround® New York Strip Burger (crafted from the same perfectly aged strip lions featured in our Butcher’s Cut New York Strip Steaks) and doubles down on flavor with a tangy special sauce, creamy cheese sauce, and crisp dill pickle. It’s a two-hander, two-napkin meal that will make you forget all about fast food burgers from here on out. Let’s get started!
1. Make Something Special
This recipe starts out with a very simple – but very important – step. Whipping up that uniquely delicious special sauce! Simply add all those flavorful ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until they’re well-incorporated. So simple, but so satisfying.
2. Make This Burger a Smash Hit!
Luckily for you, this burger already has built-in fanfare because you’re starting with an Omaha Steaks PureGround New York Strip Burger. First, take the burgers out of your refrigerator and allow them to come to come room temperature, which should take about 20 minutes. Next, season them with salt and pepper before you get ready to cook them in two batches of three burgers.
In a large cast iron skillet, add 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil and build 3 small piles of thinly sliced onions. Place the 3 burgers on the 3 piles of onions and use a burger press to smash them down until they reach about 1/2” thickness.
Next, cook your burgers on one side until they’re nicely seared and browned, which should take about 4 minutes, then flip them, add that mild and delicious American cheese slice to each, and then cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove the cooked burgers, clean and wipe out your pan, and repeat!
Once your burgers are done, add even more crisp to your bite by toasting the buns! Add butter to a separate cast iron pan and toast the buns, toasting the extra bun bottom (the middle bun) on both sides for 30 to 45 seconds until golden-brown.
Your pan-seared burgers will deliver major flavor, but if you’re more of an outdoors chef, follow these four can’t-miss burger grilling tips!
3. Let’s Get Cheesy
You can never have too much cheese! That’s why, even though this massive burger calls for sliced American cheese, we’re also going to add the tanginess of sharp cheddar, the powerful umami flavor of Worcestershire sauce (don’t worry, you don’t have to pronounce it), and just a dash of heat with this mouthwatering cheese sauce.
First, bring the heavy cream to a boil and whisk in your shredded cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then simply reduce it to a medium heat, allow it to simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes until it’s thickened into a sauce-like consistency, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Bring It All Together
To really capture the amazing flavor profile and unique texture of the Mack Burger, you need to assemble it just right.
- First, add 1 tablespoon of that creamy special sauce, 2 tablespoons of fresh minced lettuce, and 2 crunchy dill pickles on the bottom bun, then add your beefy, juicy burger.
- Next, place the spare bun bottom on top of the burger and repeat the same condiment process.
- Then, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of your gooey cheese sauce on top of the second burger and repeat the condiment process.
- Finally, add more special sauce to the bottom of top bun, and place on top.
The hard work is over and it’s time to dig in – enjoy!
If the Mack Burger gave your big appetite big satisfaction, learn more about what makes Omaha Steaks PureGround Burgers so special – and delicious.
The Mack Burger
Ingredients
Special Sauce
- 1 tablespoon capers, finely minced
- 1 medium pepperoncini, seeds removed, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon caper juice
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Burgers
- 4 Omaha Steaks PureGround® New York Strip Burgers
- 1/2 small white onion, finely minced
- 1/2 1/2 small white onion, halved and sliced razor-thin
- 4 American cheese slices
- 2 sesame seed buns and 2 extra bun bottoms
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 hamburger dill pickle chips
- Salt and pepper
- 8 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce, finely minced
Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 3 dashed hot sauce
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Special Sauce
- Place all ingredients in medium bowl and whisk until well-incorporated.
Burgers
- Remove burgers from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, about 20minutes; season burgers on both sides with salt and pepper.
- 2, 3-burger batches: In a large cast iron skillet, place 4 tablespoons vegetable oil and create 3 small piles of thinly sliced onions, about 2 tablespoons.
- Place the 3 burgers on the3 piles of onions and use a burger press to smash burgers until about 1/2”thickness.
- Cook burgers about 4minutes, until seared and browned; flip and add 1 slice of American cheese to each and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese melts and burger cooked to desired doneness.
- Remove burgers from cast iron pan, clean and wipe out pan, and repeat process for remaining burgers.
- In a separate cast iron pan, add butter and toast buns, toasting the extra bun bottom (the middle bun)on both sides for 30 to 45 seconds until golden brown.
Cheese Sauce
- Bring heavy cream to a boil and whisk in cheese, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and pinch of salt and pepper
- Reduce to medium heat and simmer about 3 to 4 minutes until thickened and sauce-like consistency; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assembly
- Place about 1 tablespoon of special sauce, 2 tablespoons of minced lettuce, and 2 pickles on the bottom bun, then add burger.
- Place middle bun on top of burger, repeat condiment process, and then add second burger.
- Put about 2 to 3tablespoons cheese sauce on top of second burger, repeat condiment process, add sauce to bottom of top bun and place on top.
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