You need this steakhouse burger for your Labor Day party

To any real fan, a hamburger is never “just a burger.� A great burger is a work of art, passionately thought out and painstakingly executed. It’s the very extension of the grill master’s identity.

Take this steakhouse burger.

Start with ground rib-eye. The ground steak — grind it yourself or have the butcher do it — is used to form the patties, lightly seasoned and flavored with onion and garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, and with just a hint of Parmesan folded in for extra richness and flavor.

Top the patties with caramelized onions, a rich mushroom reduction and homemade steak sauce and cradle that burger in a lightly toasted bun and you have Labor Day party perfection.

STEAKHOUSE BURGERS

3 1/2 hours | Serves 6

STEAKHOUSE PATTIES

2 1/2 pounds ground rib-eye steak (grind yourself, or have the butcher grind for you)

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon powdered onion, or to taste

3/4 teaspoon powdered garlic, or to taste

1 egg, beaten

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground steak with the salt, several grinds of pepper, the powdered onion and garlic powders, beaten egg, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and Parmesan cheese. Mix the ingredients together until combined, careful not to overwork. Cover and refrigerate the meat for 30 to 40 minutes to give the flavors time to permeate the meat.

2. Divide the mixture and form into 6 patties, making sure to indent the center of each patty so it does not plump up on the grill. Crack a little more black pepper over each patty and refrigerate until ready to grill.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

6 to 8 sweet onions, preferably Maui

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1. Halve the onions and thinly slice. Place the onions in a bowl and toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat.

2. Warm a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add one-fourth cup olive oil and when the oil just starts to shimmer, add the onions. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring infrequently.

3. After about 20 minutes, stir in one-half teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, along with the sugar. Cook an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the onions begin to caramelize, and their volume has reduced by more than half, 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from heat and remove the onions, leaving any leftover bits and juices in the pan (the pan will be used to make the steak sauce).

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MUSHROOM REDUCTION

2 pounds mixed crimini and Baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, diced

3 garlic cloves, smashed

Salt

Ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Madeira wine

In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic, cooking until the shallot is nearly translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and season with one teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper, or to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 hours until the mushrooms are soft and reduced in volume by over half. Add the wine and, off heat, carefully light a match over the wine to burn off the alcohol. Continue cooking for 30 more minutes, stirring frequently, to give the flavors time to combine. Remove from heat and place the mushrooms in a bowl.

STEAK SAUCE

2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup Heinz 57 sauce

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1 tablespoon prepared wasabi

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

1/4 teaspoon chile powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Cracked black pepper

Salt

1 cup Madeira wine

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, Heinz 57 sauce, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, soy sauce, yellow mustard, wasabi, Sriracha, chile powder, onion powder, 10 grinds of black pepper and salt to taste to make the steak sauce base.

2. In the pan used to caramelize the onions, warm up the leftover bits over medium heat. When warm, add the wine and scrape any flavorings from the bottom and sides of the pan.

3. When the wine is warm, add the steak sauce base and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat so the sauce bubbles gently and cook, stirring frequently, for at least 20 minutes to marry the flavors. Remove from heat. This makes a generous 2 cups steak sauce, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe. The steak sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, about 2 weeks.

STEAKHOUSE BURGERS

Steakhouse patties

6 soft but dense burger buns or rolls

Steak sauce

Mushroom reduction

Caramelized onions

1. Remove the burgers from the refrigerator and set aside, away from direct sunlight in a cool place, to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the grill.

2. Halve the burger buns and brush the bottoms with steak sauce.

3. Grill the burgers, brushing the tops with steak sauce after they are flipped. Just before the burgers are finished, add the buns to lightly toast. When the burgers are done, remove and rest under aluminum foil for about 10 minutes.

4. Add a large scoop of mushrooms to the bottom of each bun. Place a burger over the mushrooms and top with caramelized onions, then the bun top. Serve immediately.

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