ten steps to the perfect cheeseburger

My team had a bye-week last weekend; so I'm more than ready for some tailgating & football this Saturday. I'm not yet certain what the weekend's menu holds; but I'm dreaming of cheeseburgers. And a Texas Aggie win.

The 10 Essential Steps to the Perfect Cheeseburger

1. Use 6 oz. of meat per patty, no more and no less. Don't guess; weigh it.

2. Shape it with your hands into patties. Ignore the common advice about not "overworking" the meat.

3. Liberally salt (use Kosher salt) and pepper both sides. Salt is the glory of red meat; don't stint.

4. Make a deep thumbprint in the middle of each patty (it evens out the burger when it cooks, don't ask why).

5. Refrigerate the patties until you're ready to grill. You can salt and pepper well ahead if you'd like.

6. Make a HOT charcoal fire.

7. Liberally oil both your grill and the meat before you start.

8. For medium-rare, grill the meat EXACTLY 3 minutes on one side (grill lid closed) and 2 minutes on the other.

9. Add the cheese, cover each patty with a burger cover, and cook for 1 minute more.

10. Remove the meat and quickly grill the buns (the only civilized way to eat hamburger buns).