Gary and I were just in Salt Lake City for a symphony conference. He worked alongside his colleagues while I socialized with friends Greg and Wendy Stillman, who live nearby. One afternoon, they took me to a local burger joint, Crown Burger. It’s where I fell in love with their signature namesake burger.

The place is the kind where you order at the counter, pick up your food, and find your table. Nothing fancy. Greg warned me to order the “junior” size instead of the “regular” because it would be plenty. Who am I to argue? (Well, I argue often. But not this time.)

Even with the smaller burger, I could hardly wrap my lips around it. Juicy? Of course. All the fixings? Yes. But what made it really special was the thick layer of pastrami on top of the burger. Who’d have thunk? But that pastrami made the flavor and the juiciness go over the top. It made me wish we had a Crown Burger here on the Monterey Bay.

So of course, when we got home, we had to try making our own. Harris Ranch ground beef? Check. Toasted ciabatta rolls? Check. Burger sauce? Dill pickles, lettuce and tomato? Check, check. And several slices of pastrami. How did it measure up? Pretty close. But next time, we’ll make the burgers a bit thinner. Our version was so tall that I had to pull it apart to eat it.

Would I do it again? That’s a big YES.

How to do burgers

Everyone has their own version and technique for burgers. There’s grilling, broiling, frying, roasting and even steaming. All of them work. It’s just a matter of personal taste. But you have to do it right.

For frying, use a cast iron pan or a griddle over medium-high heat. Get the pan hot first. The burgers should sizzle right away when you add them. Smash burgers are popular now, so it you want that style, press the meat with a spatula the minute it goes in. This makes a thin burger with crispy ruffled edges.

If you prefer grilling, get the heat to 400F. Grill over direct heat, flipping only once. Or cook over direct heat, flip the burger, and move it over to indirect heat to finish.

Broiling is easy, too. Heat the broiler, and line an oven-proof pan with foil. Or use a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the burgers on the pan and then under the broiler until done, flipping once. This is closest to cooking on a grill.

The meat stays really juicy if you steam your burgers. Place the patties in a frying pan with a few tablespoons of water. Or use a steam tray. Cover, and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook until done.

Tips for the best burgers

Always use freshly ground beef. Keep it chilled so the fat won’t melt too quickly and dry out the meat. Also, don’t overwork the beef when shaping the burgers. Use a light touch to help maintain juiciness.

What’s the best ratio of fat to beef? Most chefs recommend 20% fat to 80% lean to prevent the burger from drying out. So, don’t waste money on extra-lean ground beef.

Unless you’re making an ultra-thin smashburger, don’t press on the burger while cooking it. That does not make it cook faster, and it squeezes out all the good juice.

If you don’t want burgers that “puff” in the center, make a little depression in the patty. Then when the center expands, it will even out. Cooking on medium or medium-high heat, rather than blasting it with high heat, also helps to prevent puffing.Using a light touch, mix in some flavorings before you shape the patties. Some good additions include steak seasoning, coarse-ground pepper, truffle salt, granulated garlic, taco seasoning and dried onion.

When they were kids, my sisters would heat a pat of butter in the frying pan, add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, and cook their burgers in that.

Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Ideally, the burger should be 160 degrees in the center, which means it’s cooked all the way through. Anything rare or medium-rare is asking for gut trouble, especially for children, pregnant women, older adults, and anyone with a weak immune system.

Nearly all meat has salmonella or other bacteria on the surface, and it gets mixed throughout when it goes through the grinder—even if the grinder is clean. Eating rare steak is different. Because the pathogens are only on the outer surface, they are killed when a steak is seared.

Barbecue at Sesnon House

If you want someone else to do the cooking, there will be a Summer Backyard BBQ event at the Cabrillo College Sesnon House in Aptos. The Cabrillo culinary students will be cooking up a feast this Saturday. Seating is staggered between 4:30-5:30 p.m.

The menu includes bacon-wrapped steak tips, deviled eggs, dry rubbed baby back pork ribs, blood orange chipotle glazed chicken, herbed potato salad, tri-color pasta salad, corn on the cob, bean and vegetable chili, fresh fruit, stone fruit cobbler, carrot cake, and iced non-alcoholic beverages. (Wine and beer are an extra charge.)

Lawn games and music are included. It’s all for $65 per person. Kids under 5 are free. The culinary arts program is outstanding — my grandson graduated from it — so expect a great menu. Go to https://shorturl.at/vmUr4 for details.

Keep the rodents away!

I’ve heard from several people that they’ve had rat or mouse problems. When I found evidence in my car’s glove compartment, I had enough. I’ve tried everything, including ammonia and peppermint leaves. Nothing worked.

Then genius struck. Rats and mice smell their way around, so I tried sprinkling hot chili powder wherever I saw evidence. Bingo! It worked! I didn’t want to use it in my glove compartment or trunk, so I used cat hair.

Just remove the hair from the brush when you groom your cat. (Or get some from a neighbor.) Leave it in places where mice have shown up. You won’t find them around anymore.

Tip of the week

A squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice will freshen up plenty of dishes — chicken, soup, vegetables, guacamole, and more. To keep out the seeds, use a small strainer. Hold it over the pot or dish and squeeze the lemon into it. You’ll get all the juice and none of the seeds.

Recipe of the week

This approximates the Crown Burgers that I enjoyed in Salt Lake City. They should be nice and drippy, so the juice runs down your arm. OK, maybe not that drippy. But close.

Crown-Style Burger

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls, split in half crosswise

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 80% lean, chilled

Salt and black pepper

8 ounces deli pastrami, sliced thin

8 slices Cheddar or Swiss cheese

Thousand Island sauce, recipe follows

1 beefsteak tomato, cored, cut into 4 slices

3-4 leaves of green leaf lettuce, rinsed, dried

Dill pickle slices

Potato chips (optional)

Thousand Island Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

1 teaspoon white onion, finely minced

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 dash black pepper

Directions:

1. Place the rolls, cut side up, on a baking tray. Heat the broiler. Place the rolls under the broiler about 6 inches from the heat. Toast for a minute or two until lightly browned. Check often so they don’t burn. Remove and set aside.

2. Divide the beef into 4 equal portions. Gently shape each one into a 5-inch patty. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Using your thumb, create a small depression in the center of each patty to help prevent the burger from “puffing.”

3. Heat a cast iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pastrami. Gently warm it until it just begins to crisp. Remove to a layer of paper towels to absorb any extra fat.

4. Place patties into the pan. They should sizzle immediately. Cook 3-4 minutes, flip, and cook about 2 minutes on the other side. A meat thermometer inserted into the center should read 160F.

5. Place 2 slices of cheese on top of each burger. Cook a minute more or until the cheese melts.

6. Spread about a tablespoon of the Thousand Island sauce on the toasted sides of each bun. Add the beef patties, and top with pastrami, pickle slices, tomato, and lettuce. Finish with the top bun, and serve with chips and additional sauce on the side.