How to Make a Holeman & Finch Burger at Home

There’s no denying that Holeman & Finch cranks out some of the best burgers in town. With a hankering for the same mouth-watering burger at home, we consulted with Chef Linton Hopkins for his secrets on how to create the best beef between the bun!

What is the best meat to buy for a juicy burger and what is the best vegetarian substitute?

The best meat (if you grind your own) is a combination chuck and brisket – that’s what we use for the H&F Burger. Otherwise 100% chuck is the best. It blends out naturally to about 80% lean to 20% fat, which is the ideal ratio for a burger. Fat equals flavor. You can go to a 75-25 or 70-30 ratio but that’s as high as you should go before it gets too fatty.

The simplest vegetarian sub is a whole Portobello cap marinated in soy sauce and Worcestershire. You can also make your own grind of vegetables (like peas, grains, etc) but I love a giant, properly marinated Portobello cap.

What are the three best seasonings to add to a burger? Should you add before or after you have put it on the grill?

Season before putting your patty on the grill. Salt of course is number one. Coarse cracked black pepper. And then I love adding homemade creole seasoning – I take the creole seasoning and rub it on top and bottom of the patties then put them on the grill.

You mentioned that you should keep it simple with one ingredient added to spice things up. Could you provide some other options people might not think of at first? (Like chili peppers, onions, etc.)

A great thing we used to do is grind mushrooms into the meat. 75% meat 25% mushroom, which made a delicious burger. Canned hatch chilis that come from Mexico (like the ones you can find in the international food section of your grocery store) would also be great – pulse those like a puree or a chop and then fold into your burger mix for a southwestern style burger.

—Chef Linton Hopkins, Holeman and Finch Public House in Atlanta, Holeman-Finch.com