The dressing and pickles here are magic—they make the burger. Sometimes, I make full-size burgers with 7-ounce patties, but I generally prefer sliders. That way, you can eat more of everything else you serve on the side. The best burger meat comes from aged beef chuck that is freshly ground by your butcher.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 12

　　2 3/4 pounds freshly ground beef chuck, preferably aged

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　12 slices pepper Jack cheese

　　12 mini kaiser or brioche rolls, split

　　Russian Dressing (page 246)

　　12 small Boston lettuce leaves

　　Yuzu Pickles (page 249)

　　24 tomato slices, from about 6 smaller tomatoes

　　

Step 1

Heat your grill to medium-high. Use a lightly oiled kitchen towel to carefully grease the grill grate.

　　

Step 2

Form the beef into 12 patties 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Generously season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. During the last minute of grilling, top each burger with a slice of cheese.

　　

Step 3

Grill the cut sides of the rolls alongside the patties until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate.

　　

Step 4

Spread a generous layer of dressing on both sides of each roll. Arrange the lettuce on the bottom of each roll, cupped sides up (to capture the mouthwatering meat juices). Transfer the patties to the lettuce-lined buns and immediately top each with a thin layer of tomatoes and then pickles. Season the tomatoes with a little salt. Cover with the buns’ tops and serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.