Active Time

　　10 minutes

　　Total Time

　　4 hours 45 minutes

　　A burger doesn't have to mean beef chuck: Of all the cuts we tested, skirt steak had the juicy, intense flavor we were after. (Sirloin flap was a close second.) Another revelation: salting the meat before grinding.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6

　　2 1/2 pounds skirt steak or sirloin flap steak

　　Accompaniments: homemade burger buns ; homemade ketchup ; homemade mustard ; homemade pickle relish ; lettuce and tomato

　　

Step 1

Cut steak into 1 1/2-inch pieces and season with 11/2 teaspoon salt. Chill in a sealable bag 4 to 6 hours.

　　

Step 2

Rinse steak under cold water, then pat dry. Grind using a meat grinder with a 3/8-or 1/4-inch die or finely chop in a food processor. Form into 6 balls and flatten into patties about 1 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. Chill until ready to grill.

　　

Step 3

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .

　　

Step 4

Season burgers with 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total). Lightly oil grill rack. Grill burgers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, about 5 minutes total for rare or 6 minutes for medium-rare. (Burgers will continue to cook slightly once removed from grill.)