Mastering the Ultimate Pub Style Blue Cheese Burger with Homemade Buns

Who doesn’t love a truly exceptional burger? This recipe takes the classic American burger to an entirely new level, transforming it into a gourmet pub-style experience right in your own backyard. Imagine sinking your teeth into a perfectly juicy, savory patty, complemented by a rich, tangy blue cheese sauce, all nestled within an unbelievably soft, homemade bun. This combination of textures and bold flavors is designed to impress, making every bite an unforgettable culinary adventure.

Crafting a burger of this caliber is an art, and it starts with passion for quality ingredients and precise techniques. From baking the buns from scratch to perfectly forming and grilling your patties, every step contributes to the final masterpiece. If you’re eager to explore more elevated burger creations, be sure to check out my Smoked Pub Style Burger, renowned for its deep, smoky flavor and robust beefy profile.

Baking the Best Homemade Buns: A Game Changer

While high-quality store-bought brioche buns often suffice for a good burger, nothing truly compares to the fresh, soft embrace of a homemade bun. Taking on the challenge of baking your own burger buns might seem daunting, especially if baking isn’t your usual forte. However, I can assure you, the effort is incredibly rewarding and surprisingly achievable. If I can master it, so can you!

For this recipe, I’ve adopted a fantastic technique that combines the richness of brioche with the incredible softness of Japanese milk bread, known as the Tangzhong method. This unique approach involves cooking a small portion of the flour and liquid (water and milk) into a paste before adding it to the main dough. This pre-gelatinizes the starch, allowing the dough to absorb more liquid, resulting in buns that are exceptionally moist, fluffy, and stay fresh longer. The core ingredients are surprisingly simple: whole milk, water, a touch of sea salt, high-quality bread flour, egg, and unsalted butter.

The beauty of these buns lies in their delicate crumb and slight sweetness, which perfectly balances the robust flavors of the blue cheese burger. The process involves several stages, including preparing the Tangzhong, mixing the dough, proofing, shaping, and a final bake to golden perfection. While I highly encourage you to try them, for detailed, step-by-step instructions on making these specific buns, I recommend visiting Joshua Weissman’s dedicated Burger Buns recipe. His expertise provides invaluable guidance for achieving bakery-quality results at home.

Crafting the Perfect Burger Patty and Blue Cheese Sauce

The Ideal Burger Patty: Flavor and Consistency

The foundation of any great burger is, of course, the patty. For our pub-style creation, simplicity and quality are key. I opt for an 80/20 blend of ground beef, which refers to 80% lean meat and 20% fat. This ratio is crucial as the fat content melts during cooking, infusing the patty with incredible juiciness and flavor, preventing a dry, crumbly burger. Generously seasoning the meat is non-negotiable; I use a high-quality BBQ rub to provide a smoky, savory depth, along with a dash of Worcestershire sauce, which adds a subtle umami kick and helps tenderize the meat. Gently mix the seasoning into the ground beef by hand, ensuring even distribution without overworking the meat, as this can lead to a tough patty.

For uniform cooking and a professional presentation, a burger press is an invaluable tool. Instead of haphazardly shaping patties by hand, a press ensures each patty is consistently the same size and thickness. You can easily find burger presses at most local hardware or kitchen supply stores. Consistency in size directly translates to consistency in cooking, meaning all your burgers will be perfectly done at the same time. To create each patty, take approximately half a pound of the seasoned ground beef, roll it into a loose ball, and then use the burger press. I highly recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper on both the base and top of the beef before pressing. This ingenious trick prevents the meat from sticking to the equipment and makes for easy patty removal. Once formed, place these beautiful patties in the refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes. Chilling helps them firm up and retain their shape better on the hot grill.

The Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce: A Flavor Explosion

The distinctive tang and creaminess of blue cheese are what truly define this pub-style burger. Our homemade blue cheese sauce is remarkably simple yet delivers an incredible depth of flavor. In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise (for richness and body), buttermilk (to add a pleasant tang and thin the sauce slightly), red wine vinegar (for a sharp, acidic counterpoint), and generous crumbles of blue cheese or gorgonzola. Fold these ingredients together gently with a spoon until they are well combined and the cheese is evenly distributed. You can adjust the amount of blue cheese to your preference, making it as mild or as pungent as you desire. For a smoother sauce, you can briefly blend a portion of the mixture, but I prefer leaving some cheese crumbles for texture. This sauce is best made ahead of time and chilled, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.

Grilling and Assembling Your Masterpiece

Perfect Grilling Techniques for Juicy Burgers

Now that your patties are chilled and your sauce is ready, it’s time to bring these elements together on the grill. Preheat your grill to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 120-130°C) and set it up for indirect heat. Indirect grilling is key for pub-style burgers, allowing them to cook more gently and evenly without charring the exterior too quickly, ensuring a moist and tender interior. Place the chilled patties on the indirect heat zone of the grill. Cook them for about 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through to ensure even cooking on both sides. As the patties hit the grates, give each side another light sprinkle of your BBQ rub or a simple salt and pepper seasoning to build up those delicious crusty edges.

Temperature control is paramount for the perfect burger doneness. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the patties. For a medium-rare burger, aim for 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit (54-57°C). If you prefer medium, cook until 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit (60-63°C). Once they reach your desired internal temperature, remove them from the grill and let them rest on a cutting board or wire rack for at least 10 minutes. This resting period is crucial; it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the patty, resulting in a much juicier and more flavorful burger.

Assembling the Ultimate Pub Style Burger

With the patties rested and the buns freshly toasted, it’s time for the grand assembly. Lightly toast your homemade buns – you can brush them with a little butter before toasting for an extra layer of flavor and a beautiful golden crunch. On the bottom half of the toasted bun, spread a generous layer of our creamy blue cheese sauce. This foundational layer ensures that every bite is imbued with that signature tangy, savory flavor. Next, add some fresh, peppery arugula salad. The crispness and slight bitterness of the arugula provide a wonderful contrast to the rich meat and cheese. Thinly sliced red onion adds a sharp, vibrant kick and a textural element. Finally, place your perfectly grilled, rested patty on top. Add another spoonful of blue cheese sauce if desired, then cap it off with the top bun. Serve immediately and prepare to enjoy a burger experience unlike any other!

This burger is more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of flavor and a testament to the joy of homemade cooking. The juicy patty, the pungent and creamy blue cheese, the crisp vegetables, and the soft, slightly sweet bun all come together in perfect harmony. Enjoy!

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Pub Style Blue Cheese Burger

By:
Maciek Zurawski

Who doesn’t like a good burger! This pub style blue cheese burger with homemade buns are on a whole other level.

Prep Time:
30 minutes

Cook Time:
20 minutes

Servings:
4 People

Ingredients

Homemade Buns

(For full bun instructions and ingredients, please visit Joshua Weissman’s Burger Buns recipe.)

Tangzhong (for buns)

• 2 tbsp Bread flour
• 6 tbsp Water

Dough (for buns)

• 1/2 cup Whole Milk (95 degrees)
• 1 tbsp Instant yeast
• 2.5 cups Bread flour
• 1 tsp Sea salt
• 2.5 tbsp Sugar
• 1 Whole egg
• 1 Egg yolk
• 3 tbps Unsalted butter (softened)

Burger Ingredients

• 2 lbs Ground beef (80/20 blend)
• 4 tbsp BBQ seasoning
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 5 oz Blue or Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles
• 2 tbsp Mayo
• 1 tbsp Buttermilk
• 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
• Fresh arugula
• Thinly sliced red onion

Instructions

1. For full bun instructions, please visit Joshua Weissman’s Burger Buns recipe.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, BBQ seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix gently until just combined. Scoop out 1/2 lb. portions and form into patties using a burger press (use parchment paper to prevent sticking). Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine mayo, buttermilk, red wine vinegar, and blue or gorgonzola cheese crumbles. Fold together until all ingredients are mixed into a creamy sauce. Chill until ready to use.
4. Preheat the grill to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120-130°C) and set for indirect heat. Place the patties on the indirect heat zone. Grill for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
5. Remove patties from the grill once they reach an internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57°C) for medium-rare/medium. Let them rest for 10 minutes before assembling.
6. To assemble, lightly toast the homemade buns. Spread blue cheese sauce on the bottom bun. Add fresh arugula and red onion, then the rested burger patty. Top with more blue cheese sauce if desired, then the top bun. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 1054kcal
|

Carbohydrates: 80g
|

Protein: 54g
|

Fat: 57g
|

Saturated Fat: 20g
|

Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g
|

Monounsaturated Fat: 23g
|

Trans Fat: 3g
|

Cholesterol: 258mg
|

Sodium: 929mg
|

Potassium: 947mg
|

Fiber: 4g
|

Sugar: 11g
|

Vitamin A: 582IU
|

Vitamin C: 3mg
|

Calcium: 265mg
|

Iron: 11mg

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