So, I've figured out how to cook the perfect hamburger... I love this method because you get that crispy outer-crust typical of a flat-top burger but you still get the smoky flavors from a home barbecued burger.
Preheat a charcoal grill with a load of charcoal over to one side only. Set your cast iron skillet over the direct heat.
Add hamburgers and sear for 1-2 minutes on first side. Then flip the burgers and move the skillet over indirect heat to the other side of the grill. Now apply the lid and close off all the vents. Wait 5 minutes for medium. Let rest.
i think the final step requires closing the lid and letting the smoke flavors penetrate the meat, (hahah) i guess you can just leave out that last part or maybe add a dash of liquid smoke to the meat before you start to cook.
Of course you can achieve the same texture on your range/oven. Just be prepared for a lot of smoke and make sure you have a splatter guard to keep from having to clean every surface in your kitchen.
Mix meat thoroughly by hand, add in some worcestershire sauce, ground pepper (no salt, not yet), a dab of grey poupon, any cheeses you like, minced garlic, diced onions, make into patties to suit your preference. Brush patties with oil and salt right before putting on the grill to prevent from sticking (never combine the salt into the meat, it makes it rubbery). Grill until well done.
This does work, but doesn't taste as good. Fat makes flavor sadly. We usually use about 80/20 for our burgers, and a lot of the grease drips off and into the fire when grilling directly. Also, pressing your patties makes them tough :P
Sometimes when I'm feeling fancy I'll cut a bunch of mushrooms, maybe a pack of bacon and some onions, slowly cook it all on a medium heat until there is a lot of liquid on the pan. Add a little cold water and let the whole thing cool down.
Get your minced meat (pork, lamb, beef, fancy animal, human) and add a little sugar, I try to keep under a teaspoon per burger. Add a bit of water and mix until its got a constancy of bread dough (stiff yet very soft) then add the mushroom, bacon, onions including liquid then mix it again. With the bacon you probably already have all the salt you'll ever want (maybe a bit much for some so use less bacon) but feel free to add spices as you please.
Get your pan very hot, form your burger and get it on the pan, try to avoid turning it until you're 100% certain it won't fall apart when you try to turn it. If you like your burgers a bit big having an oven ready might be a good idea.