Upgrade The Tomatoes On Your Burger With One Extra Step

From Bobby Flay's ingenious potato chip trick to making balsamic bacon and onion jam, it sometimes seems there's no shortage of ridiculous and complicated ways to upgrade a classic burger. Sometimes, though, simplicity is the word. The burger, after all, is a perfect example of simple ingredients forming an utterly delicious whole. Why should an upgrade need to be overly complicated? One such improvement doesn't even involve the addition of anything new. All you need to do is grill your tomatoes for an instant upgrade. This simple trick is enough to change their flavor, resulting in a much more complex, well-rounded bite. When cooked, tomatoes' characteristic sweetness gets enhanced, which will counter the savory notes of the meat whilst simultaneously complementing the similarly sweet flavors of onion or ketchup.

Grilling the tomatoes will also enhance their texture. When raw, tomatoes give a lovely freshness and crunch, but that job is also taken care of by lettuce (and pickles, because every burger should have pickles on it, right?) When they've been grilled, tomatoes take on a subtle, almost meaty tenderness, which provides a pleasant contrast to those crunchier elements, as well as the crust of the meat and the soft, pillowy bun (if you want to take things even further, try using sweet potato buns for another hit of sweetness).

Grilling tomatoes is super easy and takes barely any time. All you need is a grill (or griddle pan), set to medium-high heat. Then, slice your tomatoes widthways into half-inch thick slices — you don't want them to be too thick, as you'll end up with an impossibly thick burger. You'll want to use a relatively big tomato that's fleshy enough to hold up under the heat. Beefsteak tomatoes are going to work perfectly here. Give them a coating of olive oil and salt them heavily – you want that seasoning to penetrate deeply into the flesh of the tomato to really bring out its natural flavors.

Then, grill them until they develop beautiful browning on each side, flipping halfway through. It's best to trust your eye here rather than a timer, especially if you're grilling them over open coals. You don't want to run the risk of those tomatoes burning, after all. That browning will caramelize the outside of the tomatoes, resulting in a beautifully rich, dark sugariness that will add complexity and depth to the final product.