Shake Shack at Home? Pat LaFrieda Burgers Take Center Stage

Pat LaFrieda Burgers

Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors brings the best of fresh, All-American raised-and-grazed meats to your table. From Prime steaks to heritage pork breeds, and more, they offer the top cuts of protein the nation has to offer. They provide their customers with the highest quality ingredients by sourcing from small domestic farm partners across the country with all-natural, organic, pasture raised, or grass-fed options.

Specializing in every type of meat, including beef, pork, poultry, veal, wild game, and lamb, Pat LaFrieda offers an extensive selection. Source you next special event with products from Pat LaFrieda’s and your guests will feel like they are eating at a five-star restaurant.

I was thrilled to receive a selection of burgers from Pat LaFrieda, whose world-renowned process includes crafting over 100 unique blends. Their burgers can be found at the Shake Shack and Yankee stadium.

I received the Short Rib blend, Dry Aged USDA Prime blend, LaFrieda Beef and Wild Mushroom blend, and the newly launched American Wagyu blend. You might remember my battle of the beef burger blog where I topped burgers five creative ways. This time my plan was to compare each blend of burger, so I kept the toppings the same.

Grilling the Burgers

Here is how it all came together. I did not want to my topping to compete with the flavor of the burgers, so I went with classic toppings that included American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and ketchup.

I started by setting up a two-zone fire in my Big Green Egg XL (BGE) with the cast-iron grates. Hot zone for grilling for the burgers with a cooler zone in case there were any flare-ups. Each burger was generously seasoned with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The BGE XL was super-hot when it was time to grill the burgers. Each burger cooked for 60 seconds, and I then gave each of them a quarter turn and cooked for an additional 60 seconds. I flipped the burgers and repeated the process. I moved the burgers to cool zone and topped each one with a slice of American cheese. Once the cheese melted, I removed the burgers from the grill and placed them on a wire rack over a sheet pan to rest. Total cooking time was between 5-6 minutes. I also grilled brioche buns for the burgers. I built the burgers from the bottom up by placing lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a slice of red onion on the bottom bun. Next, I placed the burger in the brioche bun and topped the burger with ketchup and pickles.

The Results

Now for the results. The seasoning, the cast-iron grates, and the high heat of the charcoal grill created nice sear on each burger while remaining succulent on the inside. These burgers were next level gourmet burgers. The American Wagyu blend was my favorite. It was juicy and tender like eating a filet mignon steak. The USDA Prime burger blend had the best beefy flavor. The Short rib blend tasted most like a classic burger and picked up more of the smoky aroma from the charcoal fire. The Beef and Wild Mushroom blend had an earthy rich taste.

Any one of the burger blends from LaFrieda will elevate your next cookout or tailgate party. Try one these delicious burger blends, and you will never buy want to buy burgers at your local grocery store again!

Check out our 1000+ Recipes section here on Barbecue Bible.Com

Also, sign up for our Up in Smoke newsletter so you don’t miss any blogs and receive some special offers! PLUS get Raichlen’s Burgers! PDF for free!

Follow Steven on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and Pinterest!

Check out our store powered by BBQGuys!