Wagyu Tallow Aged Burgers

For the ground beef blend

1. Cut the picanha, eye round, brisket, and short rib into small cubes.

2. Chill the beef cubes in the freezer until slightly frozen.

   Then 30 min of waiting

3. Assemble a meat grinder and grind all the chilled beef cubes together into a fresh beef blend.

For the burger patties

4. Weigh out the fresh ground beef into 4 oz portions.

5. Form each portion into a patty using a burger press.

6. Place the patties on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid.

   Then 60 min of waiting

7. Tie a loop of butcher's twine around each frozen patty to allow dipping.

For the wagyu tallow coatings

8. Melt the Wagyu beef tallow in a shallow pan until fully liquid.

9. Divide the melted tallow into three portions.

10. Allow the first portion of tallow to cool until it reaches 100°F (38°C).

    Then 15 min of waiting

11. Dip a frozen patty into the 100°F (38°C) tallow, allowing it to form a solid white coating instantly.

    Ensure the tallow is strictly under 100°F (38°C) so it coats the frozen patty without cooking it.

12. Repeat the dipping process for a set of plain Wagyu tallow patties.

13. Heat the second portion of tallow to 325°F (163°C).

14. Add the fresh thyme and garlic cloves to the hot fat and fry until fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes.

15. Strain the infused tallow into a clean container and allow it to cool below 100°F (38°C).

    Then 20 min of waiting

16. Dip a second set of frozen patties into the thyme and garlic tallow to create the second coated batch.

17. Heat the third portion of tallow to 325°F (163°C).

18. Add the gochugaru and Sichuan peppercorns, stirring to infuse the spice and numbing flavor, about 2 minutes.

19. Strain the spicy tallow into a container and allow it to cool below 100°F (38°C).

    Then 20 min of waiting

20. Dip a third set of frozen patties into the spicy tallow to create the third coated batch.

21. Place all three sets of tallow-coated patties on wire racks set inside baking sheets.

22. Place the trays in a dry ager and age for 1 month.

    Then 30 min of waiting

For the burger sauce

23. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.

24. Stir until completely smooth and uniform.

25. Transfer the sauce to a squeeze bottle for easy application. To cook and assemble

26. Mix 3 parts salt and 1 part coarse black pepper together in a shaker.

27. Heat a flat top griddle to high heat.

28. Place the tallow-coated burger patties directly onto the hot griddle without removing the tallow coating.

    Wear heat-resistant protective gloves, as the melting tallow will render heavily and cause hot splatters.

29. Cook the patties as the rendering fat fries them on the surface, about 2–3 minutes per side.

30. Season the patties generously with the salt and pepper blend while cooking.

31. Place a slice of American cheese on top of a patty to melt during the final minute of cooking.

32. Squeeze a generous layer of burger sauce onto the bottom toasted bun.

33. Stack two cooked burger patties on top of the sauce-covered bottom bun.

34. Cap with the top toasted bun and serve immediately.

For the seasoning