January Cookbook Club: A Better Burger?

I love a good burger, which can be pretty hard to find. I was excited to see that the Cookbook Club selection for January was a burger, especially since we tend not to have burgers all that much in the colder months. (Can I express how much I can't wait for all of the snow on and around the grill to melt and warmer weather to arrive?) I was also excited to see that this recipe came from a James Beard cookbook: Beard on Food. The recipe was simple, perhaps a little too simple for my taste, but it was certainly juicy. I have become a fan of Bobby Flay burgers, which often have an elaborate list of spices, fun sauces, and interesting cheeses. But, for a simple burger, this one was good. I think I would have preferred it on the grill than in a pan - it seemed to get a bit greasy cooked in a cast iron skillet. I will certainly try this recipe again when grilling season gets here, and I'll probably add some fresh herbs to the mix.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of top-quality chopped round or chuck
2 tablespoons of grated onion (use a fine grater so you get just the juice and finely grated onion)
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Black pepper
Butter
Olive oil
Buttered buns or English muffins

Directions:
Spread out ground beef on a board and grate the onion into it. Mix in the cream and freshly ground black pepper. Form into patties (I like 6 to 8 ounce patties for an average setting).

Hamburger is best cooked in a heavy skillet with a combination of butter and oil, which prevents the butter from burning when you cook at high heat… gives a crustier, juicier hamburger than broiling. Cook your hamburger in a heavy skillet (use less fat for Teflon, but a little for flavor) over fairly high heat, giving it 4 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on how well done you like it.

Salt the creamy, oniony, peppery hamburger before serving it on a buttered bun or English muffin with sliced tomatoes and onions.