Stephanie took this photo of me—well, more the burger I made for her—after we hiked 9 miles on the Dipsea Trail on July 4th. We’d intended to make it all the way to Stinson Beach for “halfway hamburgers” at The Parkside Cafe, but we turned around mid-way and headed back early—so I made them at home instead. But first I studied the advice in The Food Lab to up my burger-game. It worked.

Here’s what I did:

• formed the patties very gently, 4 oz each, made with Whole Foods’ 85/15 ground beef; in The Food Lab, J. Kenji López-Alt recommends grinding the meat yourself—something I’d like to try in the future
• generously salted and peppered the outside (not the inside!)
• made a gentle depression in the center to prevent the dreaded meatballing effect
• checked the internal temperature frequently with my Serious Eats-recommended Thermopop thermometer—aimed for 130°F (medium-rare)
• flipped frequently (~4 times) with the grill open
• melted slices of hickory-smoked gouda on each
• served on buttered, toasted brioche “slider” buns—a little bigger than true slider buns, a little smaller than standard buns
• we dressed them to suit our tastes: I added deli-style mustard and pickles to my first, nothing to the second; Stephanie went with mustard, ketchup, and pickles on both