The Foremost Authority on Hamburgers Shares His Secrets and the Oklahoma Fried-Onion Burger

By Cathy Padilla

Dubbed the "foremost authority on hamburgers" by the New York Times, George Motz is a man who knows how to cook a burger. On Thursday, February 29, he celebrated Leap Day at Dunes Brewing in Port Orange, a coastal brewery built on the historic dunes between the Atlantic Ocean and the Halifax River. Dunes hosted the ticketed event, allowing patrons to not only hear from Motz, but to watch the chef at his craft. Each ticket-holder enjoyed two, freshly griddled burgers hand-crafted by Motz, a beer, a commemorative ticket, and Motz's new book, "The Great American Burger Book" which is an updated and expanded version of his previous work. 

"The best tip I can give anyone cooking burgers is to focus," shared Motz. "People have friends over, drink too much, and then think they can cook the perfect hamburger. It only takes 15 minutes of focus. Drink to celebrate the perfect burger, not to make one."

Motz begins his cooking routine by seasoning the griddle. He takes a small amount of beef and kosher salt and smears it all over the griddle surface. Once it has had time to leave "flavor" on the griddle, the surface is allowed to get extremely hot. Then, small balls of 100% chuck meat from Schweid & Sons (Motz's brand of choice locally available in Publix) are placed on the griddle and covered in a good amount of kosher salt followed by a handful of thinly sliced sweet onions. The three are smashed together and allowed to cook-through before being flipped. When asked why his burgers are never cooked to a temperature of medium or medium rare, a big smile overtakes his face.

"The term is cooked-through. Never well-done," shared Motz. "The beef mixture is 25% fat, which makes these burgers juicy and flavorful. By cooking-through, you retain the moisture and get the most flavor."

Once flipped, the burgers are covered with a slice of cheese and a Martin's potato bun - the same ingredients and method used in Motz's newly opened New York City restaurant, Hamburger America. By placing the bun over the cheese and onion-meat mixture, Motz says moisture and taste meld together. Once off the griddle, mustard and pickle slices are added and the entire burger is wrapped in thin paper.

"The wrapping seals in the flavors," said Motz. "It takes about three minutes for everything to come together."

Tasty, crispy, and juicy - the smashed burger was delicious.

Director and creator of the Food Film Festival in NYC, Motz has enjoyed a successful career that began to take off publicly in 2004 when he completed his second documentary film, "Hamburger America."

The film was nominated in 2006 for a James Beard Award and in 2011 was recognized by the US National Archives as an integral part of American Food history. The film's success led to a state-by-state guide to hamburgers in the US, and in 2023 a completely revised version was created and given to attendees at the Dune's event. Motz can currently be watched on his YouTube show, "Burger Scholar Sessions."

Motz was the first in a series of book authors that will be hosted by the brewery. Dunes Brewing is the brainchild of craft beer lovers – Michael Benedict, Bobby Zitzka and Chris Thompson. They dreamed up the idea of owning a brewery while they were attending the University of Florida. Now, almost 25 years later, they are excited to accomplish that dream in their hometown.