"6 burger patties to cook this summer"

Appears in Tasting Table, National Edition, 6/13/14

It all starts with a good patty

A patty may just be a puck of ground beef, but it's also the building block of every great hamburger.You'll need a special kind of blend to do the job right: meat with a great beefy flavor that has enough fat to stay moist when it's blasted on the grill.

If you've got a reputable butcher in the neighborhood, you already know where to go for a blend. If you don't, these producers across the country will ship their blends vacuum-packed in coolers.

Just remember the four S's: shape (about 6 to 8 ounces per patty), season (salt and pepper), sear (medium-high heat, leaving the center a little pink) and serve.

DeBragga ($21.90 for 2lbs) This ground beef comes from grass-fed cows in upstate New York. It has the pleasingly funky, almost sweet, miso-like presence that's usually found in pricier aged meats.