The meat market, which serves up an excellent, hidden gem of a burger, shares insight on cooking like a pro
Few burger purveyors in the Capital Region have as much experience with making patties as Tramonte’s Meat and Seafood Market. The family-run spot on Old Jefferson Highway sells about 2,000 patties every week between its restaurant and meat counter. Owner Mike Tramonte says he uses chuck roast ground onsite to ensure juiciness.
“The fresher the meat, the easier it is to handle,” he says. But what really makes a great patty, Tramonte believes, is to blend in the seasonings. “Ninety-five percent of burger places put their seasonings on the outside,” he says. “We mix everything up.”
That includes Tramonte’s signature dry seasoning mix as well as other ingredients. (The only one Tramonte would reveal is fresh, raw onion.) The kitchen forms the patties by hand and cooks over a charbroil flame. Those served in the restaurant weigh about one and one-third pounds and require dense specialty buns from a New Orleans bakery. For fresh take-home patties, the weight is about six to eight ounces, so home cooks can use regular buns.
