Sunny days and the ohana spirit make summer grilling a Hawaii birthright. Many who never set foot in a kitchen naturally know what to do when given command of a grill, a batch of meat and pair of tongs.

There’s nothing more basic than a hamburger patty, but there’s more involved in crafting the perfect burger than throwing patties on the grill.

“I grew up loving to barbecue with friends, but when I went to culinary school I understood there’s a lot of fine tuning involved in how to grill,” said Randy Bangloy, executive chef of Eating House 1849 in Waikiki. “There could be a whole course on it.”

It starts with knowing your grill. Whether charcoal or gas, Bangloy said all have hotter and cooler spots and it’s important to find that 130-degree sweet spot, the ideal temperature to prevent shrinkage from fat loss and proteins from breaking down, which makes meat tough. For the same reason, beef should be brought to room temperature before grilling, but not kept out so long that the fat begins to melt, changing the texture of the meat.

As for the ground beef, he said an 80/20 ratio of lean meat to fat is ideal. It’s fat content that gives your burger its flavor and juicy quality.

Rather than go with prepackaged hamburger, he recommended having your butcher grind your favorite cuts. “Different cuts will give you different flavors and textures,” he said. “You might want some prime filet and some rib-eye for a mix of hard and soft textures.”

And no one says you have to rely on beef alone. At Eating House 1849, the E.H. Burger contains a mix of 70 percent Makaweli Ranch beef from Kauai, 20 percent wild boar and 10 percent ground Portuguese sausage for a touch of spice.

Once you have your perfect blend it’s important not to manhandle the patties, Bangloy said. Overmixing creates friction that breaks down fat and may result in a tough burger. Packing the meat too tightly or flattening the patty with a spatula also contributes to a dense, tough burger.

AT THE newly opened Burgers on Bishop in the Topa Towers (beneath Bar Leather Apron), chef Toby Sakoda said he prefers starting with 80/20 ground chuck. The perfect burger should be cooked to medium- rare, Sakoda said, and allowed to rest for two minutes after coming off the grill to redistribute and contain the juices.

“Whatever you do, don’t poke or puncture the patty or you will release the juices and the burger will be dry,” he said.

The same goes for steaks, said Bangloy, who recommends a 10-minute wait time before slicing. The juice that spills out when you slice into a steak immediately after it comes off a grill is juice that could have gone into your tummy instead.

As for seasoning, tastes differ and Bangloy likes adding garlic and onion powder and a bit of paprika to his personal creations. He said a little mayo also adds to the fat content and a bit of breadcrumbs or panko will hold moisture within the burger.

Sakoda said, “I use a special blend of spice and herbs. Salt and pepper is fine, but if you want to kick it up you can add red chili flakes and garlic seasoning.

“Then I like to use a brioche bun. It has butter and egg for more flavor. It’s more dense and when toasted it will hold all the burger drippings and sauces from making a soggy bun.”

Although some add salt along with all the other ingredients, salt pulls moisture from food and adding it too early can have a drying effect. The best time to salt is right before the patty goes onto the grill.

THOSE CUTTING back on red meat can try turkey burgers, but they call for a different set of rules, which real estate investment manager Ben Dookchitra learned the hard way five years ago, when at 34, his doctor suggested a change in diet because of his high blood-glucose and cholesterol levels. Through proper diet and exercise, those conditions are behind him.

Dookchitra remembers his first attempt to make a turkey burger was a fail because the meat is so much softer than beef that the patties crumbled and slipped through the grill top. Now he freezes the patties at least an hour before grilling so they stay firm.

Turkey meat can be dry, and to solve that issue, he learned from Cooks Illustrated magazine to add a packet of gelatin to the mix. “Gelatin holds onto moisture so it doesn’t evaporate in the cooking process,” he said. Adding mushrooms boosts flavor, as turkey can be bland, and a pinch of baking soda helps tenderize.

He enjoys searching for recipes for creative sides to serve with his burgers. Recent crowd-pleasers include Thai coconut custards made in a tako­yaki pan and Mexican street corn.

Then, when it comes to toppings, Sakoda said to be sure any sauce is spread evenly over the burger.

“Sharp cheddar or blue cheese on top of the burger, tomato, lettuce and housemade pickles can be added in that order. By doing that you won’t have to deal with everything sliding out,” he said.

“The perfect burger is when you take a bite and you get the beef, bread, vegetables and sauce all together in one bite, with all the flavors dancing in your mouth and juices running down your chin.”

GRILLED TURKEY BURGERS

Adapted by Ben Dookchitra from Cooks Illustrated

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 3 tablespoons turkey or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
• 8 ounces white mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon shoyu
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Freeze ground turkey at least 1 hour (frozen meat is less gooey and easier to work with).

Pour turkey broth into small bowl and add gelatin; let soften 5 minutes.

In food processor, pulse mushrooms until coarsely chopped. Remove and set aside. In same food processor, pulse ground turkey until meat is coarsely chopped. If meat is cold, it will be easier to handle. Remove from food processor and set aside in large bowl.

Return 1/2 cup ground turkey meat to food processor. Add gelatin/broth mixture, shoyu, baking soda and black pepper. Process just until a smooth paste forms. With processor running, slowly add vegetable oil. Leave paste in food processor.

Add mushrooms to food processor and pulse until finely chopped and incorporated into paste. Remove paste from food processor into the ground turkey in mixing bowl.

With hands or a spatula, mix paste and turkey until combined. Paste should be brown and turkey should be pink; mix until color is uniform.

Divide into 8 parts and form each into a patty about 3/4 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. Indent each patty in middle. Put in freezer at least 1 hour. Overnight or longer is OK; patties can and should be cooked frozen so they don’t fall apart on the grill.

Brush each patty with vegetable oil. On a hot grill, brown patties 4 to 7 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Transfer to plate and let rest 5 minutes.

Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, cheese, caramelized onions and/or other fixings.

Approximate nutrtional information, per patty (meat only): 200 calories, 12 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 1 g sugar, 23 g protein.

MEXICAN STREET CORN

By Ben Dookchitra

• 8 ears corn
• Cotija cheese, crumbled (can substitute feta or pecorino)
• 2 limes, sliced into wedges
• Chili pepper powder (preferably chipotle)

>> Crema:

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Squeeze of lime juice

Combine crema ingredients in an airtight container (e.g., Mason jar) and refrigerate overnight. It will have a yogurt-like consistency.

Soak ears of corn in water for an hour before grilling. Remove silk, keeping a layer of husk intact. Grill over high heat in husks until charred to your liking.

Peel back husks. Using a butter knife, coat corn in crema, then roll in crumbled cheese, or sprinkle with cheese. Squeeze lime and sprinkle pepper powder over corn.

Approximate nutrtional information, per 7-inch ear (not included sprinkled cheese): 160 calories, 6 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 25 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 5 g protein.

EATING HOUSE BURGER

By Eating House 1849

• 2 pounds Makaweli ground beef
• 7 ounces ground wild boar (or pork)
• 4 ounces ground Portuguese sausage
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Sliced gouda cheese
• Brioche buns, sliced

>> Crispy Tempura Onion Rings:

• 1/2 cup tempura flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1/4 cup cold water, as needed (use soda water if substituting all-purpose flour for tepura flour)
• 1 yellow onion, sliced into rings
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• Salt and pepper, to taste

>> Caramelized Onions:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, peeled, halved and sliced thinly lengthwise
• Pinch salt

>> Sauteed mushrooms:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

>> Chipotle Aioli:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch pepper

>> Onion Marmalade:

• 3 pounds bacon, ground
• 2 red onions brunoise (small dice)
• 1/2 cup cognac
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

>> To make burger patties: Combine meat, using a stand-up mixer with paddle attachment. Portion into 9-ounce patties. Season with salt and pepper and sear, then grill to desired doneness. Top each patty with slice of cheese after flipping, when you are about 2 minutes away from finishing. Cover until melted.

>> To make onion rings: Combine flour and water as needed to make a thin batter, the consistency of a runny pancake batter. Dip onion rings into batter. Heat oil in a medium pot and fry onions until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

>> To make caramelized onions: Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add onions. Cook and stir onions until soft and translucent. Reduce heat and cook until golden brown. Season with salt.

>> To make mushrooms: Heat olive oil in pan over medium. Add mushrooms; cook until golden brown, reducing heat as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

>> To make aioli: Using a food processor add egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic, chipotle with adobe sauce and blend. Slowly add oil, blendig until emulsified. Season with sugar, salt and pepper.

>> To make marmalade: Render bacon in skillet; strain excess oil. Add onions; saute until translucent. Deglaze pan with cognac. Add vinegar, then brown sugar. Simmer until consistency of paste.

>> To assemble: Toast brioche bun in pan or grill with unsalted butter until light golden brown. Layer bun with bibb lettuce, sliced local tomato, meat patty with gouda, tempura onion rings, caramelized onions, mushrooms, chipotle aioli and onion marmalade.

Nutritional information unavailable.