The Art of the Burger with Alex Emrich: How One Meal Can Change a Day
Make-A-Day started with a group of cousins, a food truck, and a simple belief: that everyone deserves to feel seen, fed, and welcomed. Alex, our resident burger whisperer, knew firsthand that a good meal could open doors, and not just to full bellies but to community, conversation, and critical support. Today, he’s still flipping burgers on our truck, offering more than just free food - dignity, connection, and care to those facing housing instability.
It still surprises people. Guests will take a bite and pause. “Wait, this is free?”
Then come the questions:
“How did you make this?” 🥬 “What’s in the seasoning?” 🧀 “Can you teach me?”
We can’t bottle the magic of Alex and Jesse on the truck, but we can share the burger blueprint. Because at Make-A-Day, we believe in sharing what we’ve got (recipes included!).
Alex’s 10 Steps to the Perfect Burger
Put on some music you like, get in a good mood, and be positive while doing every step.
Select local, grain-fed beef. This will result in a tastier burger because it has higher fat content and, as with most foods, local is typically better. It’s fresher and has been handled less, always a plus for good meat!
Pull golf-ball-sized chunks of beef from the package and place them in a large bowl. This helps reduce the amount of handling, keeping the beef tender.
Season with whatever you’d like, dry seasoning, chunks of cheese, bacon, etc., but don’t salt the meat until it hits the grill. Salt will dry out the beef if it sits too long.
Form the beef into 3/4” thick patties.
Heat your grill to 375 degrees.
Place patties evenly over flames. Salt - and close the lid.
Wait a few minutes, then check on your burgers. When you guesstimate they’re cooked 75% through, flip them one time only. This practice assures all the juices are seared into the burger, creating the best possible taste. Being a good grill master requires educated guesses - and it makes it more fun!
Use your spatula to gently press on the meat and feel how tender it is.
Add cheese and other toppings you want melted on top of your burger. Remember to let the burgers sit and finish cooking after you pull them off the grill. This won’t take a lot of time, so plan accordingly with how you like your burger cooked. This also allows the juices to spread evenly throughout the meat. You can toast your bun now, too, if you’d like.
Top your burger with any veggies or condiments you like and enjoy!
We’ve served tens of thousands of meals like this. And we can’t do it alone.
If Alex’s burger tips made you smile (or hungry), consider donating to help fuel the food truck and everything that comes with it: pop-up events, resource navigation, legal support, and community care.
🍔 $10 = A meal and supplies for a guest
🚚 $50 = Fuel for the truck
🫂 $250 = Feed a community at street outreach
Let’s stack even more impact in 2025.
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