Homemade third pounder whopper w/cheese and mustard

I've been working on approximating a fast food burger like a deluxe quarter pounder or whopper at home for some years now. It's a particular style of burger that isn't fancy, but captures the fast-food feel with quality local ingredients.

My build:

- 150g (~5 oz) 80/20 cheap beef made into ~15cm (~6 inch) patties and par frozen between parchment squares - shredduce, thin sliced tomato, and thin sliced onions (use more than seems reasonable) - double sour pickles [^1] - mayo both buns, mustard and ketchup (3:2) [^2] - 1 Kraft deluxe cheese slice (or boor's head American style slices) - 4 or 5 inch burger buns (McGavins or Fournee Doree) [^3]

I griddle the patty medium hard for 2-3 minutes a side, seasoning after flipping with salt, pepper, and some MSG. Cheese on, prep the buns, and voila! A grill would work as well, though these days I prefer a hard griddle as you get more of a crust.

Notes:

1. I can't find double-sour pickles in my area (Pacific North West), so I take Bick's hamburger slices and sprinkle a small amount of citric acid on them. Fast food pickles tend towards sour, to punch through the fat and salt. 2. I use restaurant squeeze bottles for ketchup and mustard now, as Heinz and French's somehow have forgotten how to make squeeze bottles that work. 3 circles for mustard, 2 for ketchup. Note this is the reverse ratio from McD's and BK, but I prefer it less sweet these days. 3. A standard restaurant burger bun works well here, but you can level it up with the right kind of brioche bun (the not-too-dense, not-too buttery ones). We have a brand here, Fournee Doree, that makes a brioche that toasts up beautifully and has a light airy texture. Some days deserve a cheap-ass bun, others deserve something finer.