What is it about a luxury burger that makes people go completely apeshit? From the $33 Black Label Burger at NYC’s Minetta Tavern to the $5000 foie gras-adorned Fleurburger at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort, revamping such a nostalgic fave with upscale ingredients has somehow become a chef signature — and Selby’s chef Mark Sullivan is no different.

“I have always liked the idea of taking a pedestrian, everyday dish and seeing how it could be put on a pedestal and be served at a Michelin-star restaurant,” he says. His Black Label burger merits its wallet-lightening $50 price tag thanks in no small part to its crown: a three-ounce pile of seasonal fresh truffles. 

But make no mistake: This burger isn’t all about the toppings. Each element of the sandwich is carefully cultivated for excellence.

“What makes this burger special are the ingredients,” says Sullivan. “Each ingredient went through a lot of vetting before it made the final cut.”

It all starts with the patty: a blend of dry-aged hanger steak, short rib and chuck sourced from Flannery Beef in San Rafael.

“Bryan Flannery and I worked for several months testing various blends and compositions of cuts,” says Sullivan. “We also played around with the grind. We finally found a blend that was uniquely ours and worked exceptionally well with the supporting components.”

The burger is brushed with softened butter, seasoned liberally with salt and pepper, and grilled to a perfect medium rare. It’s then placed on a toasted challah bun, which Sullivan prefers thanks in large part to its texture. 

“Challah has a very light and airy interior and chewy exterior that is the perfect vehicle for a burger,” he says. “In my view, the bun should almost fade away and allow all of the flavors of the high-quality meat and fixings to take front stage.”

That said, he does give the bun a bit of love by brushing it with homemade garlic aioli before turning his attention to the toppings.

First up is a truffle-infused butter made with truffle salt and chives. Chilled and sliced into medallions, it’s added to the burger while it’s still on the grill, to melt into a rich puddle under a slice of Robiola la Rustica from Lombardy. According to Sullivan, the washed rind cheese’s assertive flavor (with a characteristic eau de gym socks) “marries well with the truffle and adds decadence and umami.”

Speaking of decadence, the finishing touch is that towering pile of shaved truffle, the variety of which changes according to the season: white Alba from Italy, Burgundian from northern France, or, Sullivan’s favorite, French black truffles from Périgord. 

“They have a fantastic aroma and melt into the burger,” he says. “They are bold enough to stand up to the richness of the meat and cheese.”

Vinegar-marinated onions, lettuce and tomato add just enough balance and freshness to really seal the deal.

Of course, on his days off, Sullivan is not above a simpler burger. His favorite pairs the exquisitely cooked patty with heirloom tomatoes, raw red onion, bread and butter pickles, avocado, lettuce, bacon, fontina cheese, Dijon mustard and aioli. 

“Not so simple!” he admits — but at least it doesn’t mean you have to live off ramen noodles for the month to follow.

For the marinated red onions

This article was featured in the InsideHook SF newsletter. Sign up now for more from the Bay Area.

Recommendations on where to go, what to do, who to see and what to wear in and around the Bay Area.

Sign up for InsideHook to get our best content delivered to your inbox every weekday. It’s free. And awesome.

Get InsideHook in your inbox. It's free. And awesome.

Got questions or feedback? Hit us up

Copyright © 2022 InsideHook. All rights reserved.