re: What’s your current favorite methods for grilling burgers?

Shop around to find the best ground beef in your area. Here, I have found it is Pulbix Greenwise Ground Chuck. Grass Fed is usually too lean, all that Wagyu and Kobe seems to be lesser cuts that are ground finer but with a higher fat content.

Don't buy patties, buy ground beef. Don't form the patty until you are ready to cook. Don't add any salt, add salt towards the end of the cook. This makes the patty hold in the juices. Come up with a seasoning mixture with salt in it. I use black pepper, coarse kosher salt, and Lawry's seasoning salt. I like the punch of freshly ground black pepper, the Lawry's adds a bit of punch also.

Cook on a hot charcoal grill that allows room for a cool or indirect space but also allows the grate to be close to the coals. Cook each side of the patty directly over the hot coals for one minute then turn, after you've seared both sides, move the slightly away from the coals, cook each side for a minute more. Then add the seasoning mixture and flip it again, still over indirect heat, add the seasoning again to the other side, then go by feel. Rotate the patties with each flip so that each small side spends some time exposed to the hot coals. When they feel about done, add cheese to melt.

This gives me the taste and juiciness that I want. I have never found any pan cooked or gas grill cooked burger to be as good as charcoal. The second best method is to use the broiler in an electric oven.

I do steaks the same way. Four minutes to medium rare-ish. Takes practice and familiarity with the grill to consistently get the charcoal to the right temp and amount. Lump will get hotter than briquettes but burn out faster, plus are not uniform in size and shape so may be inconsistent from cook to cook, but lump does great on other cooks. I keep both and use them according to what I am cooking.