1844 Recipe for Broiled Meat Cakes

The following is from the Boston Cooking School Cookbook of 1844. Think of it as a missing link between minced meat of the past and the modern hamburger:

Chop lean and raw beef

Add salt, pepper and chopped onion

Form beef into flat patties

Cook the meat patties as you would a regular hamburger: the choice of rare, medium or well done is up to you. Add butter or butter sauce for flavor and serve.

Source:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HamburgerHistory.htm