Austin chefs Aaron Franklin and Tyson Cole in town to open Loro Asian Smokehouse in Dallas – plus burger tips for National Burger Day

Burgers deserve dedicated space on the calendar. The entire month of May is National Hamburger Month –May 28 is Hamburger Day — so that’s what we’ll be having this Friday. (In case you’re marking your own calendar, August 26 is Burger Day, September 15 is Double Cheeseburger Day and September 18 is Cheeseburger Day. The folks behind newcomer Loro Asian Smokehouse and Bar, a ‘cue-centric Austin restaurant opening a branch in Dallas next month, have a burger they’re pretty proud of, too.

Jack Yoss, the culinary director of Hai Hospitality, the group behind Loro, offered a few tips for home burgermeisters. Nothing extraordinary, but mostly solid advice (let’s overlook his incorrect advice that searing meats “seals in the juices.” Among his good points: grind your own meat coarsely, keep all the equipment super cold so the fat doesn’t melt, season liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper, pack the burger grind loosely (and use a ring mold to help it keep its shape while cooking), and put the cheese on as soon as you flip the burger.

Too much work? Want to see if Jack is right? His Loro cheeseburger will be on Loro Dallas’ Happy Hour menu when the restaurant debuts next month. If you absolutely can’t wait till then to see Loro, you can swing by the restaurant at 1812 N. Haskell St. on May 29th for a pop-up preview, though burgers might not be among the samples.

Chef-owners Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin will be at the meet-and-greet (both are good guys worth meeting) from 2-5 PM. They promise free Gin and Tonic Slushees served in limited edition Loro tumblers plus a couple of menu items to sample.

You can reserve a spot for the event here.