A nice hefty 50/50 short rib/ brisket burger and a perfect batch of oven fries. I kept the burger relatively simple—10 ounces of fresh ground beef, local ketchup, a thick slice of aged cheddar, heirloom tomato, and baby lettuce.

This batch of oven fries following Cooks Illustrated’s recipe came out really well, although they don’t always. This recipe is highly dependent on the quality of the potato, your oven, and flipping and rotating the fries at very precise moments which seem to have little to do with the times listed in the recipe and everything to do with how quickly and (un)evenly the potatoes feel like browning. At their best, as shown here, these fries are deep golden brown, crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and not at all greasy.

I’ll also add a small note on the ketchup, First Field from New Jersey, which I discovered earlier in the day at New Amsterdam Market. This is delicious ketchup—a bit chunky and tasting of fresh harvested and roasted tomatoes. It’s on sale all summer and into early fall until supplies run out.