According to Modernist Cuisine, a six-volume cooking book set full of modern takes on culinary favorites, it takes 36 hours to create the ULTIMATE BURGER (emphasis mine because when it's ultimate, it must be written IN ALL CAPS). If the recipes in the series are like this burger recipe, these are weekend projects for the eater who has a lot of time and possibly money on their hands. Although, some of the techniques described sound like they can be adapted for less intensive cooking. Keeping the squiggles of beef parallel, wrapping them up in plastic wrap, and then slicing them into paddies is something that anyone can do if they get their beef from the butcher.

I would love to some day try one of these ULTIMATE BURGERS, but I don't know when I'd have the time to prepare one.

From: Modernist Cuisine