Josh Ozersky has strong feelings about low-fat hamburgers.”A lean burger is an abominable object,” says Ozersky, author of “The Hamburger: A History.” “Everything that is valuable in the meat lies in the fat. The way I think of it is, the fat is the meat and meat is the vegetable.”The prevailing wisdom in traditional burger making is using an 80 percent lean ground beef. This fatty variety of meat creates a sublime patty that oozes meaty juice with each bite. Low-fat varieties too often result in patties that are lean, but lousy.”You can go 90/10, but it doesn’t have the same sort of bite to it, and doesn’t make a great burger,” says Frank Proto, executive chef at Landmarc, a New York bistro.He also isn’t impressed by most efforts to add fillers or other ingredients to moisten lean beef. “You put that stuff in and it’s not only a binder but also an extender. Does it make the texture any better? Yeah, but it starts to taste like a meatloaf,” he says.Ozersky says the best way to make a lean burger is to make a smaller burger. A quarter-pound patty of 80 percent lean beef has 290 calories and 23 grams of fat. The half-pounders served at most restaurants pack 580 calories and 46 grams of fat.Not willing to downsize? Cut 85 percent beef with lean ground buffalo, ostrich or emu. A half-pound burger made from a 1-to-1 ratio of 85 percent beef and buffalo, for example, sports 450 calories and 30 grams of fat.

LEANER BEEF BURGER-Yield: 4 servings

1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef1 pound ground buffalo2 teaspoons onion powder1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper

Procedure:1. Heat a grill to medium-high.2. In large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Gently form mixture into 4 patties.3. When grill is ready, coat grates with cooking spray or rub them with an oil-soaked paper towel held by tongs. Grill burgers 5-8 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness.

Nutrition data per serving: 450 calories; 266 calories from fat; 30 g fat (12 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 147 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 42 g protein; 0 g fiber; 723 mg sodium.

Mix 80 percent lean beef with buffalo for a low-fat but delicious burger. Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS