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How To Make The Perfect Burger
10 years ago
After 45 years of eating my dad's barbecue burgers, the gastronomical equivalent in both flavor and appearance of hockey pucks, I took it upon myself this year to teach myself how to make a really good grilled hamburger. I consulted several cooking experts and cookbooks, but I came back to Bobby Flay's book on burgers, fries and shakes. And lo and behold, it did not steer me wrong. Heh... any cow jokes in this journal are entirely unintended. Honest. ^_^
1. Use ground chuck instead of ground beef. It's 80% lean and 20% fat, and if you want a really great tasting burger, the flavor is in the fat. If you can find Angus beef, buy the Angus.
2. Form them into patties very loosely, but not more than 3/4 inch thick. You don't want them squeezed together, as that'll bruise the meat.
3. When the patties are finished, use your thumb and press a large indentation into the middle. This will keep you from pressing them down on the grill, and they'll magically spring back up when cooked.
4. Oh yeah, did I mention about NOT PRESSING THEM DOWN? This is the worst possible thing you can do. It squeezes out all those delicious fatty juices, and turns them into hockey pucks. You want juicy, flavorful burgers.
5. Only season your burgers with salt and pepper. That's all you need.
6. After placing your burgers on the grill, and they have reached the desired cooking texture, turn them once and only once. Season them again.
I swear, not only are these the best homemade burgers we've ever eaten, but they can be even better next time if I find Angus beef. If anybody has anything they want to add to this, please do.
Oh yes, and Happy Fourth of July!
1. Use ground chuck instead of ground beef. It's 80% lean and 20% fat, and if you want a really great tasting burger, the flavor is in the fat. If you can find Angus beef, buy the Angus.
2. Form them into patties very loosely, but not more than 3/4 inch thick. You don't want them squeezed together, as that'll bruise the meat.
3. When the patties are finished, use your thumb and press a large indentation into the middle. This will keep you from pressing them down on the grill, and they'll magically spring back up when cooked.
4. Oh yeah, did I mention about NOT PRESSING THEM DOWN? This is the worst possible thing you can do. It squeezes out all those delicious fatty juices, and turns them into hockey pucks. You want juicy, flavorful burgers.
5. Only season your burgers with salt and pepper. That's all you need.
6. After placing your burgers on the grill, and they have reached the desired cooking texture, turn them once and only once. Season them again.
I swear, not only are these the best homemade burgers we've ever eaten, but they can be even better next time if I find Angus beef. If anybody has anything they want to add to this, please do.
Oh yes, and Happy Fourth of July!
But I definitely have watched enough of his shows.
I mean fuck there are tons of things I could say about preparing burgers(14 years in the restaurant industry) but you are fairly spot on aside from the flip only once, I need perfect diamond grill marks on EVERYTHING!
When people put weights on meats it makes me sad, almost as sad as when people get steaks well done
also everyone who says "how to make the perfect burger" is just telling how to make *their* perfect burger
frankly its however you prefer your burgers, thats the perfect burger
i like to mix my lean ground chuck (usually 90/10) with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and a splash of lemon juice before i form it into patties
but i've tried it this way and they're not bad this way either
I'm sure other people would enjoy seasoning with a variety of different spices, I just like to keep it simple.
"drive to In and out restaurant, order, and eat burger."
You do love your in and out burgers..
fair enough, I cant get cocos curry as often as i would like so we can suffer each others culinary deprivation in good cheer.
I roll the raw meat into a ball and squash it flat in the hot pan. It makes for an uneven edge that gets crispy bits. There's no issue with pressing it down since the fat is still in a solid form. Also, I like adding raw chopped onions to the patty before flipping. The hot fat cooks them just right.
Is it weird that I take pride in my hamburger while simultaneously maintaining a bull fursona?
>lettuce
>cheese
>bacon
that's the perfect burger for me
For the buns, I suggest toasting them lightly but also put a bit of mayonnaise on the bottom half of the bun with some black pepper. It will combine with the juices that run out of the cooked patties and make a delightful sauce, and it will keep the bottom bun from disintegrating from said juices.
Why? Because the juices are water-based, and mayonnaise is a fat, basically oil. As you know oil and water don't mix well without aggitation.