Trouble grilling hamburgers


 

PaulBz

TVWBB Fan
I make great smoked bbq. But I still can't master a simple hamburger. It's always raw in the middle or tastes like a hockey puck. I can't get it done right. And all the websites say use a thermometer. But when I use one of those all kinds of juices just come running out. So any thoughts? Some places say to put an indentation in the middle and maybe that's why it's not grilling property.
 
The indentation helps to keep the burger from ballooning up and will help to make it cook more uniformly. What type of hamburger meat are you using 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 ? If you have a dry tasteless patty it could be you need to go to a grind with a little more fat in it, that's where the flavor comes from.
I use 80/20 ground chuck and always get good results. I cook to 130-135 and let it rest a few minuets.
A instant read thermometer is your best friend at least until you get comfortable by time alone.
 
Thank you. But I can't use a thermometer because the juices come flying out. I will try the indentation. I'm not exactly sure what I am using. I go to the local specialty butcher and get their patties they sell. I've done them four times. The first time I did them, I just got lucky and they were perfect and amazing. The second and fourth time undercooked. The third time hockey puck city. It's really frustrating.
 
I am pretty sure the local meat store has a good grind. It's the best restaurant/butcher shop in the city. Well according to St. Louis magazine they're the best restaurant and butcher shop in 2017.
 
Timing depends on the thickness of your store bought patties. 1/4 lb 1/3 lb 1/2 lb?
You didn't mention what you are cooking on, you say you make a mean smoked BBQ ( So we assume a WSM?) but what is your tool for the patties?

Tim
 
Oh I am cooking on weber kettle large charcoal. I have been doing indirect to start and then putting patty over high heat when it starts to feel firm. If I put probe in there all the juices just run out.
 
I make my own burger patties, dent in the center like Rich said, and i like to go no leaner than 80/20, in fact I like 75/25 if it's a quality grind.
I use a Thermapen fast reading thermometer, going in from the side, and the juices do not all run out, by any means.
 
Oh I am cooking on weber kettle large charcoal. I have been doing indirect to start and then putting patty over high heat when it starts to feel firm. If I put probe in there all the juices just run out.

Well I go the other way:) Direct to start then indirect to finish. Your way your probing a sizzling hot piece of meat and yea the juices will spurt out..

Tim
 
If your getting like you say juices running out I'm guessing you're at 80/20 or 75/25. If you have a timer that will count up try that with your thermometer when you hit your desired temperature note the time. You may be surprised how much juice is still left in that burger and you will have a reference time to check for temperature if it comes out right.
I do believe there is no substitution for doneness except a temperature reading to be safe.
Many on this forum I'm sure cook burgers by looks and feel, but they have cooked a lot of burgers to get to that point.
 
I'm throwing a barbecue tomorrow and along with a brisket and some homemade sausage, I usually do some hamburgers and hotdogs. The burgers are by far the one I'm most likely to screw up. Burgers are easy to cook, but really hard to master I think. I've kind of gone back and forth on how I cook them, but lately I've backed off super high heat and generally cook them over medium heat on the grill. That taste from the fat dripping down and hitting the coals is hard to beat. I use a thermapen and haven't found they put out that much juice when I probe them. I think the key is not working the meat too much and only seasoning the exterior. If you mix in the salt, the burgers will retain more fluid but it will make the burgers denser will not allow pockets for the fat to melt. Cooked too hot and with too dense a surface, when you probe them, they probably will deflate like a balloon. That's my thinking anyway, and stuff I got from reading Amazing Ribs. Good luck! You gotta respect the burger!
 
I do love burgers. I don't have a thermapin. So I'm using the larger weber probe. Those thermapins I think are pretty expensive? I'd have to look one up. My trusty weber works perfect for steak brisket pork but fish. But for burgers juice just spurts out when I try to check temp. I think I'll do the timer route. next time. That's a good idea!
 
Paul, I've tried the indentation method that many experts recommend, but I personally like to smash my ground beef between two corning ware saucers / plates (the kind *not* made for coffee cups) before placing them on a hot grill.

Granted, the meat will swell up as usual, but since the patties are thinner to begin with, they don't have to cook as long. I don't probe my meat; I just look at the color of the juices. If you try this, be sure to place the patties between wax paper before smashing (makes it easier to remove the patties from the saucers), and sprinkle a little kosher salt at the grill.

I do this method often with family-pleasing results. Just be sure your coals are very hot to begin with. Blue bag Kingsford works well for this, although I haven't tried Weber coals for direct grilling yet.

EDIT: For what it's worth, I smash my patties (about 1/3 pound) to about the same size as the saucer. I get good results with 80/20 and even 90/10.
 
Last edited:
I always weigh out 5 oz. of ground beef and form it into a rough ball. When I have all the balls ready, I start squashing and forming into patties. All the pros say to be gentle and work the meat as little as possible but whenever I try that the patties fall apart. When I get the ball squashed to a rough circle I start pushing in from the outside, holding a couple fingers from the other hand in the middle of the patty. Going all the way around this gives me a fairly firm edge that doesn't fall apart and I also get the indentation in the center. I never have a problem with them turning into little meat loafs on the grill. When I'm going all out I grind my own chuck roast in the food processor, but most of the time I use the Costco 88/12. I also tend to put on a fair bit of seasoning, usually McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning or, as second choice, Weber's Chicago Steak. Aside from that I go where the mood strikes me on seasoning. Sometimes a bit of Worcestershire, sometimes a bit of ground chipotle.

As for cooking, I go by time and appearance. I try for a very hot fire and do 3 to 3-1/2 minutes on the first side, then a minute less on the second side. Lately I've been grating together yellow medium and white extra sharp cheddar, piling it on top about a minute after the flip. The medium cheddar melts nice and the extra sharp gives a nice kick. I always leave the cover on unless actively doing something on the grill and this tends to eliminate flare-ups. Of course, the 88/12 doesn't have a whole lot of fat to flare up.

As for the Thermapen, check out the ThermoWorks web site. In addition to the Thermapen they have a number of much cheaper models that are reliable and just a bit slower than the Thermapen. I've found that for $80 in savings I can live with a temp reading taking 3 seconds longer. They have a couple nice models on sale right now for $19. I strongly recommend going right to their web site and not to a third party. Some unscrupulous merchants are charging way more than the company does on their own web site.
 
Check out the Thermopop from ThermoWorks super accurate and fast enough and priced right. I have two of them and really like them.
 
I've cooked burgers for years and have gradually learned what works best for me. I also like 80/20, on a medium hot grill. Unless I'm doing Smash Burgers or something like that, my patties generally run around a quarter of a pound, sometimes a little more. I form the patties gently, not too thick. I definitely do not do the dent thing. I've found it not to be necessary. Just my opinion. Throw 'em on the grill a couple minutes a side and just see how they cooked. if they're too rare, you can always throw them back on or just live and learn, make some notes mental or otherwise for future reference and try, try again. What you don't want, at least for me, is an overcooked burger. Just keep it simple. Burgers are fun.
 
Paul, these are all very good suggestions the other members have given. What I suggest is to just keep practicing! Like grilling in general, you might have some beginners luck, but practice makes perfect! Keep at it and you'll get the hang of it!
 
One other thing I should mention...

Not all ground beef is considered equal. Some grocery chains grind their beef so fine it affects the texture and flavor. For what it's worth, I find that Sam's Club Angus beef has a better grind to it than some other chains, and I get favorable reviews from it. Your mileage may vary however.
 

 

Back
Top