Hamburgers


 

Fred BW

TVWBB Fan
Yea,Hamburgers:) I know it's a simple topic. But there is probably a gazillion ways to make them.
I love a hot off the grill hamburger with provolone,with slices of COLD tomato.
Just wondering what great hamburger chefs here do to make great hamburgers.
Whats your favorite grill to cook them on,and how do you do it?
Now that I have several thermometers,I was also wondering just what temp to pull them off at.
Anybody use a patty maker? Or just roll them in a ball and flatten out? Use egg to help hold them together,or no egg?
I know i have a LOT of room for improvement,and this should be interesting ;)
 
I got a patty maker & I'd say skip that. I got it so I could make patties & save them in bulk, also got the 5" wax paper squares. I plan to just hand form my patties & use the wax paper to keep them separated.

Check out Smash Burgers with the search function.
 
I got this one from Weston - it was made fine but I don't recommend it..........not that it's bad, I just prefer a flatter, wider burger that fits a larger bun. I'm trying to figure out who to give it to, and if the wax patty papers will be good for hand-formed (my preference) burgers.
 
Chris, hamburgers don’t have ham in them either!
I know that’s way off the point but, you know.
I have a butcher shop here that has burger which is beautifully matched fat to lean, their ground beef is so lean it tends to fall apart when grilling, maybe I should I’d some ham in? Hehehe!
 
I think the #1 secret to burgers is not to handle it so much. The more you handle it the more you close up the fibers/air bubbles which creates a more dense burger.

#2 is the trick with placing a dimple in the center of thicker burgers and placing an ice cube in it.

As for seasonings, they should be added at room temperature and allowed to sit just as we do with ribs and butts. Then there are some people sprinkle seasonings on 1 side while others do 2 sides.

My wife likes thin and crispy burgers (think Culver's and Steak 'n Shake), but we don't make them that way at home. Too much of a good thing can become boring.

Temp? We don't like bloody meat so I've learned that I like mine at 147F off the grill and my wife is at 152F. (Although she thinks it's 160F).
 
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Burgers at our house are made using a high quality ground beef. They're hand-formed by the wife because, for some reason, I don't like the feeling of forming burgers in my hand. She also just makes them better. After she's formed them, I salt and pepper both sides while the charcoal gets ready for cooking. They always get cooked on the 18" kettle for about 4 minutes per side. That gets them to right between rare and medium rare. I cover mine with Mezzetta brand pickled jalapenos and either white american cheese or provolone. Occasionally, I'll use some ketchup on there, but I never put any lettuce, tomato, or onion on them at home...it's too much work and not enough reward. It's usually only at restaurants that I want something added...must be because restaurant burgers are rarely as good as homecooked ones.
 
We have four different types of hamburger in the freezer. Costco 88/17, chuck roast that I grind, cross rib roast that I have the butcher grind, and chuck roast with pork shoulder I grind 70/30.

I either use the cross rib roast or for a moister burger the chuck and pork shoulder one.

5-7 ounce patty, quick direct sear then finish to 145-150.
Provolone or cheddar, mustard, lettuce and tomato. Sautéed onions in butter
and a thin sliced kosher dill.
 
I almost always weigh the meat. 5 oz. is a standard burger for me. Consistency in weight allows me to time the cooking and not end up with underdone or overdone burgers. I try to do the minimal handling thing but often have trouble keeping the patties together unless I apply a good deal of pressure.

I greatly prefer never-frozen ground beef. Freezing creates ice crystals that puncture the cell walls and result in noticeably less juicy burgers. Unfortunately, freezing is often a necessity.

I really like McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning. I liberally sprinkle both sides and lightly press the seasoning into the surface. A light dusting with ground chipotle is another frequent addition. This is usually done before I start the charcoal so it normally sits for at least half an hour.

Over the last couple years I've taken to using shredded cheese rather than slices. This lets me mix a couple cheeses, usually a medium cheddar that melts easily along with an extra sharp cheddar that doesn't melt as well but has fantastic flavor. I pile the shredded cheese on top of each burger and try to level it out as best I can. Sometimes the meat juice mixes with the cheese and creates something that looks less than appetizing, but nobody has ever complained about the flavor.
 
Over the last couple years I've taken to using shredded cheese rather than slices.

I appreciate reading your reply; I think often of using shreds over slices but have yet to do so. You encourage me further to doing this, soon. Frozen occurs relatively often, here, since we live in a rural area. But our expectations for dinner are relatively low.
 
We love grilled burgers. Period. But our absolute favorite is Smash Burgers, pressed extremely flat on a screaming hot griddle. I always use 80/20. Usual cheese of choice is sharp cheddar.
 
I appreciate reading your reply; I think often of using shreds over slices but have yet to do so. You encourage me further to doing this, soon. Frozen occurs relatively often, here, since we live in a rural area. But our expectations for dinner are relatively low.
Frozen is often a reality here too, but I try to do fresh whenever I can. I also do what I can to see that the frozen meat freezes as quickly as possible. This is supposed to minimize the formation of long crystals and therefore results in less cell wall penetration. Mostly this amounts to small (1 lb.) packages, made as flat as possible, and laid directly on the freezer shelves that have coils under them. (We have a manual defrost freezer so the coils run under some of the shelves.) When I do it this way I end up with a lot less juice on the plate after the beef thaws. Thawing is quicker too.

As for the cheese shreds, there are some negatives. You need to be quick putting on the cheese or you can burn the hell out of your hand. I always lose more than a couple shreds to the grill. You also sometimes end up with one burger that has what looks like a ball of partially melted cheese on top. It can be difficult getting an even layer when you're working fast and trying not to cook you hand along with the burgers. But all that aside, I still like the result. Of course, I should add I'm using quality cheese and not slices of American. With the better cheeses I find the shreds melt more evenly.
 
I use shredded cheese at times. I put it on as soon as they come off the grill. But I usually use provolone slices,cuz it's easy. I almost always mix onions in the meat too.
I'm glad to see temperatures. I have never been a very good judge just by looking at them. And I am not afraid to admit using thermometers on other things has made most everything I have cooked come out way better than things I cooked before I started using thermometers.
Putting dimples in the middle to keep them from doming is something i would have never thought of. LOTS of good info. :cool:
 
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I do 2/3 pound (the other 1/3 reserved & pattied on the side, for the dogs) 80/20 ground beef. Put in a bowl with a couple splashes of worcestershire & a couple pinches of kosher salt. Kneed & formed into 2 balls. I then jam my thumb into the top of each ball & work it around so that I make a round pocket inside each ball. I then stuff with shredded cheese - Sharp cheddar, pepper jack, 3 cheese Mexican blend, whatever we happen to have on hand. Sometimes we have blu cheese crumbles & I'll stuff that in. Carefully pinching the top closed while shaping the ball into a patty seals the cheese inside. I grill the patties, flip & (usually) add more cheese to the top/done side - you can never have too much cheese! If we have a red onion, I'll slice off a piece & put a ring or 2 on top of the flipped burger, & then add cheese. The ring helps the cheese stay put, especially blu cheese crumbles! As the burgers are Grilling, I toast the buns around the outer/cooler part of the grill. And while all the burger action is happening, the better half is baking French fries inside; or if it's too hot, we'll have potato chips & onion dip.
A really nice, crunchy pickle half & some mustard for the burger completes the meal. If the burgers are blu cheese, we use bbq sauce instead of mustard.
 
+1 on fresh over frozen whenever possible, sometimes it’s not always the case. Live with it or go get fresh is what I have resigned myself to. There are days when you just have to clean the freezer, right?
 
All this talk about burger recipes.... How do you guys actually grill them? Besides the smash burgers on hot cast iron. Are you grilling indirect, direct, both? I like to cook my burgers indirect then directly over the coals for a bit to "char" up. Cooking this way, at least in my eyes, prevents as much flair up and doesn't burn the burger as much. I am also an amateur, so like to hear from the pros here!
 
I grill both direct and finish indirect ,but not to long as they can dry out over indirect heat. I just hold them there while the buns are toasting. Then onto the build,and in the mouth.
 

 

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