Grilling burgers - lid open or closed?


 
Mark Foreman

Mark Foreman

TVWBB Wizard
I got asked if I grill burgers with the lid open or closed? I usually cook them with the lid open on the WSK but I do not make very thick patties.
What do you folks do?

Note: In all my years, I never thought about this until someone asked…. Go fish
 
depends on the burger size and weight. i usually sear on the CI for texture and taste and finish up indirect, covered, to get to temp.

if it' smashies, thin and 2-3 oz each, open, direct sear, flipped and seared till done then moved to a hold (aluminum pan on the grill or stacked atop other done ones if serving everyone at the same time.

if it's 6 or 8 oz pub burgers, seared, flipped, seared then off to indirect so i can get them all cooked and done at the near same time.

JD as the heat source for hottest flame and you can add wood chips or splits for flavor.
 
I grill my burgers direct using a low fire with the lid closed. Vent directly above. I like to use a platter or a griddle over the grate. I usually only do one or two at a time. I keep a safe zone. :-)

Most Unconventional Burger Recipe You've Ever Loved

Okay I don't have a youtube channel for food but I would like to share this because I think it may be a break-through recipe and have nowhere else to post it. I've been trying to perfect the best burger ever for fifteen years and I've finally come up with this. I've never seen a burger recipe...
www.smokingmeatforums.com www.smokingmeatforums.com
 
WSM broken down to be a grill; grate right on top of the charcoal ring for f'in hot temps, but with a safe zone.

Lid open for side one for a beautiful sear directly over coals, then lid closed if there is a flare up. Flip to finish; direct if no flare up, move to safe zone if there are flare ups/lid closed.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Great ad but, that’s Not how I’d do burgers! Foil maybe, Mazola? Not so much
Click to expand...
I posted that ad because it’s the way I remembered bbq grills growing up.

I guess my background was more working class because I can’t remember ever seeing a charcoal bbq grill with a lid - 1960’s.

I know they existed, I just don’t remember seeing one.

And charcoal grills were used for hamburgers and hot dogs only.

My dad had a friend who lived in Connecticut and when we visited he had a gas grill in his backyard- everyone was impressed as I remember it.

Man how the world has changed.
 
John_NJ said:
I posted that ad because it’s the way I remembered bbq grills growing up.

I guess my background was more working class because I can’t remember ever seeing a charcoal bbq grill with a lid - 1960’s.

I know they existed, I just don’t remember seeing one.

And charcoal grills were used for hamburgers and hot dogs only.

My dad had a friend who lived in Connecticut and when we visited he had a gas grill in his backyard- everyone was impressed as I remember it.

Man how the world has changed.
Click to expand...

We had a grill just like the one in that ad when I was growing up as a kid. The first time we had a grill with a lid was in the mid 70s. It was a natural gas grill with lava rocks.
 
I made a rectangular BBQ grill as part of a Metal Shop project in Junior High School. We used it one time and it worked! It was made out of galvanized steel and once the zinc ( a heavy metal, but nobody cared in those days) burned off it rusted out right away.

But the grill we had back then was like the one shown in the ad. The foil was used to line the bottom of the charcoal pan to slow down the paint burn-off which would then lead to the bottom rusting out, usually around the perimeter. The foil also facilitated cleanup afterwards...if you left the ash in the bottom of the pan, it would collect moisture and cause the pan to rot out.

The Weber kettle was upscale with its porcelain coating.

But back to the topic...I can't for the life of me remember when I started grilling HB with the lid closed, or why. It's just something I've always done without thinking about it. There was a time when the cast iron Hibachis were popular and of course, we had one of those and they never had a lid.
 
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