Smokey, char-grilled flavor. Why is it missing from my burgers?


 
M

M Borner

New member
Why is it some people are able to flatten out ground chuck, throw it onto a grill, and end up with this magnificent, smokey, char-grilled flavor? This is a flavor that I haven't been able to replicate in my 30 years of grilling burgers. I've been through many grills, both charcoal, and gas, but still, my grilled burgers don't have that "flavor". Obviously, they don't taste fried but they sure don't taste like they've been grilled over an open flame. When they're grilling they smell wonderful. As a matter of fact, they should taste like they smell but they just don't. Others can do it without even thinking about it. A friend of mine takes ground chuck (nothing else, not even salt) throws it onto a gas grill and voila, magnificent burger every time. It seems so simple but I can't do it. What is it that makes that flavor? Why can't I get it?

I've tried everything. 90/10 to 70/30. Brisket, chuck, sirloin. I've tried premium beef from a butcher, I've had chuck roast ground fresh right in front of me. Lid up, lid down. Rare, to burnt to a crisp. Slow cooked 45 minutes to blazing hot seer and off the grille in 4 minutes.

30 years and I've never been able to get that flavor, what am I doing wrong?
 
That's a really tough question to answer as your perception of what the "grilled" taste is supposed to be is, by definition, in your head. If you know someone who is doing it well, why don't you do it beside them and see if you can replicate?

I am thinking the taste you are talking about is what I associate with the fat and juice coming out of the meat as it cooks, dripping onto the hot coals, and creating smoke that then flavors the meat. This is a delicate dance as burning fat can leave an acrid, unpleasant residue on food, thus I grill the burgers mostly with the grill covered to prevent the fat from catching fire.

My basic procedure which I think would meet your expectation of a ground burger.

Grind a chuck roast. Form into 6 oz balls. Form with a burger press. Leave at room temp while grill heats up, approx. 20-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and put on very hot grill and cover immediately. 2 minutes, rotate, recover. Flip, 2 minutes, cheese, recover. 1-2 minutes later done. Lots of smoke and steam is billowing from grill.

HTH.
 
Wow, 30 yrs of crappy burgers. I admire your tenacity. Sorry, just kidding.
This is what I do and it works for me. I go with 80/20. Burgers are 3/4 to an inch thick. Hot fire, around 500. Heat up grill 10 minutes. Cook direct 4 minutes with lid on or until burger easily flips. If sticking, go another 30 seconds. 4 minutes on 2nd side. If you're looking for more smoke flavor, maybe try one of the flavored charcoals. Everybody has own variations. Remember, there's always chicken. Sorry again
 
I put the lid on my kettle when cooking burgers and steaks. I throw a piece of hickory on the charcoal, to add a little smoky flavor.
 
A cook is his own worst critic. You're probably no different. Was at a Thanksgiving gathering where I brought the cranberry sauce. Someone wanted my recipe as they liked mine better than their own. Come to find out - we had the same exact recipe. Just like when I was growing up - mom's buttered toast was always tastier than if I made my own.
 
I agree with chad. For some reason when someone else makes you something it tastes a little different than when you do it your self.
 
Thanks for everyone's input. I've thought long and hard about the psychological aspect of it but too many things don't make sense. Usually when we go out and I have a grilled burger, they're pretty flavorful. Most backyard grillers I know can produce a pretty good burger but my Folks are like me, their burgers are just not getting it, either. I just bought a Genesis S310 and even brand new, the burgers don't taste much different than the ones grilled on my old grill that had been seasoned for over 10 years.
Another thing I thought about was the fact that being the griller allowed me to revel in all that smoke, killing the senses to that wonderful flavor. I had my Wife grill them one time, with me inside the house, never gaining a whiff of the grill. No change.
It's not that my burgers are bad, they're just not great, and I've had some great burgers grilled by other people. I'm wondering if it's my grill, and if so, what's lacking in my grill that others have? I've been through so many grills it's hard to fault the grill.
 
M Borner said:
Thanks for everyone's input. I've thought long and hard about the psychological aspect of it but too many things don't make sense. Usually when we go out and I have a grilled burger, they're pretty flavorful. Most backyard grillers I know can produce a pretty good burger but my Folks are like me, their burgers are just not getting it, either. I just bought a Genesis S310 and even brand new, the burgers don't taste much different than the ones grilled on my old grill that had been seasoned for over 10 years.
Another thing I thought about was the fact that being the griller allowed me to revel in all that smoke, killing the senses to that wonderful flavor. I had my Wife grill them one time, with me inside the house, never gaining a whiff of the grill. No change.
It's not that my burgers are bad, they're just not great, and I've had some great burgers grilled by other people. I'm wondering if it's my grill, and if so, what's lacking in my grill that others have? I've been through so many grills it's hard to fault the grill.
Click to expand...

I have had your problem also, a few years ago my wife came up with the idea of adding pork to the mix, along with garlic, and chopped sweet onions into the burgers, I just throw in some wood any kind I have in the charcoal, or make up a pouch for the S310 and they come out with a good smokey flavor, I think I need to try the reverse sear as I have had a few dry ones.
The pork really takes them up a notch, a great taste.

Good luck.we are all still learning that is why we are here.
 
I have had some of the same complaints (from me). Mostly, the burgers are lacking flavor. I have discovered that the secret is in the beef. Most beef is so lean you cannot get good flavor. I have a small town super market (mom & pop owned) a few miles away that has marvelous ground beef. The burgers grilled from their ground beef is outstanding.

I suggest you hunt up a custom butcher (or try several) and when you find the "mother lode" then buy all of your beef there. Fresh beef, never frozen, has more moisture than frozen beef. Beef frozen the second time looses even more moisture (and flavor).

FWIW
Dale53
 
Cook them over charcoal.........gas grills suck..and yea, I've got one. If they ever make charcoal with instant light up, no clean up, etc.etc., I would junk a gas grill. The advantage over indoor cooking is not that great, except for the beer drinking outside........................d
 
Allow me to add a couple things. As has been said before, quality beef is essential. I never use anything under 15% fat, and fresh ground is always preferable. I have a local chain here in New England that still grinds their own. I refuse to eat burger that comes from 'chubs'. Good way to possibly get sick IMHO, and you can't cook the meat under well done.

Season your burger as you like, and mix it up some. But do not handle it much if at all possible. The meat will be noticeably tougher after cooking. Get the fire as hot as you can. This is the secret of restaurant cooking, whether it be a steak, or saute'ed mushrooms, or something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich. Once the meat goes on, you mus'nt overcook it. You need to pay attention to how the burger is sitting on the grill. Don't even think of trying to pick it up in the first 2 minutes unless there is a roaring grease fire under it. What you want before you flip is a bit of juice popping on the top. Leave it alone after flipping. You need perhaps a minute for your burgers to be medium rare, and another minute for them to be medium well. Add cheese as desired.... or not.

Once you have a medium rare burger cooked the right way (with buckets of juicey yumminess) You will want it that way all the time.
 
M Borner,

Just another thought. Are you toasting/grilling your buns? Do your friends do it?

In my experience it adds a whole new dimension to the flavor of a burger. It could be what you're missing.

JimT
 
M Borner said:
Why is it some people are able to flatten out ground chuck, throw it onto a grill, and end up with this magnificent, smokey, char-grilled flavor? This is a flavor that I haven't been able to replicate in my 30 years of grilling burgers. I've been through many grills, both charcoal, and gas, but still, my grilled burgers don't have that "flavor". Obviously, they don't taste fried but they sure don't taste like they've been grilled over an open flame. When they're grilling they smell wonderful. As a matter of fact, they should taste like they smell but they just don't. Others can do it without even thinking about it. A friend of mine takes ground chuck (nothing else, not even salt) throws it onto a gas grill and voila, magnificent burger every time. It seems so simple but I can't do it. What is it that makes that flavor? Why can't I get it?

I've tried everything. 90/10 to 70/30. Brisket, chuck, sirloin. I've tried premium beef from a butcher, I've had chuck roast ground fresh right in front of me. Lid up, lid down. Rare, to burnt to a crisp. Slow cooked 45 minutes to blazing hot seer and off the grille in 4 minutes.

30 years and I've never been able to get that flavor, what am I doing wrong?
Click to expand...


No offense but this might be in your mind. A burger over charcoal will get that taste. KB will give the most flavor and some might think too much. Lump will burn so cleanly it could, could, be harder to tell. But there's no secret. Before they go on I salt/pepper with a little oil.
 
actually, i've never had a bad burger. true, some are better than others but still a burger. i use whatever i have and grill on whatever i decide at the time.
s&p, mayo and a bit of mustard on " white bread". thats it. anything else takes away from the burger.
 
I've never done this but some people add fish sauce to burger. Tablespoon or so to a 1-2 lbs...mix. Do a search on Bing/Google and look up Umami Burger.
 
What are you using for fuel? It might be the cause. I like to throw a chunk of oak or hickory on a charcoal fire and close the lid.
 
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