The incredible shrinking burger


 
A

Andy Boyd

New member
Hey Folks,

I need some help, I love burgers but every time I grill them my nice bun size burgers shrivel up to slider size burgers, what am I doing wrong? I keep them cold until they go on and I try not to over work the meat. I always use 80/20 ground beef and normally make my patties about 1/3 of a pound. My grill is running between 400-450. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
All meat shrinks while cooking. If you want a bun size burger, your patty needs to be bigger than the bun to start out with. you can use the same amount of meat just make a thinner burger and you will be good to go.

The other thing could be is that the meat really isn't 80/20....
 
I have a mold that I use. Always makes the same size burger (which is bigger than the bun) . I like the nice consistent patty that I get.
 
Have you tried the dimple thing?
Makes them even out when done.

Hamburger-Recipe-Step_1.jpg
 
I have started doing the whole dimple thing recently, and I like that it is keeping my burgers flatter. I have been on the lookout for a burger press or some type of ring mold so I can get burgers that cook more consistently.
 
Here you go!

I've had one for a couple of years and it works well. I try to find 80-20 on sale & make a bunch of 1/3 lb burgers to freeze. I also bought a box of the patty papers so I can separate them while still frozen. One thing I found is to avoid ground beef that has been frozen. The 5 lb chubs from Kroger have all been frozen at one time and the meat sticks in the press.

Burger Press

I think I got the link right so Chris gets the referral.
 
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Here's how I make my burgers... It probably is a little more work than most others but this works very well for me, and I get great bun-sized burgers every time. I wrap a cutting board with a piece of non-stick aluminum foil... Then I wrap a second smaller cutting board with another piece. I also am anal and usually weigh everything so I get burgers of uniform size. So I'll weigh out my burgers (usually 5-6 ounces) into very loosely packed balls, and then the ball of meat goes on the first cutting board, and then I used the second cutting board to flatten the burger into a very thin patty. Then I used 'cupped' hands to compress and shape the patty into a circle, about an inch bigger diameter than a standard bun. This also makes a nice size dimple and results in burgers that are a uniform thickness that cook pretty quickly. I love that non-stick foil!
 
Bob Correll said:
Have you tried the dimple thing?
Click to expand...

Putting a dimple in the burgers is critical if you don't want them to shrink up. The heat from cooking makes them puff up, sort of like a balloon.

Also, the more you cook them the more they will shrink. If you cook to medium rare they will hold their shape. If you cook to well done they are going to shrink quite a bit.
 
The dimple thingie is the way to go. I have also been grinding my own (50% chuck, 30% brisket, 20% pork rib trimmings), and since I know what's in them, I'm not afraid to cook them medium-rare. This coarse ground mix shrinks less as well, even though I shoot for about 25% fat.
 
I almost forgot about the dimple thing but that no doubt helps.

I know this is going to be sacrilege but i use extra lean meat in my burgess, 93/7 usually and they don't shrink nearly as much. Yeah they aren't as juicy but i can eat them and know they are a little more healthy and eat them more often.
 
If you make your burgers about 5/8" thick and about the diameter of a "whopper", they will not shrink smaller than your bun.
Unless you use monster sized buns.
 
I use the Fox Run Burger Press which was recommended by Cook's Illustrated several years ago and like it. I also weigh my portions (5 to 6 oz) and use a large serving fork (4 tines) to lightly even out the meat in the press and a small offset spatula to slide between the meat and the press to loosen the meat from it. Turn the press over and use the top to make the dimple.

I use Costco's 88/12 lean ground beef but toss some olive oil into the meat along with a little salt. The salt is an old restaurant trick I learned a long time ago and if I recall correctly, it helps keep the meat together and helps it retain more of its juices, much like dry-brining (aside from flavoring it). I cook to medium or medium/rare and my burgers shrink very little. When using the Fox Run press they fit nicely on a burger bun.

Rita
 
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Phil S said:
Here you go!

I've had one for a couple of years and it works well. I try to find 80-20 on sale & make a bunch of 1/3 lb burgers to freeze. I also bought a box of the patty papers so I can separate them while still frozen. One thing I found is to avoid ground beef that has been frozen. The 5 lb chubs from Kroger have all been frozen at one time and the meat sticks in the press.

Burger Press

I think I got the link right so Chris gets the referral.
Click to expand...

I have always hand formed my burgers until I found that burger press. I picked it up at WalMart for $4.99. I was always making the burger way too big. (Half pound plus!) Now I am getting perfect 1/3 pound patties every time.
 
The dimple is definitely the way to go and I find that the thinner I can make them the better results I get from shrinkage.
 
Cooked burgers again tonight, I think I got it figured out.

1. 1/3 pound burgers
2. Formed using a burger press.
3. I did the whole dimple thing
4. Kept the burgers cold after pressing
5. Extra clean grill grates
6. Cooked over direct heat 4 minutes per side.

Results were great, juicy burgers that were the same size as the buns. They had a nice crust on the outside. The wife and I really enjoyed them with some peppered bacon and cheddar Blue cheese. They will be repeated later this week I will post some pictures from that cook.
 
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