My burger recipe

[BUFFALOTONE]

I really like the bison as well, but it's running more than $9 a pound when I see it. Great flavor, but man - don't cook it too long - it dries and crumbles - if you like well done burgers skip the bison - you'll ruin it.

That should never happen...

[IDBillzFan]

We use ground brisket for our burgers and have never looked back. Have the butcher double grind it. That said, I love hamburgers and have worked very hard to make a consistently good, simple burger. To a couple of pounds of beef we add a tblspoon of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and a 3-4 count of olive oil.

 

Here are keys to making the burger the right texture, as well as the right way, regardless of what you put in your beef:

 

1. 
    
   
2. When mixing the beef, don't use your hands. Use a fork and mix the beef while shredding the ingrediants like you wer shredding pulled pork.
   
3. When forming your burger, DON'T PACK THE meat. Form it into a ball and then easily form it into a patty. You want some air in the beef.
   
4. When done forming the patty, use your thumb to press a small indentation in the middle of the burger...about half way down. This ensures your burger stays flat when you grill it.
   
5. Put your burgers in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or so, and then go directly from fridge to grill to slow down cooking the inside while charring the outside.
   
6. Lastly, a great tip I got from Alton Brown: spread a thin layer of mayo on the bottom bun. The heat from the burger causes the mayo to react and create a seal so the juices don't make the bun soggy.
   

[Chef Jim]

People...STOP IT!! Hamburgers are:

 

1. Ground beef with a 70%/30% ratio lean to fat

2. Salt

3. Pepper

4. Apply heat

 

What you folks are making is American pate.

 

How many of you add A-1 steak sauce to a $50/lb dry aged ribeye?

[Dante]

Why on earth woul you take tiop quality beef and add all that crap to it? If you're using the best ground beef all you need I'd salt and pepper.

I think this to. I olive oil the patties then add salt and pepper. Nothing in them except egg. I will make different salsa or sauce though. One of may favorites is a couple of roasted pablano peppers then peeled. Honey, some garlic, orgeano diced, salt, pepper then all in a blender. Nice chili sauce with a bit of sweet. Melted mozzorella on top. Olive oil coated grilled buns. yumm

 

We use ground brisket for our burgers and have never looked back. Have the butcher double grind it. That said, I love hamburgers and have worked very hard to make a consistently good, simple burger. To a couple of pounds of beef we add a tblspoon of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and a 3-4 count of olive oil.

 

Here are keys to making the burger the right texture, as well as the right way, regardless of what you put in your beef:

 

1. 
    
   
2. When mixing the beef, don't use your hands. Use a fork and mix the beef while shredding the ingrediants like you wer shredding pulled pork.
   
3. When forming your burger, DON'T PACK THE meat. Form it into a ball and then easily form it into a patty. You want some air in the beef.
   
4. When done forming the patty, use your thumb to press a small indentation in the middle of the burger...about half way down. This ensures your burger stays flat when you grill it.
   
5. Put your burgers in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or so, and then go directly from fridge to grill to slow down cooking the inside while charring the outside.
   
6. Lastly, a great tip I got from Alton Brown: spread a thin layer of mayo on the bottom bun. The heat from the burger causes the mayo to react and create a seal so the juices don't make the bun soggy.
   

Now these are some interesting tips. I want to try the brisket we have never done that. I always knew about the "DON"T PACK THE meat" and the thumb thing. But the mayo one is worth a try. As far as the fridge goes Ive always thought that you want all meat that you are bbq'ing to be room temperature. I like this idea because it gives me a more consistent cooking time.

Edited July 5, 2012 by Dante

[eball]

We use ground brisket for our burgers and have never looked back. Have the butcher double grind it. That said, I love hamburgers and have worked very hard to make a consistently good, simple burger. To a couple of pounds of beef we add a tblspoon of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and a 3-4 count of olive oil.

 

Here are keys to making the burger the right texture, as well as the right way, regardless of what you put in your beef:

 

1. 
    
   
2. When mixing the beef, don't use your hands. Use a fork and mix the beef while shredding the ingrediants like you wer shredding pulled pork.
   
3. When forming your burger, DON'T PACK THE meat. Form it into a ball and then easily form it into a patty. You want some air in the beef.
   
4. When done forming the patty, use your thumb to press a small indentation in the middle of the burger...about half way down. This ensures your burger stays flat when you grill it.
   
5. Put your burgers in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or so, and then go directly from fridge to grill to slow down cooking the inside while charring the outside.
   
6. Lastly, a great tip I got from Alton Brown: spread a thin layer of mayo on the bottom bun. The heat from the burger causes the mayo to react and create a seal so the juices don't make the bun soggy.
   

Interesting -- particularly the mayo tip. 'Good Eats' used to be a staple on the tube in our household.

[Fan in San Diego]

People...STOP IT!! Hamburgers are:

 

1. Ground beef with a 70%/30% ratio lean to fat

2. Salt

3. Pepper

4. Apply heat

 

What you folks are making is American pate.

 

How many of you add A-1 steak sauce to a $50/lb dry aged ribeye?

 

I don't mess with $50/lb dry aged rib eye, but I do mess with $9/lb rib eye from Vons.

[DC Tom]

People...STOP IT!! Hamburgers are:

 

1. Ground beef with a 70%/30% ratio lean to fat

2. Salt

3. Pepper

4. Apply heat

 

What you folks are making is American pate.

 

How many of you add A-1 steak sauce to a $50/lb dry aged ribeye?

 

Every time I try that, they fall apart. I find I usually need to add something to keep the patties together.

 

Then again, I never use anything less than 85% lean, which might have something to do with it.

[Dante]

Every time I try that, they fall apart. I find I usually need to add something to keep the patties together.

 

Then again, I never use anything less than 85% lean, which might have something to do with it.

Try adding a egg to the mix to bind it. If it's still loose toss in a few bread crumbs. Also, I coat with olive oil so they don't stick. Personally I like using a iron skillet on the bbq. Leave the skillet on before for 10 mins to get it nice and hot. Anyway, I find with the skillet, the burgers are always nice and moist.

[DC Tom]

Try adding a egg to the mix to bind it. If it's still loose toss in a few bread crumbs.

 

I do. But every time I try it Chef's way, it falls apart.

 

I want to know his secret, because if I can avoid adding an egg, I'd like to.

[stevewin]

My biggest issue is I always buy super lean meat - have tried adding things like olive oil etc. - interested in what people add to have 'normal' moist burger using very lean beef.

[NoSaint]

I do. But every time I try it Chef's way, it falls apart.

 

I want to know his secret, because if I can avoid adding an egg, I'd like to.

 

i did 85% yesterday, just a little salt, little pepper on the outside and it stayed together pretty well.

 

have you mastered the single flip when cooking them? or do you mess with them a lot?

[Dr. Fong]

My biggest issue is I always buy super lean meat - have tried adding things like olive oil etc.

 

So don't buy lean beef. Seems counter intuitive to want to cut down on the fat and then add olive oil. Just keep the fat.

[stevewin]

So don't buy lean beef. Seems counter intuitive to want to cut down on the fat and then add olive oil. Just keep the fat.

Olive oil is heart healthy, beef fat is not

[ExiledInIllinois]

Strictly timed to be medium... I know cringe on the burger even being medium rare... I got enough ecoli flowing in me to be immune... ;-) ;-) Single flip, only time the lid comes up is to flip and then take them off. Still mastering the Weber Genesis I got last year... Even all smoke up on the iside of the lid, can still get the temp up to almost 700 degrees. Steaks come out great with the sear burner.

[Dante]

I do. But every time I try it Chef's way, it falls apart.

 

I want to know his secret, because if I can avoid adding an egg, I'd like to.

Sometimes I don't add egg. Do you olive oil the patties? Also I use high heat and as NoSaintand Exiled says, only flip once. They used to fall apart on the grille all the time until I started to do these things.

[IDBillzFan]

I do. But every time I try it Chef's way, it falls apart.

 

I want to know his secret, because if I can avoid adding an egg, I'd like to.

Not to mention, ground beef+egg+bread crumbs covered in ketchup = meatloaf.

 

It's hard to tell what you're doing wrong, but I'd probably start with the fact that you're making very thin patties. You may want to give smashburgers a try. Season your ground beef with salt and paper and roll it into a ball (like a large meatball). Get a cast iron skillet hot and randomly add some butter and diced onions to the pan. Take two or three of balls and just place them on top of the onions/melted butter for about four minutes, then take a spatula with a strong arm and smash the patties flat onto the onions. Let it go for another minute or so, then use the spatula to flip the burgers (with the onions pressed in them), throw cheese on them, cover the pan and cook for another two minutes or so. Take the cover off and slide them on buns. (Remember the mayo rule, especially with these.)

 

If you screw up a smashburger, then I'd go with hot dogs.

Edited July 5, 2012 by LABillzFan

[The Poojer]

Doesn't seem to bother the cows..except for the whole slaughtering part

 

Olive oil is heart healthy, beef fat is not

[ExiledInIllinois]

You guys will cringe... But I just use frozen patties... I know, I know... Usually the little better ones like black angus or something...

[NoSaint]

You guys will cringe... But I just use frozen patties... I know, I know... Usually the little better ones like black angus or something...

 

I dont think any of us are surprised.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Burger should be kinda plain... Not into all that fancy stuff and AGREE with Chef (maybe not tye frozen part though) about the "American pate" wisecrack. Still one flip though on the nice hot grill... Maybe I will branch out someday into all that high falutent stuff you guys are raving about. LA's mayo trick sounds slick!