I have favorite overcomplicated but amazingly tasty way to make burgers. I finely chop up a pile of parsley or basil or thai basil (they all are different but work). Then I grate a small pile fresh horseradish with a microplane. I mix that into my meat.
If I want to get extra fancy I then do a blue cheese center. After lightly mixing up the meat, herbs and seasonings I grab up a ball of meat, poke a hole in the center with my thumbs and insert some crumbled blue cheese. Seal up the hole while working the ball into a thick patty.
I worked as a short order cook when I was young and there was a trick I learned to know how well meat was cooked back then that has worked well to this day - better than thermometers or timing things… It takes practice but once you get the feel for things it never fails. It works best with steaks but also works with burgers. Here’s a link:
But you can google that and find all kinds of videos and pictorial tutorials. It boils down noting how tender/dense the burger feels when you poke down on it gently.
Of you insist on internet recipe formatting, Alton Brown’s burgers are what I used as my starting point. He “grinds” his own meat in a food processor, which give it a distinct toothy texture unlike what you get in a typical burger grind, so it will be very different from store formed patties, but the cooking process works the same for ground meat as well. You can watch the episode to get visual cues about how fine to grind it.
Not yet noted, I think it does make a bit of difference to rest the burgers a bit before serving. Just make a box out of doubled aluminum foil and put them straight from the heat into the foil. Leave for a couple minutes while you clean the grill or toast the buns before serving.
I don’t bother with any of that for summer backyard charcoal grilled burgers though.
I do my burgers in a pan, typically, and do them smash-burger style. For grill, Armando has the right of it. I use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness, cuz I’m paranoid.
I’ve held a barbecue for my birthday every year for the last 20 years and I usually do some kind of unique burger recipe each year. A few years I’ve done Alton Brown’s burgers and they’re the only ones that have resulted in someone saying: “Chris, that is the best hamburger I’ve ever eaten.” It really is about the texture.
When I make standard burgers for dinner, I add salt and a couple dashes of Worcestershire.
He also advocates for plain bun with mayo (preferably homemade) and black pepper as the only accoutrement. Even when I don’t grind my own, that’s typically how I do griddle burgers these days. (Grill burgers eaten in the backyard get cheese, ketchup, lettuce, etc.)
Thanks, looks like high heat, skillet, one turn, minimal additions, makes sense. I’m still a bit off the mark when it comes to buns, brioche might be a bridge too far but store-bought sesame tends to be weak. I’ll land on Quality sesame and be a happy burger eater.
Lots of purists in here. You’re allowed your opinions, of course, but adding a little oatmeal to the meat does not make it a meatloaf - if doing so was the case, then none of the burger chains in the world actually serve burgers.
Actually, on second thought, I’d agree with that last opinion.
First off, if you have to use a binder you are doing it wrong. That’s meatloaf! The only thing you should add to your burger is salt and pepper. You wont need a binding agent if you do two things. Use 80/20 ground chuck and prep your patties early by refrigerating them before grilling. Grilling temperature is important. Beware “high heat” as most people go too high. If you do that you either end up with hockey pucks or burnt outside/raw inside burgers. Always pre heat your grill.
The temp window you should shoot for in 375 to 400. Use a thermometer if you have one. My basic rule of thumb for temps and time is I try to hit just under 400 and then cook as follows. For rare, 3 minutes a side. Medium rare 3 1/2 minutes a side. Medium Well 4 minutes a side. If you want them burnt, look somewhere else, you’re lucky you’re getting anything beyond medium rare from me as it is! A few final notes. Indenting your patties in the center is a good idea. Just a slight thumb press will do. Also, before grilling, very lightly brush both sides of the patty with oil ( I use olive oil ) This helps keep the burger from sticking to the grill. Also important, always start with a clean grill and if you’re doing multiple rounds brush the grill between rounds and wipe it off with an oiled paper towel. Oh and as many have mentioned… Don’t play with your meat. Flip it once. Flipping it multiple times is a good way to dry it out. As far as cheese, add it at the end if desired of course and close the grill. It should be nice and melty in less than a minute. If anyone wants additional seasonings like Garlic salt or season salt, sprinkle it on right before the cheese if you are doing cheese or right before you pull the burger if not. Final tip. Toast those buns! I usually do not toast them on the grill. I get a cast iron griddle nice and hot throw some butter on it and then toast the buns on that. Move them a bit with a spatula or they may stick. It just takes a few minutes to get them to a nice golden toast. That’s a lot of info, I guess but its easier than it looks and once you get the routine down its a breeze.
