Burger Basics

For something that seems really simple, there are actually a lot of ways you can screw up a good burger.  The first time I cooked for my in-laws was a perfect example.  They came over during the summer and I decided to grill burgers and just have some simple summer sides.  It seemed so easy.  But what I ended up with was little hockey pucks of burgers -- crispy and black on the outside, yet uncooked in the middle.

I made one of the biggest mistakes of over-handling the meat.  I used to toss the meat back & forth between my hands a BUNCH of times, and then smash it into a round patty.  After the in-law fiasco, I did a lot of internet research on burgers.  I asked my culinary school-trained friend.  And I even watched a Throwdown With Bobby Flay to learn from the grill master himself.  That was when I got a great little device that will make forming burger patties a piece of cake:

The piece on the right has a handle on it. And they form perfect little patties of either 1/4 lb or my preferred 1/3 lb.  Just lay across a sheet of waxed paper, divide your ground meat, and press it down.  It's really that easy.

I should also say that I like 80/20 for my ground beef.  You could use 85/15, or even 70/30, but please do not use 90/10.  You need fat to make the burger flavorful and juicy.  I also like to season the patties.  But here is the insider trick you must do:  press an indentation in the center of each patty with your thumb.

Burgers will naturally rise and plump up while they're cooking.  That is why you often end up with a patty that is thicker in the center and has shrunken to much smaller than you originally intended.  And for the love of God, do not press the patty flat with your spatula while it's cooking.  That will release all the great juices from inside. (You'll also get a big flare up from the fire.)

Toss your patties on a medium to high flame.  Now this is the really hard part: leave them alone!  The tendency is to over-flip them, or to move them around.  The beef will be loosely held together because you didn't over work it when forming the patties. If you flip or move them too often, they will crumble and fall apart.  My first burger grilling I lost probably 30% of the meat because I had no clue what I was doing.

The above picture is what the burgers looked like after 4-5 minutes.  That is when I flipped them over.

You'll notice that the top half is now cooked, and the bottom is still pink & raw.  They have also started to shrink up some.  Do not press them down.  Reduce the urge to move them.  I was pacing around and ignoring all the hissing & spitting from the grill.  My wife asked what I was doing and I said, "not touching the burgers."  Here is what they looked like 4-5 minutes later:

Now they are almost ready.  They have plumped up quite a bit, you'll notice.  And the juices are starting to run clearer.  I like mine medium, so I really don't want to dry them out or overcook them.  I add a few slices of sharp cheddar cheese and shut the lid to melt them.

Bada boom!  You've got some juicy, delicious burgers.

Sometimes I toast the buns, other times I won't.  But I do like to spread a small amount of mayo on the bottom bun.  That's a restaurant trick.  Burger King uses mayo on their Whoppers too.  Then you can add your various hamburger toppings:  lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, ketchup, mustard.  Thousand Island dressing will make it taste like a Big Mac.

I'm reluctant to say this is how to make a "perfect" burger -- but it's pretty darn close.