How to Prepare & Grill Hamburgers
The Perfect Hamburger
OK,
you know you can't have the perfect cookout without hamburgers.
We've all had our fair share of hockey-pucks, overcooked, tough and flavorless
burgers. We're here to help give you advice so that your burgers will get rave
reviews.
I'll never forget the impromptu cookout we had and we used the pre-made supermarket
burgers. My mother-in-law almost knocked me over when she loudly protested because
I hadn't made my homemade burgers. Since then I've made them for her every time.
Believe
me, it couldn't be easier to make hamburgers your friends and family will rave
about. There are just a few tips we'll give you here.
First, don't use
ground beef that's super lean (that's where hockey pucks come from). I remember
Chef Michael Chiarello saying the perfect burger would have 30% fat. That's because
fat is what gives a hamburger fabulous flavor and moisture.
Of course the fattier the meat the more grill flare-ups you'll have. These flair-ups generally result in burgers that are charred on the outside and rare on the inside - not good.
The
best ratio is a mix of 85%-15%. The best most flavorful meat is ground chuck.
Remember, a burger with a higher fat content will shrink so you'll have to take
that into consideration and make your patties bigger. I tend to make my patties
about 1/4-1/2 inch bigger in diameter than the roll.
The secret ingredient
that my mother-in-law raves about? Lipton Onion Soup Mix. That's right. It's the
perfect seasoning for hamburgers. I add two envelopes of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
to two pounds of ground beef. I also add one egg just to help hold things together.
I've also learned to not over mix. Over mixing will toughen the burgers.
If I've stored the hamburgers in the refrigerator I take them out of the
refrigerator at least 15 minutes before we cook them. No matter what type of meat
we're cooking, burgers, steaks, roast, chicken, etc., I always bring it to room
temperature before cooking.
HOW
TO COOK A PERFECT BURGER
Cook your hamburgers
over direct medium heat. We find there are less flair-ups at medium heat. We cook
a 1" thick burger 6 minutes per side for medium well, and a 1 1/4" burger
9 minutes per side for medium well. To be sure you're safe you can check it with
a meat thermometer and it should register 160°F. But remember, when you put
a thermometer in your burger the juices will run out.
Resist the urge
to move the burgers around too much, that's how they break up. What you should
do is put the burger on the grill and leave it for the suggested time. Then flip
it over. It should not stick to the grill. Also, NEVER push down on your burger
with a spatula. All you're doing is pushing out the juices.
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