the perfect hamburger?

[Jerboa113]

this has been somewhat of a quest for me.. how to make the perfect hamburger..

 

Heres what I have tried:

* Chop very fine bits of onion, pat out the burger, then press the onion bits into the top and bottom of the patty.. this works good but often the onion chunks if too fine seem to melt away or fall out of the burger into the grill.

 

*Chop very fine bits of onion and mix them into the burger meat, then pat them out into patties. This works well also but often unless you over-cook the burger you wind up with onions that are not fully cooked and are too crunchy

 

*Mix ranch powder/Chili Powder/Taco seasoning, or a steak rub into the meat and pat the patty out. This works but I have a hard time getting the seasoning evenly dispersed into the meat causing pockets of powder once the burger is cooked.. not cool..

 

*Cut sharp cheddar into large chunks and put them inside the meat and pat the patty out, this fails because the cheddar melts inside the burger, oozes out through the meat and causes the heat to burn the patty surface and leaving large caverns inside the patty that compromise the patty, making it fall apart.

 

*use shredded cheddar inside the burger, this doe the same as above minus the caverns..

 

The only thing that has worked for me is the traditional cheese on top of the patty while its still on the grill (slice) and cooked onions in a frying pan separate from the patty..

 

Anyone have the perfect burger recipe or have managed to get anything like the above to work?

[whitetiger]

you can put whatever you want on a burger, but thats not what makes a burger good. It all starts with the quality of the meat you use. use crappy meat and no amount of cheese or onions or such will make it taste any better.

 

prime aged chuck/top round FTMFW

[slmgringo]

could try sauteing some garlic and finely chopped onion, then deglaze w/ Worcestershire before hand and adding it to the mix after its nice and caramelized. I also agree w/ whitetiger about quality of meat. you may also consider things like lemon pepper, lemon zest, parsley as additions to your burger base. also salt and pepper, most meat needs seasoning. hope this helps, brandon.

 

PS DONT OVER COOK IT..IT SHOULD BE PINK IN THE MIDDLE!!! (opinion boldly stated as fact ;-)

[ultimakf7]

I got an idea.. how about you try sauteeing the onions before you mix them with the raw meat.

[Guest LGT-NY]

you can put whatever you want on a burger, but thats not what makes a burger good. It all starts with the quality of the meat you use. use crappy meat and no amount of cheese or onions or such will make it taste any better.

 

prime aged chuck/top round FTMFW

 

Ohhh... Well excuuuuse me, Mr. Fancy Pants!!

[Jerboa113]

well its true.. you cant start with crappy meat and think you can get a good burger. I admit I dont really buy the highest quality, but I dont settle for 80/20.. its too greasy for me, I like the 85/15 a little better. 90/10 seems too dry.

 

I have a hard time with worcheststisahtashire sauce burning the outside of the burger?

 

What do yall do when you have a cookout? I cant just do normal plain burgers, its just not me lol

[Regal05LGT]

Garbage burgers are always a good choice, whatevers in the fridge at that point fry up and throw on there, you come up with some great/horrible combos lol

[slmgringo]

I have a hard time with worcheststisahtashire sauce burning the outside of the burger?

 

did you just dump it on the outside of the patty?

[Jerboa113]

doesnt seem to matter how I put it on, I like to try to mix it in with the meat but if I'm in a hurry I'll just put it on the outside yea.. but obviously if I'm in a hurry I just need to eat something to stay alive so I dont make a big deal of it.

[Guest JessterCPA]

I like to puyt a stainless bowl over my burgers as they cook...helps steam & cook the burgers better without dry-out.

[Guest heightsgtltd]

^^ really?

 

Doesn't that kind of work against a nice crust and char?

[Jerboa113]

huh, well, I suppose it makes sense. But if its being cooked on a solid surface like in a frying pan it should still get a nice crispy outside on the top and bottom.

 

I saw a show on tV (diners and dives I think?) where there was a diner somewhere in the northeast that totally steams their burgers.. no grilling. It looked nasty to me but having never tried it I guess I cant judge that.

[Guest heightsgtltd]

Do you guys have whitcastle where you are? They steam the burgers maybe that's what you are thinking of, but they are really thin square sliders.

 

Steaming a big burger sounds gross.

[mmarton]

All subjective, but meat makes the burger. However, Anne's Snack Shop in Atlanta was rated the best burger in America by a writer with the Wall Street Journal two years ago (again, subjective). She uses typical supermarket ground beef logs in the plastic-wrapped tubes. She hand-forms the patties and cooks them on very low heat on a steel griddle and sprinkles them with seasoned salt while they're cooking. The only other addition while cooking is onions if you want them. Topping like cheese and such get added at the end. Great burger, but best? You decide.

 

The best burger joints keep it simple. The one thing in common is they grind their own meat. I have yet to do that but I understand you can get a great burger by using a food processor to chop up cubes or sirloin and chuck.

[Guest Gitster]

huh, well, I suppose it makes sense. But if its being cooked on a solid surface like in a frying pan it should still get a nice crispy outside on the top and bottom.

 

I saw a show on tV (diners and dives I think?) where there was a diner somewhere in the northeast that totally steams their burgers.. no grilling. It looked nasty to me but having never tried it I guess I cant judge that.

 

 

I jsut saw that yesterday on tv. Its in Meriden CT.

[Guest heightsgtltd]

Some of the most flavorful burgers I have made or eaten at restaurants came from grass fed beef, and from a mix of interesting ground cuts that result in a more complex flavor.

[Jerboa113]

is that the place downtown that is like an old diner from the 30s? with stools out front and a counter? I heard about that place.. but I've never been. I knew a guy at my last job that was a meat connoisseur and he said it was an amazing experience.

 

I have been known to make burgers like that.. I buy the kroger brand 85/15 pat it out and then put seasoning salt on it.. and its good, but I havent seen where its momentous.. What am I doing wrong?

[Guest Gitster]

I dunno man, Ive bought burgers like this with cheese and mushrooms and onions in them and cooked them and they were fine.

 

The best burgers Ive ever had were just plain beef though, you can put anything you want on top of it. (garlic salt ftw) I dont see the need to put anything in it.

 

I am also a huge fan of McDonalds burgers Even though I try to stay away from that place.

[Jerboa113]

I'm a certified 5 guys fiend.. come to think of it.. theres nothing special on the ones I get there either.. perhaps I'm looking at the perfect hamburger the wrong way...

[Guest Gitster]

Yes, Fudruckers, Five guys, all good.

[dudeondacouch]

Good ground beef + Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix = The Win

[Guest JessterCPA]

Do you guys have whitcastle where you are? They steam the burgers maybe that's what you are thinking of, but they are really thin square sliders.

 

Steaming a big burger sounds gross.

 

Go to Jackson Hole diner & then tell me what you think.

[Guest heightsgtltd]

I've been to Jackson Hole and really like it but not in a long time. They steam them?

[Guest JessterCPA]

Not 100%, but that's where I learned the bowl trick. That's how they get those think burgers cooked all the way through so fast without burning the crap out of the outside. There's one in Englewood I used to go to all the time..open kitchen.

[Guest Gitster]

No one should cook a burger all the way through though ......