However you like your burger... plain.... with cheese .. loaded with toppings... doesn't matter ... the most important part is making the burger... and grilling season is here... so here are some burger basics for grilling a perfect burger.
Warren is the Grill Master in our house…. when we first got together.. I was a gas grill kinda gal… and being a widow/single mom… I learned to make … what I thought was the perfect burger… then I met Warren.. and only then did I get to know what the perfect burger really is.
He insisted on a charcoal grill… I wrinkled my nose and wanted a gas grill… I did not get my way.. and I’m glad I didn’t… I love a burger made on a charcoal grill.
It’s easy to grill burgers… just follow a few basic tips…
1) Get good quality meat… quality meat is important… poor quality meat will just not taste as good… also fat content is personal preference… some people believe that a higher fat content makes a juicier burger… I disagree… we use lean ground beef and the burgers are moist and delicious.
2) Make sure the meat is fresh.. free of discolorations and if it smells bad.. it is.. don’t use it.
3) My Mother always mixed chopped onions and seasonings in her ground beef… again it’s personal preference… we don’t
4) Use two hands to gently make your patties… make them all the same relative size and shape.. about ¾ inch thick is a good thickness…. grilling time will be uniform then.. with the exception of preferences for medium, medium well and well done.
5) You want high heat… this will sear the outside and keep those juices in. If using a charcoal grill heat the grill until the coals are white around the edges, then your grill is ready.
6) Put them on and leave them alone.. only flip them once.
7) Don’t press down on them with a spatula.. that will press the juices out and will dry your burger out.
8) We make 1/3 pound burgers… he grills them 5 minutes a side for a slight pink center and 7 for no pink in the center (he says the thicker the burger the closer to 7 minutes a side he makes them… if he makes them flatter … it’s closer to 5 minutes for that pink center)
9) If adding cheese.. put it on just before they’re ready to come off the grill… 1-2 minutes before.
10) Have buns and condiments ready… and
I did that!
ReplyDeleteIlove a great burger!! I do mine just about the same way you do. Thanks for the tips. Glad you found a great Grill Master. Guess that is my job here!!!
ReplyDelete