Ah, summertime. The time when people pull out their grills and cook up burnt hockey pucks and try to pass them off as a hamburger.
I’m just kidding, some people get those pre-made patties of flavorlessness instead.
Today I just want to address how to make a really good cheeseburger. There are lots of recipes out there that tell you how to make fancy burgers with exotic toppings. But if your patty is dry and bland, no amount of tasty toppings are going to save it. So I’m going to take you through the whole process of how to make a juicy, delicious burger.
First lets address the ground beef itself-
If you want a really good burger, you need really good meat. Ground, dry-aged chuck is the best burger meat. And the best place to get it is from an actual butcher. Not the grocery store butcher, I’m talking about a real, old school butcher shop. They are becoming rare but just because you don’t know where one is near you doesn’t mean there isn’t one. I often mention to people that I get my meat from a butcher and over half admit to me that they had no idea there was a butcher shop in the city. To find out if there is a butcher shop near you just hit up google. I typed in -butcher shop near me- and 3 shops immediately popped up. Granted I live in the middle of cattle country, you may not get as many options.
Warning- Once you start buying your meat from a butcher you may not be able to go back to grocery store meat again. Also, you won’t be able to order steak at a restaurant again, it will just taste flavorless. Unless you’re at a fancy steak house.
If you can’t find a butcher or just don’t want to go that route, then there are plenty of good options at your local grocery store. Most stores have ground chuck, you can also get 80/20 ground beef or 85/15. The numbers mean that the meat is a mix of 80% lean and 20% fat (85% lean, 15% fat). Do not go any lower or higher on the ratios. If the meat is too fatty the patties will just shrink down as the fat cooks out, plus you with get huge flare ups as all that fat catches on fire. If the meat is too lean it will be dry.
To ‘dry age’ your grocery store beef, remove from packaging and place in a strainer or on a cooling rack. Place that in a container or over a pan, something to catch the drips. Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight (overnight is best). The extra liquid will drain out of the beef, thus allowing more beefy flavor to come through.
Make sure the package states that the meat is 100% beef/Chuck or Organic so you can avoid Pink Slime. Though this additive is considered safe for human consumption it will water down the flavor of the meat. And it just sounds nasty, in my opinion. For more information about avoiding pink slime,go here.
Another option is to get a chuck roast and ask the butcher at the grocery store to grind it into hamburger for you. Most of the nicer groceries have butchers and they are more than happy to do this for you for free.
If you can’t find 100% beef or chuck and the store doesn’t have a butcher, might I suggest you leave said store and go somewhere else?
Any questions?
Let’s move on to the actual making of the burger.
Step 1
2 lbs ground Chuck or 80/20 ground Beef
salt and pepper
Using a food scale divide meat into 6 balls of equal weight, about 6 oz.
I cover my scale with plastic wrap to keep it clean.
Press balls out into patties. The patties should be about ½ inch bigger around than the buns you plan to use. Here’s a helpful illustration-
The patties will shrink when you cook them, so you want them to start off bigger.
In the center of each patty make a slight indentation with your fingers.
When working with raw meat I like to wear food prep gloves. This keeps the germs from the meat out of any cuts or abrasions. It also allows you to take the gloves off and have clean hands for emergencies like answering an important call or chasing one of your kids down because you see them doing something horribly unsafe.
Step 2
6 slices of your favorite Cheese for Cheeseburgers
Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Place the patties on the grill, leaving a few inches in between each patty. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes, flip burgers and cook for another 2 minutes.
Do not put too many on your grill at once, it will cause huge flare ups and burnt, hockey pucks.
That’s not even the worst flare up I’ve ever gotten.
If your flare ups get out of control just squirt them down with a spray bottle filled with water.
Place a slice of cheese on each patty and allow to cook for 2 additional minutes.
The burgers will still have a slightly pink center, which is what we want. It means you haven’t over cooked the meat and it is still juicy and flavorful. As long as you have handled your meat properly, keeping it below 40 degrees until ready to cook, it will be safe. Even though the center is a bit pink the meat has been heated through enough to kill most bacteria.
Step 3
6 large Hamburger Buns
Condiments of your choice.
While cheese is melting on your patties, toast the buns over the grill. Immediately transfer the patties onto the bottom half of a bun, leaving the top part off.
The patties will release juice as they sit and the bun will soak up all that goodness. If you don’t want the buns to get too soggy, spread a layer of mayo on the bun before placing the patty. It creates a barrier and tastes great mixed with the burgers juices.
Serve your burgers immediately by piling them high with your favorite toppings.
Then pig out!
See, it’s just a little pink, hardly even there.
Enjoy!
Julia
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