Sunday, December 5, 2010

Burger Making 101 - Juicy Burgers

Burgers are very simple to make however they can also be a dried up disaster very quickly!  Here's a few simple tips to make the perfect burger every time!

  • For juicy burgers the best fat content is 80/20, you can use a leaner meat however if you want juicy then it's 80/20
  • Trick for juicy burgers, add 1 TBL of water for every 1LB of ground beef
  • Never over work your meat, the more you mix and over work your ground round the tougher it will be.  You can add spices but keep the mixing to a minimum
  • If you are adding a lot of ingredients to the meat, combine all of them first, then add the meat and mix just to blend. 
    • Never press down on your burger while it's cooking - you will loose all of the juiciness
    • When making your patty, press down a little in the middle and make a slight indentation, this will keep the burger from "doming" (doming is when the burger patty is fatter in the middle) and will keep the burger a consistent thickness
    • Cook the meat to 160 degrees F. The temperature will rise to 165 degrees while you are adding the toppings
    • Adding cheese?  In the last minute of cooking, place cheese on the burgers and cover the grill to melt
    • Be sure to place the cooked burgers on a clean platter; don't use the one that transported the raw meat. I even like to use a fresh spatula to remove them from the grill just to be extra safe

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