What Makes a Great Burger?

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Valdeselad
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What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Valdeselad »

There are several cooking threads on Bogleheads, but let's bring it back to basics. One of the easiest things to cook, yet hard to get right, is a great burger -- and I find myself wanting more when I think about the times I've had a really great burger.

There are countless recipes for seasonings, cooking methods, cuts to use, etc...but in most cases I feel like I am eating meatloaf on a bun.

So basically:

(1) what cut(s) of meat to you use (doesn't have to be beef)?
(2) do you pre-ground meat or do it yourself at home?
(3) if you ground your meat at home, what tool do you recommend to use? Something easy to maintain, clean, etc.?
(4) what seasoning(s) do you use (how to avoid Meatloaf)?
(5) how do you cook your burger (i.e. grill hot as it can get, 2 - 3 min. per side, cast iron, etc.)?
(6) toppings?
(7) other?

Thanks!
Last edited by Valdeselad on Mon Mar 27, 2023 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
jebmke
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by jebmke »

I use ground sirloin that I get from a local Amish meat market. Generally it is ground that morning or at the very least, late in the prior day. I use salt and pepper. No buns, no cheese. Medium rare to medium on a 400-degree gas grill generally takes 13-13.5 minutes.
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unstartable
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by unstartable »

Burgers made with brisket or brisket blends have great flavor. I prefer nothing in the patty except beef. 4 oz patties at a minimum. Season with salt and pepper or Montreal seasoning. Grill somewhere between medium and high temperature depending on the grill until cooked to 145-165. Melt cheese if wanted. A good bun makes a difference. Top with LTO, ketchup, mustard, mustard/mayo/relish special sauce, and/or bbq sauce to taste.
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rob
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by rob »

A runny egg on top.... Needs to drip down to your elbows while eating :D
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Kenkat
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Kenkat »

rob wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 9:24 am A runny egg on top.... Needs to drip down to your elbows while eating :D
My brother in law jokes that everything is better with an egg on top! He’s not wrong.
vxdx
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by vxdx »

The main thing is applying a liberal amount of kosher salt (and only salt) to the formed patties before grilling. Also, generally go for higher fat meats, probably chuck or mix of chuck and sirloin.

There should be no other seasonings or filler. Cook to your preference.

I have ground my own meat but it’s a waste of time and a pain to cleanup in my opinion.
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Kenkat
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Kenkat »

We use fresh ground chuck from the local butcher shop right down the street. 2 lbs. makes five burgers, so slightly above 1/3 pound each. Hand pressed at home. No seasoning, grilled on a hot gas grill at 550 degrees about 4 minutes per side. Cheese if desired is either American, Cheddar or Jalapeño Pepper Jack, slightly melted right at the end of grilling. Coarse kosher salt and ground pepper to taste. Toppings vary by season but typically include pickles, fresh tomato when available, raw onion or lettuce. Sometimes bacon or sautéed mushrooms. Ketchup, mustard or mayo.

[Edited to add] I feel compelled to add that, as others have pointed out, a good bun is also a critical component. I like toasted as well. The Brioche buns from Aldi are excellent; there are others as well so don’t cheap out on the buns.
Last edited by Kenkat on Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bogle7
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Practice

Post by Bogle7 »

85/15 burger from butcher
160 grams per patty, salt and pepper
Cast iron skillet
High heat 4 minutes
Turn off heat, flip burger, add cheese, 4 minutes
Toasted brioche bun and the eater’s choice of toppings
Eat
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jadedfalcons
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by jadedfalcons »

I mix in some A1 steak sauce and eggs. Usually 1 egg per 1½# of meat. Add some fresh ground black pepper and some salt, and smash the patties nice and thin.

According to the great minds on Reddit, making them thin is key.

I also enjoy watching George Motz on youtube. Here's a random video to get you started down the rabbit hole!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Ipi6jzQ7s
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Kagord
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Kagord »

A lot of restaurants use 70-75%, 80% gets you marginally close, buy not great.
mhalley
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by mhalley »

The order you add your toppings supposedly has a big impact on the taste of the burger. Should lettuce be on the bottom, middle, top? Where should the condiments go? Cheese on the burger or separated?
This video attempts to answer these pressing questions.
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CloseEnough
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by CloseEnough »

Charcoal grill gives it the best flavor. Gas might be easier, but not the same. 4.5 to 5 minutes a side for medium rare, at medium to high heat. We use local farm share, don't eat a lot of burger but when we do it is awesome. No cheese, no lettuce, no tomato, no toppings.
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ClevrChico
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by ClevrChico »

Getting ground beef at a grocer that grinds their beef fresh daily from steak trimmings has been the biggest game changer for us.
hunoraut
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by hunoraut »

What makes a great burger? Simplicity. (Not being facetious).

When I first moved out on my own I bought 2 of James Beard’s cookbooks because they were considered foundational to American cooking. Following one recipe I formed one burger patty with chopped onions, worchestershire, various spices, etc. If was meh.

Much later it turns out the best tasting patty is *just* ground beef. Thats it. And salt and pepper for seasoning.

~15% fat beef. Use 150-200g per patty. Hand form into a patty with slight dimple (itll turn flat when the edge contracts during cooking). Liberal salt and pepper.

Cook on anything - grill, griddle, even a pan on the indoor stove - but just make sure its super hot to brown the surface (=maillard reaction). During last bit of cooking you can toss on a slice of cheese for it to melt.

Bun I really like a slightly toasted brioche, with a bit of mayo.

“Condiment” is thinly sliced raw and/or cooked onions to add a different texture. Thats *it* for a beautiful burger. You can start to add more things like tomatoes, crispy lettuce, jalapeno, anything you want — but the key is to keep it *minimal*. Less is truly better as more condiments just dilute the essence.

No patty tools, no burger presses, no marinades, no pre-seasoning, really all utterly superfluous.
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uaeebs86
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by uaeebs86 »

I like mine with lettuce and tomato,
Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes,
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer...


Actually no Heinz 57 (mustard, mayo, or aioli would be better), light or no lettuce.Throw some jalapenos or green chiles on there too. And onion rings instead of fries.
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firebirdparts
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by firebirdparts »

For some reason you need "enough" fat in a hamburger. I'm not sure how much that is, but it's not 6%. I am partial to garlic powder on a hamburger. that is something they did at Mike's Grille in Blacksburg VA and I decided that was the best hamburger I ever had. Very simple. We grille with propane but I don't know that it's a good idea. It's just the easiest, really.

When I lived in Taiwan, there was a little joint in a little town there that had an extraordinarily good condiment on their burgers, and I think it was mayo and probably tobasco sauce mixed together. I should have asked. It was so good that I have marveled that they didn't do it everywhere.

I am a mayo-lettuce-onions-tomato-pickles kind of guy. most places that wrap a burger in white paper are going to assume that the standard and that's how i take it. If the onions are available grilled (at 5 guys) I think that is a big improvement.

One of the benefits of investing, I guess, is being able to afford 5 guys.

I think in terms of cooking there's a solid "just right" where you kill most of the germs. Like say medium and then cook it 3 more seconds.
Last edited by firebirdparts on Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:25 am, edited 2 times in total.
This time is the same
rich126
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by rich126 »

Leaner meats are usually much worse for burgers since they have less fat and thus are drier. A nice juicer burger is what I look for. Although I was late to it, I've found the broiler to work really well in terms of cooking the burger but not drying it out. I'm not much on toppings, just prefer ketchup and maybe some lettuce and once in a while mustard.

If you make the burgers too flat they dry out, but if you make them too thick then the inside doesn't cook.

I've eated a ton of burgers in my life and different places just cook them differently. I think the best one I've had out was at some high end golf course in north Scottsdale. We were very unlucky in hitting a rare rainstorm and went into the clubhouse to see if the rain would stop (it did not) and ended up with the burger.
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Jags4186
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Jags4186 »

The most important part of the burger is the bun. I’m partial to a buttered and toasted potato roll.

I prefer my patties on the smaller side 3-4 ounce. If you want more meat use 2 patties or have 2 burgers.

For the best burger you want USDA Prime ground chuck. This will almost always be in the 75/25-80/20 range. Get it ground, don’t bother doing it yourself. You can also buy fresh premade usda prime ground chuck patties if you prefer.

I like my meat cooked on a flat top. Liberally salt, hot grill - but not too hot or else you’ll burn the meat before cooking internally, ball of meat, smash the patty down while raw. You want a crust. Flip once, don’t smash. No more than 2-3 minutes a side with a 4 ounce patty.

Cheese should be put on burger, burger should be covered to melt the cheese. It should be gooey melted.

Dress you bun as you like, I prefer mayo on bottom, a piece of Boston lettuce with any hard stalk part ripped out, thin sliced tomato, dried pickle, burger, ketchup on top bun. You want all the toppings on the bottom to prevent the bun from getting soggy.
Last edited by Jags4186 on Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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climber2020
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by climber2020 »

This is atypical, but when I make a burger at home I steam the beef patty.

90% lean ground beef from the store and just a little salt.
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quantAndHold
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by quantAndHold »

I worked my way through college cooking in restaurants. One place was a fancy burger place.

Beef - we never used anything fancy, certainly not as nice as what regular grocery stores have now. Grocery store ground beef works fine. The main thing is having enough fat in the meat. Grocery stores usually have multiple types of ground beef with different amounts of fat. Pick the highest fat one.

Prep - form the patties and salt them liberally. Make nice patties, but don’t press too hard. You want them to hold together on the grill, but just. Thick vs thin is a matter of preference, but thinner is faster to cook and easier to get right. Wait for a few minutes to cook. You want the meat to come up to room temperature, and absorb the salt.

Cooking - high heat. As high as you can get. I would recommend doing this outside on the grill, because done properly, it’s gonna spatter all over the place. Aim for medium, a little pink on the inside, but not a mass of rawness and blood, unless this is really what you like.

Throw the burger on the grill, then flip it when drops of liquid are appearing on top of the patty. To tell when it’s done, push on the patty with your finger. When the amount it pushes back feels about the same as pushing on the meat of your thumb, it’s done.

Bun - toasted. A few seconds on the grill will do it.

If it’s turning out like a meatloaf sandwich, you’re cooking it too long and the temp is too low.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

I make burgers via sous vide. I then sear them on the stove top.

Condiments are whatever the guests prefer. I usually don't use a bun.
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runninginvestor
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by runninginvestor »

Know some dairy farmers of Jersey cows. They raise the males if they have them. The burgers and steaks are among the best flavor I've had.
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Random Musings
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Random Musings »

We use 85/15 or 80/20. Salt and pepper, of course.

When it comes to additional adds to the beef, our tastes vary. One likes Italian dressing added, I've used egg, Worcester , A1, ketchup, mustard (rather than adding on top).

Cheeses vary on my mood. A good sweet onion is a nice add.

RM
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by jebmke »

50% ground beef/50% ground lamb also a good combination. Ground lamb tends to be lean but butcher can grind some lamb fat to blend in.

From time to time I will use 50% ground pork/50% country sausage mixed with ground toasted fennel seed; served with apples sauteed with chopped shallot.

Neither are technically burgers but cooked the same as a beef burger and a break from plain beef.
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Gort
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Gort »

Bacon.
privateer79
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by privateer79 »

agree on fat content comments of 85/15 or 80/20....

one trick we picked up from my culinary brother in law was to get 93/7% beef, and then mix in some bacon fat (or other pork fat, but bacon fat can just be mechanically mixed in pretty easy)... it gives it a slight "bacon cheeseburger" flavor without the bacon, and you essentially can control the fat content.

our tyranasaurus.... I mean daughter, loves them :sharebeer
EnjoyIt
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by EnjoyIt »

Try some smoked paprika and onion powder to the mix. It will add some great flavor to the salt already mentioned above.

Never add breadcrumbs or eggs unless you are doing an over easy egg on top for breakfast.

If you really want to go all out, dice up some onions and get them a nice deep yellow - brown color. Add them to the burger mix instead of the onion powder. It will make them a bit more juicy and give you some leeway if you are one who tends to overcook the meat.
Last edited by EnjoyIt on Mon Mar 27, 2023 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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hunoraut
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by hunoraut »

Ive never timed a burger cook. It varies based on patty thickness, density, cooking medium, erc.

Eyeball it usually works, but you can use a probe thermometer or simply snip a bit into the patty
blueberrypi
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by blueberrypi »

I had an excellent burger yesterday. What made the difference? The bun was toasted like a grilled cheese sandwhich - buttery, crispy, great texture contrast to the beef patty. Don't sleep on the toasting!
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

Might want to take notes:

https://youtu.be/iVzGdLDBGas

Same keys are true for burgers.
FlamePoint
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by FlamePoint »

I like my burger well seasoned so add the following to 1.5 lbs of 80/20 ground beef: 1 T. worcestershire sauce, 1.5 t. seasoned salt, 1 t. garlic powder, 1/2 t. black pepper. Mix well and form 4-5 patties. Use thumb to make indent in center of patty (prevents bulging in center while it cooks). Grill on medium high heat. Add cheddar cheese to top when patties are close to being done. Broil brioche hamburger buns in oven.

Add condiments based on person preference…I like burger sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles.
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by bob60014 »

FlamePoint wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 11:51 am I like my burger well seasoned so add the following to 1.5 lbs of 80/20 ground beef: 1 T. worcestershire sauce, 1.5 t. seasoned salt, 1 t. garlic powder, 1/2 t. black pepper. Mix well and form 4-5 patties. Use thumb to make indent in center of patty (prevents bulging in center while it cooks). Grill on medium high heat. Add cheddar cheese to top when patties are close to being done. Broil brioche hamburger buns in oven.
Almost exactly how we make them. The one addition, BACON!
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uaeebs86
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by uaeebs86 »

Also on cheeseburgers I don't care for American cheese. If they don't have Swiss, cheddar, pepper jack etc. I just order a hamburger.
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Ependytis
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by Ependytis »

Below is the best burger ever from allrecipes.com. I have tried it and thought it was very good.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/72657 ... rger-ever/
pshonore
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by pshonore »

Usually buy 90/10 Ground sirloin. Occasionally 85/15 ground chuck. Cooked on a hot Weber. Both fresh ground at a small local grocer. There's usually enough left over for one burger the next day. I've been noticing lately that the day old "aged" burger seems to taste better although I'm not sure why.
jebmke
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by jebmke »

pshonore wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:29 pm Usually buy 90/10 Ground sirloin. Occasionally 85/15 ground chuck. Cooked on a hot Weber. Both fresh ground at a small local grocer. There's usually enough left over for one burger the next day. I've been noticing lately that the day old "aged" burger seems to taste better although I'm not sure why.
Might be drying. When I do burgers I try to make them up mid-afternoon and put them on a wire rack in the fridge - then take them out and let them warm up for a while before cooking.
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barnaclebob
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by barnaclebob »

There are a couple different styles of burger but my favorite is how Carl's drive in in St Louis Mo does it with really thin patties with edges that are molded down flat to the griddles so they get perfectly crispy.

If your burgers are like meatloaf then you are overcooking them and overmixing the meat. If your meat has turned into a single glob that's more like mashed potatoes than individual ground meat strands then you've over mixed it. You should NOT mix salt into the burger but only apply it to the burger just prior to cooking or wait until after cooking. Otherwise some kind of chemical reaction happens that turns the meat into a brick.
loghound
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by loghound »

For me, the secret is to generously spread garlic powder on the burger and make sure it's not too lean (80/20 seems to taste best)
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gatorking
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by gatorking »

uaeebs86 wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:17 am I like mine with lettuce and tomato,
Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes,
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer...


Actually no Heinz 57 (mustard, mayo, or aioli would be better), light or no lettuce.Throw some jalapenos or green chiles on there too. And onion rings instead of fries.
Well played.
hunoraut
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by hunoraut »

blueberrypi wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 11:11 am I had an excellent burger yesterday. What made the difference? The bun was toasted like a grilled cheese sandwhich - buttery, crispy, great texture contrast to the beef patty. Don't sleep on the toasting!
Brioche bun makes a huge difference. Most standard buns are really dry and mealy, and it detracts from the flavor of the burger (and toppings). Brioche tends to be more delicate and let the burger shine through.
BattyNatty
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by BattyNatty »

Two things:
  • The right (brioche) bun, well toasted.
  • The Maillard reaction.
I make firmly-smashed burgers using a cast iron griddle set on my outdoor grill and following the technique J. Kenji Lopez-alt shows in this 3-minute video. https://youtu.be/Wwgn5k_TzKM

Easy, quick, wonderful.
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lthenderson
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by lthenderson »

We buy our burger from a local family. I don't know what the fat percentage is but I do know it is much higher than the fattiest stuff you can get through a grocery store. When grilling, I have to constantly monitor and rotate the burgers to different positions or the grease will cause everything to turn to charcoal in a minute. After cooking those burgers is the only time I ever have to empty the little grease catching thing underneath. For all other things, the grease pretty much burns up before reaching the grease catcher. I have never had better burgers though.
jayjayc
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by jayjayc »

Get as much of the browning from the maillard reaction as possible. Only the outside surface of the burger patty that's in contact with the heat gets browned, so it's better to cook multiple small patties. If you cook 1 large patty, then you get 2 sides of browned beef. If you cook 2 small patties, then you can get 4 sides of browned beef. More brown, more flavor. Smash the patty onto the griddle or cast iron to get it extra browned.

This is the philosophy behind Shake Shack, Smashburger, Habit Burger, etc.
MTWoodpile
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by MTWoodpile »

Beef, salt...

Grass fed cattle makes the difference! The grind is prolly 80/20 but depends on the age.

Salt- flaky kosher type.

Maybe a few cracks of pepper.

Serve on bed of greens with few thin shards of sweet onion and a homemade pickle - No Bun! needed or wanted if the beef is as good as it gets... :beer
shabob
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by shabob »

jayjayc wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 2:02 pm Get as much of the browning from the maillard reaction as possible. Only the outside surface of the burger patty that's in contact with the heat gets browned, so it's better to cook multiple small patties. If you cook 1 large patty, then you get 2 sides of browned beef. If you cook 2 small patties, then you can get 4 sides of browned beef. More brown, more flavor. Smash the patty onto the griddle or cast iron to get it extra browned.

This is the philosophy behind Shake Shack, Smashburger, Habit Burger, etc.
This is the way. Smash burgers are my favorite. That amazing brown crunchiness is so full of flavor. I make double smash burger patties on my blackstone with cheese. bacon, and mayo (my son prefers chick-fil-a sauce on it which is also good. Make sure to toast the bun some too.
grog
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by grog »

Sometimes I make a burger at home for lunch.

-Ground Chuck, from the supermarket (the only reason I can think to grind it yourself would be to customize the fat percentage, especially if you want higher fat)
-Salt (optional: pepper or seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce)
-Pan fried

I use about 1/4 lb a beef, usually a little more. I've started making it into two thin patties. I used to make a thicker patty and cook it in the oven and finish in the pan, but this was a lot more trouble and the double comes out tastier, I think. My simplest burger would be the double with two slices of cheese, pickles, and ketchup. But sometimes I will do mushrooms (cooked with the beef). Sometimes I will do lettuce and tomato and mayo. I don't make it the exact same every time. For the bun, the brioche ones are popular and they are pretty good, but I find them a bit sweet. I usually get the "regular" ones in the supermarket bakery. Sometimes sesame seed. The bun is better if you butter it and brown it in the pan.
grog
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by grog »

uaeebs86 wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:09 pm Also on cheeseburgers I don't care for American cheese. If they don't have Swiss, cheddar, pepper jack etc. I just order a hamburger.
Imo, American is easily the best for a grilled cheese sandwich. For burgers, it's okay, but not my favorite.
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SmileyFace
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Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by SmileyFace »

grog wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 2:55 pm
uaeebs86 wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:09 pm Also on cheeseburgers I don't care for American cheese. If they don't have Swiss, cheddar, pepper jack etc. I just order a hamburger.
Imo, American is easily the best for a grilled cheese sandwich. For burgers, it's okay, but not my favorite.
Blue cheese is my go to for a burger - add some extra peper - melt on some blue cheese - best flavor in my opinion.
My wife doesn't agree - she prefers chedar and then topped with guacamole. She bought 5 cheese choices for our last cookout - everyone had a different preference on cheese mixed with rare/medium and I almost went mad trying to keep track of them all. Never again. 2 cheese choices max going forward.
jebmke
Posts: 25475
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:44 pm
Location: Delmarva Peninsula

Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by jebmke »

SmileyFace wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 4:07 pm
grog wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 2:55 pm
uaeebs86 wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:09 pm Also on cheeseburgers I don't care for American cheese. If they don't have Swiss, cheddar, pepper jack etc. I just order a hamburger.
Imo, American is easily the best for a grilled cheese sandwich. For burgers, it's okay, but not my favorite.
Blue cheese is my go to for a burger - add some extra peper - melt on some blue cheese - best flavor in my opinion.
My wife doesn't agree - she prefers chedar and then topped with guacamole. She bought 5 cheese choices for our last cookout - everyone had a different preference on cheese mixed with rare/medium and I almost went mad trying to keep track of them all. Never again. 2 cheese choices max going forward.
I rarely use cheese but blue is my first choice. Well sautéed mushrooms and then cheese over the top to hold them on. The mushrooms go well with the blue in the blue cheese.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
BatBuckeye
Posts: 196
Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2020 6:15 pm

Re: What Makes a Great Burger?

Post by BatBuckeye »

A great burger is NOT OVERCOOKED.
Not red or pink inside but still juicy.
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