Insider Secrets to Grilling the Perfect Burger
I’d like to take a moment to introduce Ian Bowen from www.tasteofBBQ.com. He’s here today to offer advice on cooking the perfect burger. Seriously, I made these last night (though I’ll admit a meat grinder was lacking in my rendition), and you really don’t want to miss out on this recipe. Your cook out may not result in the end the world if you don’t follow these tips, but then again, it might. At the very least, your burgers won’t taste as good. So, in short: Follow Ian’s tips and prevent the apocalypse. The world–and your taste buds–will thank you for it.
Grilling the Perfect Burger:
“It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy,” or at least that’s what the song says. It conjures classic images of beautiful blue skies and warm weather; family and friends enjoying a backyard barbecue; nice juicy burgers washed down with lots of cold beer.
Do try this at home.
The reality is most folks today are so busy they’ve little time left to enjoy the simple pleasures of summertime and their backyard BBQs. This means it can be tempting to take the easy way out and just buy pre-made burgers from the grocery store instead of spending a bit more time to make good-old-fashioned, home-made hamburgers.
But you’d be surprised to learn just how easy it is to make the perfect gourmet burger. And I’m here to show you just how simple it is.
It all starts when you buy the meat. Here’s a place you don’t want to skimp. I know that sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised what goes into those pre-made burgers-in-a-box from the supermarket.
Ideally you’d buy fresh meat and grind it yourself, that way you know exactly what’s in your burger. It does take a bit more time (and not everyone has a meat grinder) but it’s probably the one thing that separates perfect gourmet burgers from, well, all the rest. I definitely recommend using a meat grinder, but you don’t have to have one to make these burgers. So keep on reading!
If you’re serious and want to give this a try (and can get your hands on a meat grinder) then here’s what I do:
- Look for Sirloin Steaks on sale. Most grocery stores have regular sales during the summer and sometimes you can get a nice big sirloin for half price. When I say big, I don’t mean thick. Half-an-inch is perfect. You want big as in, something that looks like it would fill a dinner plate. After all, you’re going to be slicing this steak and feeding it into a meat grinder.
- Buy some ground pork or some fatty sliced side pork. The ratio of Beef to Pork is going to be 3 to 1.
- Run the beef through the meat grinder on the coarse setting. Then do the same with the pork.
- Blend the ground beef and ground pork lightly with your hands and then put the mixture through the grinder a second time on the fine setting.
This 3 to 1 beef-to-pork blend will guarantee the juiciest burger you will ever eat. And you can still make a perfect gourmet burger with a 3 to 1 ratio of lean ground beef and regular ground pork if you don’t own a meat grinder.
Now it’s time to spice up your ground beef/ground pork mixture. The real tip here: keep it simple. A little goes a long way, and when these burgers come off the grill what you really want to taste is a juicy barbecued hamburger with a nice complimentary background flavor. Salt and pepper are a must. Garlic or onion powder are also very popular in most burgers. A dash or two of Worchestershire sauce will give them a nice edge. I also like to add a raw egg to the mixture as a binding agent.
If you are looking for a little bit more flair then consider grated ginger, grated onion, chopped hot peppers, hot sauce, bbq sauce, dijon mustard, cumin, parsley, smoked paprika, dill, lemon zest, or any of your favorite flavor enhancers. Just remember: a little goes a very long way. You still want to taste the beef in your hamburger.
When it comes time to putting the patties together the most important tip is don’t overwork the meat. In other words, work lightly and quickly to form your mixture into balls. Packing the meat too tightly makes the burger tough.
Rinsing your hands under cold water will make it easier to work with the meat and it will prevent it from sticking to your hands. Use about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of meat mixture when forming the balls. Then lightly press them into patty shapes about 3/4″ thick and uniformly round.
The meat shrinks slightly while cooking so the patties should be slightly larger than the diameter of the buns you’re using.
As the patties cook they have a tendancy to puff up slightly in the center so when you’ve made the patties make a slight indent with your thumb in the center of the patty. This will compensate for the expansion and you’ll end up with a even thickness across the burger.
Keep the patties refrigerated until just before you put them on the hot grill. It takes longer for the fat in a cold burger to melt so that means they stay juicer longer on the grill.
You’ll be grilling these burgers over medium direct heat, usually around 375° F – 400° F. Instead of relying on time to judge when a burger’s cooked, I always use an instant read thermometer. This is probably the single most important BBQ tool you can buy and you’ll use it for most of your grilling, not just burgers. Cook the burgers until they’ve reached an internal temperature of 160° F.
When the grill’s hot, it’s helpful to rub some cooking oil on the grates to keep the burgers from sticking. Use a piece of paper towel folded over several times to make a small wad. Hold the paper towel with a set of BBQ tongs and dip it in the oil. Carefully rub the oiled paper over the grates 4 or 5 times. The first pass or two with the oil generally burns off but if you do this four or five times it begins to adhere to the grates.
Place the burgers on the grill and close the lid. This keeps the heat in the bbq where you want it. After 4 or 5 minutes carefully lift the edge of a burger with the spatula and check for those nice grill marks. If the patty lifts easily and has the charred grill marks go ahead and flip them over and close the lid.
Avoid the temptation of squishing the burgers to the grate with your spatula as that only forces the juice from the burger. I’ve seen this done and really have no idea why people think it makes any sense. It’s like cutting into a steak as it’s cooking to see if it’s done. Really, just where do they think all those nice juices are going to go?
If you’re adding cheese or grilled mushrooms to the top of your burgers, now’s the time to do it, just after you’ve flipped them.
And remember to remove the burgers off the grill when the interal temperature is 160° F. Let them rest on a serving platter covered with some aluminum foil. Make a small hole in the center of the foil to let any steam escape. Giving freshly grilled meat a five-minute rest makes a world of difference when it comes to juiciness. The tin foil will keep them plenty hot and the wait is always worth it. The heat of cooking forces the moisture out of the meat and this resting time reverses the flow of juices back into the meat.
When it comes time to serve these delicious gourmet burgers have some fun with the condiments and buns. Along with the usual lettuce, tomato, mustard, onion and pickles you can find a ton of more exotic sauces available today. And instead of plain buns why not toasted onion and cheese, or english muffins toasted with garlic butter?
Whatever you choose, the most important part will always be the burger. If you follow these simple tips, chances are you will own the neighborhood bragging rights to the perfect backyard gourmet burger.
About Ian Bowen:
Ian is the owner and host of www.tasteofBBQ.com and his mission is to share his experience and passion for BBQ & Grilling with the world.
His website is unique; not only does he offer hundreds of exceptional–and free–recipes, including classics such as Kansas City BBQ Ribs and exotic dishes such as his Crab Stuffed Sole, but he also provides easy step-by-step photo and video instructions. People that have never barbecued in their life report back with exceptional results.
If you’re interested in taking your BBQ & grilling skills to the next level then you’ll definitely want to check out his website today.
