crrush wrote:

Mhays wrote: So, to LTH: how do you reach plain hamburger perfection?

1. Save your ground chuck and ground beef for meatloaf mix. You can't squeeze more beefy flavor out of meat that lacks it in the first place.

2. Buy ribeye, grind the meat, add salt/pepper (nothing else!).

3. Grill burgers over natural lump charcoal.

You didn't say "cheap" plain hamburger perfection. Ribeye makes a stupid-tasty, beefy burger.

I did this on saturday. I must say the ribeye burger is where it's at. Cut up the ribeye and seasoned with salt and pepper and a little fresh oregano and then ran it through the grinder for a coarse grind, gently formed the patties and grilled over charcoal. They were medium-rare to medium in about 7 minutes with a nice char. Boy what a juicy and beefy burger! Stupid-tasty indeed!

Kitchen Monkey wrote:I must say the ribeye burger is where it's at.

Indeed! The natural fat content of ribeye is perfect for a juicy burger. I've got two more ribeye roasts in the freezer, and I'm actually contemplating grinding a whole one up just to make burgers.

I believe there are three keys to making a great burger, 2 of which have already been mentioned:
1) use fatty meat
2) don't overwork it!!!!!!!
3) S+P both sides generously, but do not mix the S+P into the meat. Salt inside the burger encourages the meat to release it's juices too quickly into the cooking process.

FWIW: Aldi in Skokie has un-tubed fatty hamburger in it's fresh meat department. Looks pretty good....

Also, when I'm not grilling a burger, especially in the depth of winter. Heat a non-stick pan lined with a thin layer of kosher salt over a gas burner turned to it's highest heat. I char the burger on both side. The hot salt creates an absolutely wonderful sear reminding one a bit of a sear that a burger may get under a salamander in a professional kitchen. Once the burger is seared, i like to lower the heat dramatically and let it finish it'ss cooking process to medium rare.

The result is a wonderfully juicy burger.

One of the local grocery stores has rib roasts on sale for $4.99 a lb. I picked one up and cut 16 nice rib-eyes off. I have a couple of lbs left and I'm going to try a rib-eye hamburger. Anyone have experience using rib-eye for hamburger?

Bruce wrote: Anyone have experience using rib-eye for hamburger?

I do. I ground it using my Kitchenaid and formed the patties, using a little bit of salt and pepper for seasoning and nothing else. Phenomenal burgers. I wouldn't even insult it with cheese. It's the beefiest, juiciest burger you can make.

crrush wrote:Phenomenal burgers. I wouldn't even insult it with cheese. It's the beefiest, juiciest burger you can make.

Speaking of burgers, Crrush and I recently whooped up some really tasty burgers.

Compound Butter Grated orange rind/jalapeno/garlic, tablespoon orange juice, cayenne, salt, white pepper. Frozen

I'll echo a lot of what has been said on this thread but also add my two cents.

1. The lean/fat ratio does need to be about 80/20.
2. Ground Chuck is good, ribeye just has to be better, but it would be hard taking that cut of meat and grinding it for burgers (maybe not that hard). I probably would try it when Dom/Jewel sells the USDA Select Rib-Eye steaks or Rib Roast for super cheap.
3. I typically like a flatter burger and not when they plump up so much that they almost resemble meatballs. I form the patties flat and add the dimple (it prevents the burger from "shrinking up." I also am careful about not over-handling the burger and try to keep the mixture looser rather than compact. I minimize breakage on the grill by cooking the first side completely before flipping and never have a problem.
4. If I buy the meat pre-ground, I cook thoroughly (hence liking the flatter patties). If I grind it (using an old fashioned hand grinder), I can tolerate a medium burger.
5. Seasoning: I like salt/pepper and sometimes a little garlic powder and onion powder (wife's preferred seasoning).

If I'm really craving a burger, it'll be grass fed, 80/20 chuck or similar and self ground. I'll also sautee minced shallot in butter and mix into the burger patties with salt/pepper. Loosely form into a thin patty, with dimple. Grill on high, flipping once and add a nicely aged slice of cheddar. Add a nice smear of mayo on each side of the bun (as a fat barrier so the bun doesn't get soggy), and dress with mustard and pickle. A garden tomato would just be heaven but I'll have to wait. Ketchup is often too sweet but A1 isn't bad sometimes.

Good luck, let us know if your trials develop any interesting results.

GWiv - Are you sealing the butter in with two patties of meat? Or just pressing it into one patty and letting it melt in as you cook the first side? They look awesome.

I'll occasionally throw an egg yolk into the mix, especially if the burger is less than 20%. It helps the burger stick together and ups the fat content.

May I add another option - the fetaburger. I cannot claim to have originated this idea but I have cooked them so often that I feel I have come close to perfecting.

2 lbs ground chuck - very cold
8 oz of crumbled domestic feta - also very cold
a large handful of baby spinach chopped but not minced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp kosher salt
Several turns of freshly milled black pepper

Combine all of the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl and, handling the mixture as little as possible, form into thick patties. Place on wax paper on a plate and chill again for one hour. On a hot grill (and to get a nice char) cook for :05 then flip and then another :04. For those that like their burgers rare - take 'em off now. For medium rare, cook aonther :02 per side, flipping once again. For medium, another :04 per side, flipping once again. Let stand for a short while before serving so the juices get a chance to settle in.

Enjoy!

Davooda

brandon_w wrote:Are you sealing the butter in with two patties of meat? Or just pressing it into one patty and letting it melt in as you cook the first side? They look awesome.

Made an oversized thumb print in the top of the burger, put the disc of compound butter in the indentation, then kinda wrapped and pressed the outer edges of the burger up and around the butter. So, the butter was encased in the middle.

Along the lines of feta...I think a compound butter that's heavy (maybe even 50/50) on blue cheese or feta or just about any crumbly cheese would be good. As long as it's easy to form into a small ball or disc, you could stuff a burger with just about anything...like a ball of cheese ball rolled in bacon. Or something with sauteed onions in the mix.

G Wiv wrote: Compound Butter Grated orange rind/jalapeno/garlic, tablespoon orange juice, cayenne, salt, white pepper. Frozen

MMMmmmm - feed the burger...eat the burger.

For those of us that just can't quite afford to grind up rib eye...add some cheese and pre-cooked bacon when grinding up your cheaper cut of beef. Its purtie good!

I like James Beard's really simple recipe which uses a bit of heavy cream. It just works and the cream makes a huge difference. There's no way I'm grinding ribeye for a burger :)

crrush wrote:

brandon_w wrote:Are you sealing the butter in with two patties of meat? Or just pressing it into one patty and letting it melt in as you cook the first side? They look awesome.

Made an oversized thumb print in the top of the burger, put the disc of compound butter in the indentation, then kinda wrapped and pressed the outer edges of the burger up and around the butter. So, the butter was encased in the middle.

Thanks. This sounds like a great way to add flavors into a burger.

YourPalWill wrote:Also, when I'm not grilling a burger, especially in the depth of winter. Heat a non-stick pan lined with a thin layer of kosher salt over a gas burner turned to it's highest heat. I char the burger on both side. The hot salt creates an absolutely wonderful sear reminding one a bit of a sear that a burger may get under a salamander in a professional kitchen. Once the burger is seared, i like to lower the heat dramatically and let it finish it'ss cooking process to medium rare.

The result is a wonderfully juicy burger.

I tried this and got a really nice, crusty sear but the burger was SO salty! I used sea salt instead of kosher, was that the problem?

bluroses wrote:I've been using bison for burgers the past year or so, but this has me planning a trip to the store fro some cow!

Blueroses,

I've been using a mix of bison and chuck for burgers, bison for the ultra beefy flavor, chuck for both flavor and fat content. I've experimented with ratios and settled on a 50/50 mix.

Enjoy,
Gary

We make these all the time. Last Saturday we threw these on the weber. Very tasty if you don't mind adding something artificial to the meat. Hidden Valley Ranch Burgers. The ranch dressing mix gives it that tasty edge lacking at times. Yum Yum Yum

http://hiddenvalley.com/recipes/view_re ... cipe_id=63

I used to make burgers on the grill all the time and people would always comment on how ultra-beefy they tasted and ask me what I put in them. Surprised when I told them "just a little salt and pepper", I'd fill them in on my real secret: grass-fed beef.

Sure, 80/20 will taste better than 90/10 when you're dealing with grocery store chuck, but at some point it just tastes greasier, not beefier. I like the ideas up-thread of using brisket, rib eye, etc. - cuts that just have more flavor. For me, simple grass-fed chuck always did the trick. Frankly, it's probably 95/5 or 90/10 at most due to the overall lower fat content of grass-fed beef, but trust me, you won't miss the fat at all when the overwhelming beefiness comes through (and if you do, toss in some suet or even pork backfat when you grind it).

-Dan

dansch wrote:I like the ideas up-thread of using brisket, rib eye, etc. - cuts that just have more flavor.

Now We're Cooking Grill, a Kosher place near my office in Highland Park, grinds skirt steak into their burgers and they're pretty darned good.

=R=

Now We're Cooking Grill
710 Central Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
847 432-7310

We've been adding garlic, burgundy, and for those who like it (just me in our house), a bit of Chipotle Tabasco.

Alright, I have your answer.

Apple Market on Clark between Belden and Fullerton. Small meat market withen the Big Apple store.

I had them make me a special grind for last years fourth of July that went something like this

3# Prime Brisket - Hand chopped
3# Prime Chuck Roast - 1 coarse grind
3# Prime Steak trimmings - 1 coarse grind

After this, one fine grind with all three combined. Best burger I have had anyway. By the way there standard ground chuck is also amazing, and I would say beefier than most steaks. Good Luck.

I've had really good luck using ribeye and doing a coarse grind with the Kitchen-aid attachment. I usually add a little salt and pepper, but sometimes add some finely minced garlic and shallots as well. This weekend I tried using Beef Short Ribs from Costco and I can definitely recommend using those as well.

For mixed meat patties I like to do a variation on Cevapcici - half lamb/half beef with a good amount of garlic, S+P, paprika, and cayenne.

Sweet Baboo asked me to make burgers from a traditional Assyrian recipe that his cousin sent to him, and every time we have them, I can't help thinking of Samuel L. Jackson saying: "This is a tasty burger!''

The recipe calls for ground chuck, chopped green onions, chopped green pepper, dill, and cilantro. Oh, and a dash of "Season All." What can I say? - it's a 1960's recipe. I also add an egg, a little whole milk, and some fresh bread crumbs. I'm not a big burger afficionado, so I'm surprised at how much I like the flavor of these. I keep a dozen or so of them in the freezer all the time.

As someone who likes his burger RARE, I heed Harold McGee's advice:

One way to enjoy a less risky rare [or medium rare] hamburger is to grind the meat yourself after a quick treatment that will kill surface bacteria. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, immerse the pieces of meat in the water for 30-60 seconds, then remove, drain and pat dry, and grind in a scrupulously clean meat grinder. The blaching kills surface bacteria while overcooking only the outer 1-2 millimeters, which grinding then disperses invisibly throughout the reset of the meat.

I would also suggest pre-salting the meat (a la Judy Rodgers of the Zuni Cafe) a day or so in advance of McGee's treatment.

This is a great thread.

G Wiv wrote:I've been using a mix of bison and chuck for burgers, bison for the ultra beefy flavor, chuck for both flavor and fat content. I've experimented with ratios and settled on a 50/50 mix.

I almost went this route on Saturday night for some burgers I made.

I opted for ground chuck, and ground pork instead. 2 lbs of meat = 4 hamburgers stuffed with cheese, and pan fried.

LTH,

Coarse ground grass fed beef from Butcher & Larder, I'd guess around 75/25. Generous salt/pepper, grill, not all that complicated, but really tasty.

Served on mini foccaccia from La Farine, grilled onion, cheddar, out of season tomato with a side of potato salad.

Handle with care, don't overwork, generous s/p



Grill on Weber kettle with lump charcoal



Toast buns, grill onions



Out of season tomato, potato salad

I plate like a drunk monkey


Nicely rare



75/25 grass fed beef from Butcher & Larder made for one of the better burgers of my acquaintance.

Enjoy,
Gary

pretty happy with the method & especially the beef blend I am using nowdays:

- fresh ground from one of my local butcher shops: chuck, sirloin, brisket - sirloin makes the flavor pop, brisket makes the meat silky.
- Meat cooked somewhere between rare & medium rare only.

- English muffin, perfect vehicle for a burger, holds up to the burger, but allows the meat to shine through.

- I like a smear of Merkts or some other Wisconsin solid pack, a little ketchup, and a sunnyside up cage free egg on top. Or basic lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, ketchup, egg.

- Ive been doing these on the kettle, but wouldnt hesitate to drop one in a sizzling skillet.