I want to know how to make the perfect burger. Specifically, I don’t want it to be pure meat. I was thinking of throwing in some garlic and shallots, maybe some Worcestershire sauce etc…
My question is, how do you put this extra stuff in without making the burger watery and crumbly and falling apart? I was thinking a little egg or flour…
What should I do about this?
[quote]beebuddy wrote:
I want to know how to make the perfect burger. Specifically, I don’t want it to be pure meat. I was thinking of throwing in some garlic and shallots, maybe some Worcestershire sauce etc…
My question is, how do you put this extra stuff in without making the burger watery and crumbly and falling apart? I was thinking a little egg or flour…
What should I do about this?[/quote]
usually i mix all the powdered seasonings/onion chunks etc i want in to the meat then shape the patty. Once the patty is shaped I pour the worcestershire sauce on it and let it soak in, flip the patty and pour it on the other side.
It never seems to fall apart. Make sure the fire is hot when you put it on the grill and as it starts cooking it should stick together.
2 lbs ground chuck
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix with hands
Shape the patties and then stick them in the fridge for a 20 minutes to help them hold together.
Grill and enjoy.
I wouldn’t add onions or shallots to the meat, if you want 'em, add them as a topping.
Don’t over-think it. The “perfect burger” becomes very subjective if all the flavors are added by the chef. The burger ought to taste mostly like meat; add toppings to add other flavors.
A friend swears by this, but I haven’t tried it yet: 50% of the leanest ground beef you can find, 50% sausage. Mix thoroughly by hand. The sausage adds all the extra flavor you need.
And don’t try to flatten the burger with a spatula: you’ll only squeeze out what makes it juicy. Don’t over-handle it either: few minutes on one side, flip once and finish.
Let us know how it turns out.
To make the perfect burger, first, NEVER use a bun. Never use a bun. Never use a bun.
Use hard bread. Get creative. Use anything from a french roll to focaccia.
Use fresh, tasteful toppings. Not a bland tomato and ice burg lettuce. Use arugula, spinach, or a mixed-green ensamble.
Put away the cheddar. Use some cheese with punch - smoked gouda, gruyere, blue cheese, feta - anything but swiss or cheddar.
Use better condiments. Try some chipotle or compote.
Oh, the master of the burger is Chef Sang Yoon. Just Google his name and you will become enlightened. If you are a burger junkie, reading/listening to what he has to say will blow your mind.
Don’t forget some garlic powder and cayenne though! A burger must have those two key ingredients!
I used a 1 egg, a couple of teaspoons of W-Shire sauce and a couple of shallots & garlic. It was pretty good.
I’ll check out the Chinese dude.
[quote]TShaw wrote:
Don’t over-think it. The “perfect burger” becomes very subjective if all the flavors are added by the chef. The burger ought to taste mostly like meat; add toppings to add other flavors.
A friend swears by this, but I haven’t tried it yet: 50% of the leanest ground beef you can find, 50% sausage. Mix thoroughly by hand. The sausage adds all the extra flavor you need.
And don’t try to flatten the burger with a spatula: you’ll only squeeze out what makes it juicy. Don’t over-handle it either: few minutes on one side, flip once and finish.
Let us know how it turns out.[/quote]
some good thoughts here. the sausage sounds like a great idea!
As far as preventing the burger from being too sloppy and falling apart on the grill, it helps if the beef is very cold. Keep it in the fridge while you prep: dice your onion/shallots, get out the sauce, spices, etc.
Get the grilling going, make sure it’s flaming hot. THEN, shape the patties with the onions etc. that you’ve prepped. Apply the Worcestershire sauce last, as that is what’s going to make the burger the most runny. Do it quickly – don’t reshape over and over again – and then immediately put them on the hot grill.
Wait until you’re sure the bottom side is seared before flipping. You should then have no trouble keeping the burger in burger form.
Add cottage cheese and Frank’s hot sauce to the ground beef then shape the patties. The cottage cheese holds moisture in the burger and makes them extra juicy.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
To make the perfect burger, first, NEVER use a bun. Never use a bun. Never use a bun.
Use hard bread. Get creative. Use anything from a french roll to focaccia.
Use fresh, tasteful toppings. Not a bland tomato and ice burg lettuce. Use arugula, spinach, or a mixed-green ensamble.
Put away the cheddar. Use some cheese with punch - smoked gouda, gruyere, blue cheese, feta - anything but swiss or cheddar.
Use better condiments. Try some chipotle or compote.
Oh, the master of the burger is Chef Sang Yoon. Just Google his name and you will become enlightened. If you are a burger junkie, reading/listening to what he has to say will blow your mind.
[/quote]
I agree that burgers should be made with “exotic” ingredients.
I’ve found that ground angus sirloin patties seasoned with garlic, Tony Cacheres cajun seasoning, montreal steak seasoning and diced onions topped with applewood smoked bacon, bleu cheese crumbles,red onion slices, avacado slices and swiss cheese on warm kaiser rolls are delicious.
My brother-in-law makes the best friggen burgers I’ve ever had. He does wonders with food - he’s a chef in paris.
He has three secrets (so he says, there may be more):
sautee a ton of onions and mix into the ground beef. This makes them mucho juicy.
handle the ground meat very delicately when both mixing in the onions and shaping the burgers. The less you touch it the better. Don’t pack it or smoooshh it. Otherwise they get too dense, bullet-like, etc.
You generally want a burger that is shaped like a shallow bowl with thick edges, so that it is slightly dented at the center. This way, the center rises to the level of edge and they aren’t like baseballs when they come out.
I haven’t tried it yet myself, as I live in Boston and haven’t a roofdeck at the moment. I’ll will be trying later in August when I’m on the beach though.
Cheers and happy eating!
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
To make the perfect burger, first, NEVER use a bun. Never use a bun. Never use a bun.
[/quote]
I agree with everything CL said in his post, but especially this. I don’t understand why on earth people would by those lame-ass supermarket buns. I’d rather eat mine naked.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
To make the perfect burger, first, NEVER use a bun. Never use a bun. Never use a bun.
Use hard bread. Get creative. Use anything from a french roll to focaccia.
Use fresh, tasteful toppings. Not a bland tomato and ice burg lettuce. Use arugula, spinach, or a mixed-green ensamble.
Put away the cheddar. Use some cheese with punch - smoked gouda, gruyere, blue cheese, feta - anything but swiss or cheddar.
Use better condiments. Try some chipotle or compote.
Oh, the master of the burger is Chef Sang Yoon. Just Google his name and you will become enlightened. If you are a burger junkie, reading/listening to what he has to say will blow your mind.
[/quote]
Ate at Father’s Office in Santa Monica over the weekend. Sang Yoon’s burger is magnificent. Here is (purportedly) the recipe:
DO-IT-YOURSELF FATHER�??S OFFICE BURGER
Caramelized onions
4 slices applewood-smoked bacon
2 onions, sliced (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2-3 drops liquid smoke
1/4teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the bacon until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes, then remove to paper towels to drain. Crumble 1 slice and set aside; reserve the rest of the bacon for another use. Measure 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat into a medium heavy skillet.
Add the onions to the skillet and sprinkle with the sugar. Cook until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Halfway through, stir in the crumbled bacon. At the end of the 20 minutes, stir in the balsamic vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes. Set aside.
Burgers
1 1/2pounds strip steak (preferably dry-aged), ground
1/2 pound rib-eye steak (preferably dry-aged), ground
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 ounce blue cheese
4 ounces Gruyere cheese
4 French demi-baguettes, halved and toasted
1 cup baby arugula
Directions
Combine the strip and rib-eye steaks and mix in the salt. Shape the meat into 4 (7-inch) oval patties, about three-fourths-inch thick.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat. Fry the burgers, 2 at a time, for 3 minutes, then flip. Top each burger with one-fourth of the blue and Gruyere cheeses.
Cook the burgers 3 more minutes for medium.
Remove and keep warm; melt the remaining butter in the skillet and repeat with the remaining 2 patties and cheeses.
To assemble, place the burgers on the baguettes and top with the onions and arugula, dividing evenly.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
To make the perfect burger, first, NEVER use a bun. Never use a bun. Never use a bun.
Use hard bread. Get creative. Use anything from a french roll to focaccia.
Use fresh, tasteful toppings. Not a bland tomato and ice burg lettuce. Use arugula, spinach, or a mixed-green ensamble.
Put away the cheddar. Use some cheese with punch - smoked gouda, gruyere, blue cheese, feta - anything but swiss or cheddar.
Use better condiments. Try some chipotle or compote.
Oh, the master of the burger is Chef Sang Yoon. Just Google his name and you will become enlightened. If you are a burger junkie, reading/listening to what he has to say will blow your mind.
[/quote]
You saw that Good Eats episode on Foot Network too, eh?
[quote]Chickenmcnug wrote:
You saw that Good Eats episode on Foot Network too, eh?[/quote]
Yes. I’ve had the Office Burger. But hearing the master explain his theories behind The Burger was life-changing.
T-Shaw,
Tonight I modified and tried what you posted and damn it’s good. I threw in 1lb of 85/15 ground beef, 2 bratwurst/2 garlic n’ basil brats, 6 cloves garlic, 3 cloves shallots, 1 egg, two tbs. wstshire, salt and pepper. And GODAM! Good stuff.
I had one last night!
Ground buffalo
dash of worschestire sauce
salt and pepper
splash or two of barbecue sauce.
parsley
On the grill. Toast the bun (portugese roll)
Enjoy. It was 98 in the shade yesterday around here so I popped a few “diet beers” to wash it down. (Guiness is the orginal light beer)
I love buffalo. Tastes great and has an excellent profile. It’s a little pricey but I don’t eat it everyday.
I like them with some cheese mixed into the meat before its cooked.
go to wendies