Want to make your hamburgers better?

[Natural Citizen]

To me there are three ways to make hamburgers better. In reverse order of importance:

1. Use really good buns. Those cheap store brand or Wonder Bread buns are not that good. Use potato or some of the more gourmet buns.

2. You can do OK with a cast iron or properly seasoned carbon steel frying pan but if you have a griddle (like a Blackstone) the difference will be noticeable.

3. Grind your own hamburger. This is the biggest difference. The meat will taste much better than store bought ground meat. You can get a suitable electric meat grinder on Amazon for as low as $50-60. Cheaper if you want to do hand grinding, which I don't recommend.

I use a grind of of about 60-70% chuck roast and 30-40% short ribs and the quality is far superior to store bought ground beef. Sometimes I will use rib eye steak instead of short ribs. All short rib ground is fantastic but expensive.

Yeah, but then you're gonna ruin the whole thing when you go putting pickles on it.

 

[yidnar]

Throw in some Road Kill
Nobody will notice

you save the testicles for Hors D'oeuvres at the democrat fundraisers you attend .

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

I use Italian salad dressing

 

[Flash]

True. For most people, buying a chuck roast and other cuts isn't much harder than buying a package of prefab patties, and you can be sure they are putting the lowest cuts of meat they can get away with in the store-made patties. after that, all that's required is to give the meat grinder a simple wash.

It's a small investment and it takes up a little storage space, but the returns in making your own patties and sausages, etc., soon pay for itself.


Amazon product

I would not get a hand grinder. It takes three hands to operate. One hand to turn the handle, one to feed the meat and one to push the meat down.

The electric ones are much easier to use. No need to turn the handle.

The only downside to the electric ones is that they can heat up and you don't want the meat to get warm while processing. I put my take apart pieces in the freezer prior to use and that keeps everything cool for the few minutes it takes to grind the meat. I also put the meat in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes prior to grinding. I don't want the meat frozen but cool.

 

[Muhammed]

Don't be afraid of a little bit of fat it allows you to cook it together without any egg or otherwise. Make the ball tight, compress it to the size you want, let it expand on heat and with your spatula.

That ruins the texture. I mess with the patties as little as possible. I don't even work them to make them round. I just cut them square off the tray.

 

[toobfreak]

I would not get a hand grinder.

Oh, I totally agree, I was just trying to offer up a reasonably well made entry level unit that was affordable enough not to chase away people willing to consider buying one. I used to have a butcher in the family, and know full well the attributes and benefits of quality meat grinding having been brought up having a table-top Hobart designed for commercial use.

 

[gtopa1]

It's an Oz thing but adding beetroot makes a BIG difference.

Greg

 

[Flash]

It's an Oz thing but adding beetroot makes a BIG difference.

View attachment 867397

Greg

Sorry Greg but not only NO but Hell NO.

 

[Oddball]

That's all he's good at.

He's not even good at it.

 

[Oddball]

To me there are three ways to make hamburgers better. In reverse order of importance:

1. Use really good buns. Those cheap store brand or Wonder Bread buns are not that good. Use potato or some of the more gourmet buns.

2. You can do OK with a cast iron or properly seasoned carbon steel frying pan but if you have a griddle (like a Blackstone) the difference will be noticeable.

3. Grind your own hamburger. This is the biggest difference. The meat will taste much better than store bought ground meat. You can get a suitable electric meat grinder on Amazon for as low as $50-60. Cheaper if you want to do hand grinding, which I don't recommend.

I use a grind of of about 60-70% chuck roast and 30-40% short ribs and the quality is far superior to store bought ground beef. Sometimes I will use rib eye steak instead of short ribs. All short rib ground is fantastic but expensive.

Doing the smash on a good-n-hot cast iron skillet makes awesome burgers.

 

[Flash]

Doing the smash on a good-n-hot cast iron skillet makes awesome burgers.

We only do smash burgers. Thick burgers are like a 1980s thing.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Lee Iacocca tells the story of Henry Ford II, who simply LOVED the burgers that they prepared for him at the Ford Executive dining room. He loved burgers and would order burgers wherever he went around the world, and he always said that no matter how much people tried to give him their best, they could not compete with the Ford dining room.

Being a successful boot-lapper, Iacocca cornered the head chef one day and asked him if there was a secret to preparing a burger for The Deuce. "Watch," said the chef. He went over to the fridge and pulled out a Filet Mignon and inserted it into the meat grinder. That's how he made those great burgers.

Oh.

I doubt that...because that would be dry and borderline-inedible.

I have actually found that many of the pre-made frozen patties are quite good.

 

[GMCGeneral]

I doubt that...because that would be dry and borderline-inedible.

I have actually found that many of the pre-made frozen patties are quite good.

Even so, I usually buy fresh patties from the meat section as well and they're pretty good as well. All depends on how you prep them.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Even so, I usually buy fresh patties from the meat section as well and they're pretty good as well. All depends on how you prep them.

You should give the frozen ones a try. And follow the cooking directions, even if it seems wrong. My mother didn't believe me until she did.

 

[GMCGeneral]

You should give the frozen ones a try. And follow the cooking directions, even if it seems wrong. My mother didn't believe me until she did.

I've done frozen before. They're not bad at all. I use a Foreman Grill, not just for convenience, but again, the clamshell design better cooks the patty thoroughly and quickly.

 

[Delldude]

you even TROLL an innocent cooking suggestion thread.

You've never had his burgers?

 

[koshergrl]

I've made literally billions of hamburgers, at home and also working as a cook.
YES to grilling buns.. use Mayo instead of butter you get a better crisp and less smoke than butter.
Turn the heat down unless you have a weighted press.
Don't over work your hamburger meat, but do season it before cooking. Even if it's just salt and pepper.
Soy is a good additive.
But the thing that will push burgers over the top...butter. when you flip drop a tbsp of butter on there.

 

[koshergrl]

It's an Oz thing but adding beetroot makes a BIG difference.

View attachment 867397

Greg

Are they pickled??? I made killer pickled onion that was amazing on burgers.. I bet pickled beets would be good. Venezuelans love them.

 

[gtopa1]

Are they pickled??? I made killer pickled onion that was amazing on burgers.. I bet pickled beets would be good. Venezuelans love them.

We used a local product. I went through the cannery as a kid but not sure how they were cooked/prepared.

golden circle beetroot slices - Google Search

Greg

 

[gtopa1]

I have tried many cheeses on burgers. However, to me nothing beats that often maligned good ole American cheese. It is not a gourmet cheese by any stretch of the imagination but it works on cheeseburgers.

I found out the other day that my grand-daughter (age 7) LOVES the American cheese on some take-aways she gets as a treat sometimes. I will enquire.

Greg