Comments on: Grilling Basics: Building a Better Burger

By: Shawn

Shawn — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:22:38 +0000

@ ED – You are the man! What are you going to do to top that?

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:04:18 +0000

I use Wolferman’s Cheddar english muffins buttered & grilled instead of rolls…they have enough body and are big enough for really good juicy burgers…..

By: Rodney

Rodney — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:03:26 +0000

I like to work a little extra virgin olive oil into the meat along with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

By: Brentallica

Brentallica — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:45:41 +0000

For PERFECT doneness, wait for the little well you used your thumb to make in the center of the patty to fill with juices. When there’s some good juice in there, flip it and cook 2 MIN LESS than the first side. Perfect. Every. Time.

By: Ed

Ed — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:10:56 +0000

Here’s the video from this years Patriot MkII:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yGnpW3lhd4

By: fuchikoma

fuchikoma — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:35:41 +0000

I also agree with others about flipping more often than that.
For the burger in the bottom picture… I’ve had my share of burgers like that, and I think the chef forgets that they’re a kind of sandwich. I’d dislocate my jaw trying to open it farther, then scrape a little bit off the top half and a bit off the bottom half, then settle for fries instead. IMO a good burger patty is up to a half inch thick, and if more are needed, they can be stacked. There’s also less concern whether the middle will be raw.

I do agree about keeping the recipe simple! I’ve had a lot that were packed with onion soup, breadcrumbs, egg yolk, etc… really more a Salisbury Steak than a hamburger!

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 18:04:28 +0000

Josh is right, take a piece of bread, soak it in milk and tear it up into crouton sized pieces and mix them in with the ground beef; as the meat slowly loses grease, the milk keeps the burger moist. Also, if you really want to keep the buns dry, having a piece of lettuce touch each (bottom-top: bun lettuce burger cheese tomato lettuce bun) then the lettuce acts like saran wrap and keeps moisture from soaking the buns. I’ve had good experience with a little chopped garlic and a1 sauce

By: FingerSoup

FingerSoup — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 05:42:10 +0000

I’m into “Creative” burgers. I wrap them in Bacon, put diced onions in with the meat, or creatively spice the meat (Jamaican Jerk burgers… Glghahghghgh). My most “impressive” trick is cheese stuffed.

For Stuffing burgers with cheese, it helps to mix some egg and breadcrumb along with a little BBQ sauce to have a binding agent in the meat to keep the cheese from leaking out. This also keeps them moist, as they need to stay on a little longer (to ensure the cheese melts, and to ensure there’s no raw egg). Make a large patty with a divot (as mentioned in the article). Place shredded cheese (aged cheddar works great. Crumbled blue cheese works too, if you’re a fan) into the divot, then fold your edges over the “cheese hole”, to cover. squeeze into seamless patties (Make sure you can’t see where your cheese hole was). Place covered in the fridge for 1 hour for them to set.

When cooking these, I’m a two time flipper, who likes to manage the heat of his grill. I have a hot and a “cool” side to my grill (either by adjusting the gas, or stacking the charcoal closer to one side). cook both sides fast and hot first. Grill them until you get the char marks you want. Spend a little more time on the second side to cook it through a little more on that side. Then flip it to the cooler side of the grill (the first side down again) and close the lid for some indirect heat to cook the burger through.

You will end up with a juicy burger that is medium-well, with molten cheese oozing out in your first bite. It’s truly a perfect burger experience.

I don’t trust rare/medium-rare ground beef… But that’s usually because I get my meat at the supermarket. I’d trust it more if I had a good butcher near me, with some idea where his meat comes from.

By: TomD

TomD — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:32:52 +0000

Check out Dakota Buckaroo Sauce. It is amazing for hamburgers as well as steaks etc.
http://www.dakotabuckaroo.com/
You can get in some grocery stores out west. Otherwise I guess you’ll have to order. I always use it and everyone loves it.

By: chris R.

chris R. — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:25:36 +0000

Why only flip it once? There was an article on one of the gizmodo sites that showed more flipping actually made a more evenly cooked burger.