Making burgers.. How??

[ak1]

Same. I have kaiser rolls from the bakery & then make the patties to fit.

 

[deltadude]

Lots of variation on advice, thats nice, gives you many different things to play around with.

Ok this is going to be simple. Yeah Right.....

• 1. Buy your hamburger from Costco, they have packages of fresh ground that are already divided with about 12 patties. Not only is the price better than any quality ground beef you will buy anywhere, it is high quality meat, and Costco tests all their ground beef for the bad stuff (that is not true of most grocery or some of the other big chains). The price difference alone after a few months will get you back your membership card fee. In fact about 18 years ago when we first joined Costco it was the quality and price of the hamburger, because our kids were small and we used a lot of hamburger in those days.

• Shape the patty from one of the costco patties (Costco doesn't really have them in patty shape they are divided so you can make your own patty. Several have already pointed out to not over compact the meat, you want to handle it press it just enough to hold together. My method is simple I push the costco meat so it will hold together when I push into a patty. I have a plate that is the right size with a rim the right depth, I put a piece of wax paper down on the plate, put the patty on the wax paper, cover with another piece of wax paper, and press with a ceramic flat stove plate. I press just firm enough for the patty to take shape. This method the patties are all about the same size, the same thickness, and so the cooking is always consistent.

• I season with McCormicks Steak Seasoning, or just fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. I also add a little Johnny Garlic (really just a little) seasoning. Some say season one side only, I like a well seasoned burger so I do both sides. I put the seasoning on after I do the press, then add seasoning, press again lightly to press the seasoning into the meat, turn the patty season other side. Some variations, sprinkle some Worcestershire on one side let it soak in. Or, sprinkle some red wine on one side let it soak in. I'm not sure you can tell the difference, but hey give it a try.

• I cook the burgers either on the weber gas grill, the kettle, or under the broiler, and if I'm just doing one for myself, the pan. 6 or 7 min on each side. Butter the buns sprinkle a little Johnny garlic on throw them on the grill or under the broiler to toast them. As already pointed out do not poke the burgers or stick something in. You might want to use a temperature probe the first few times for your cooking method so you know when they are medium rare or medium. When the burger is done cooking let them rest. The 3 to 5 minutes rest time is when I toast the buns.

 

[eaglewing]

LOL, well, not totally useless, you gave me a couple IDEAS, since I live by a BIG Italian Community called "The Hill" and they have several bakeries that I guess I'm gona have to look into now.... Thnx

 

[cheezeerider]

If you do not plan on grinding yourself pick up a chuck roast and ask the butcher at the store to grind it for you. quote]


I totally agree. Any supermarket butcher should be more than willing to grind any cut of meat you choose from the case. If they're not, than buy your meat somewhere else. I do this all the time. You get good quality fresh ground meat this way. BTW everyone has great advise here. Definitely dimple the middle of the patties to avoid the "bulge" and keep it simple. And remember, most restaurants use a flat top, so the griddle may be what you want to try.