GRILLING GUIDE
10 SECRETS TO THE PERFECT HAMBURGER*
Very few things say summer better than the sizzle of a grill. And one of the most common and tasty summertime grillers is of course the hamburger. Whether you’re in the park, at the lake, or in your own backyard, a well-grilled hamburger is the perfect complement to any sunny summer barbeque. And while it can be fairly simple to turn out an average tasting burger without much effort, a perfectly grilled burger with its smoky charbroiled flavor and rich juicy texture can be a truly magical thing.
When you bite into a burger, you definitely want it to be juicy with a lot of flavor. But when you're grilling, sometimes burgers have a tendency to dry out. Below are a few easy steps that will keep that from happening and make all the difference in the world when going for a truly world-class grilled hamburger:
1. Buy the right meat. Ground chuck with a fat content of at least 15% makes for the juiciest burger. Lean and extra-lean meat will often make burgers that are tough and/or dry.
2. Season gently. If you like to season your burger then make sure to do so gently. The more you handle the meat, the tougher your burger will be. Put the loose meat in a bowl and gently work in your seasoning concoction, which can include a mixture of seasoned salt, chopped onions, dry onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Or keep it simple and use just one of the following: salt and pepper, thyme, oregano, granulated onion or garlic.
3. Form patties with wet hands. Using wet hands to form the patties keeps them from sticking together and allows your meat to come together more quickly with less handling.
4. Make patties thinner in the center. When burgers cook they contract in on themselves, often creating a small UFO shape with a bulging center. Forming the patty so that the center is thinner than the outside edges will create a more evenly shaped hamburger.
5. Keep the meat cold. After being formed into patties if your burgers aren’t going directly on the grill then make sure to keep them cold. Separate them on a plate using wax paper, and refrigerate until it's grill time. The cold helps lock in the flavor-carrying fats in the meat.
6. Clean and oil the grill. You don’t want your burger sticking to the grill and tearing apart when moved. Scrape off the any burnt leftovers and then wipe the grate clean using oil or cooking spray and a wadded paper towel. On a clean well-heated grill the burgers should quickly sizzle, firm up and then sit on the grill without sticking to it.
7. Use a steady high temperature. Make sure your grill has had plenty of time to warm up, allowing the fire or coals to become nice and hot before adding burgers. When using gas pre-heat the grill to medium-high and keep the lid down while cooking. For a charcoal grill spread the coals evenly and heat up for a half-hour or until they are covered with gray ash. Leave the lid off while cooking.
8. Only flip once. If you constantly turn or flip your burgers they will toughen and dry out. A good rule of thumb is 2 minutes per side for rare, 3 for medium-rare, 4 for medium, and 5 for well-done. Don’t flip too early or your burgers will stick.
9. Don’t press on the burgers. Any time you apply pressure to your burger while it’s cooking juices will seep out, which hold in most of the moisture and flavor. For cheeseburgers, place a slice of cheese on the patty before the final two minutes of grilling.
10. Let burgers rest. After you have removed your burgers from the grill let them sit for about 5 minutes. This allows them to finish cooking while locking in all of the flavorful juices.
*The inspiration and much of the content for this perfect burger recipe came from "The Perfect Sunset Burger," as published in the July 2006 issue of Sunset Magazine.
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