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44 Comments
Smaug
July 2, 2016
I'm increasingly convinced that the secret to better burgers is to stay away from articles on how to make burgers.
702551
June 30, 2016
The second most important rule to make a really excellent burger is putting it on a great bun. You can basically gauge a burger's quality by the patty and the bun.
As a matter of fact, you should be able to enjoy either just by themselves: a plain cooked patty, a plain bun (it's bread).
Condiments are always extra. The overall quality is basically set by the patty and the bun.
Also, a burger cooked over a wood fire is incomparably better than something done on a stove. There's no way to impart the smokiness of a wood fire from a frying pan.
That's basically why people still cook over fire after tens of thousands of years of civilization.
As a matter of fact, you should be able to enjoy either just by themselves: a plain cooked patty, a plain bun (it's bread).
Condiments are always extra. The overall quality is basically set by the patty and the bun.
Also, a burger cooked over a wood fire is incomparably better than something done on a stove. There's no way to impart the smokiness of a wood fire from a frying pan.
That's basically why people still cook over fire after tens of thousands of years of civilization.
Jo B.
June 23, 2015
I always thought higher fat burger meat made better burgers but recently we've been buying the 93% fatfree from Whole Foods and it is delicious and surprisingly tender--more tender than the 80 to 85% we had been using, and less fatty, and hence less shrinky and flame-y. I mix in only salt and pepper, put in the indentation as suggested, and either grill or cook high heat in a cast-iron pan.
Malik O.
June 23, 2015
Some of the best burgers I've ever made come from a YouTube channel called Ballistic BBQ. The Stockyard Butter burger is insane.
i-plus-i
May 27, 2015
The author mentioned 20% to 30% fat... how can we tell how much there is and if below that, what type of fat can we add...
Nanda G.
May 26, 2015
the one thing the author didn't address: how do you know when it's done (medium rare) without cutting into it?
zoumonkie
May 26, 2015
Press your thumb and forefinger together. If your burger is as soft as your hand between the two, it is rare. Middle finger and thumb is medium.
Emily L.
May 26, 2015
My dad created a great way to season burgers and give them a great crunch at the same time; We add kettle cooked BBQ chips to the meat by slightly mixing in broken chips into the patties. I like to season with salt and pepper as well. I told my aunt in Canada that this is how we do it and her four kids pick which chips they want in their burgers! There's a great caramelized flavor added because of the chips charring as well.
Nancie M.
May 25, 2015
Love this post! I'm an expat in Korea and gourmet burgers are all the rage here. Recently, I had one that looked fantastic, but when I bit into it the middle of the burger was raw. I'm not taking pink. I was not impressed, and overall I felt that the raw meat killed the taste of what could have been something delicious.I know that how long meat is cooked for is a personal preference. However, what do you think of 'raw in the middle burgers'?
susan H.
May 26, 2015
i like my burgers cold in the center (aka raw). you know that your burger is done when you press it lightly at the center and it springs back. enjoy!
zoumonkie
May 25, 2015
English muffin and blue cheese burgers need a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning.
Chopped green olives compliment the blue cheese.
You can never go wrong with camalized onions and bacon.
Chopped green olives compliment the blue cheese.
You can never go wrong with camalized onions and bacon.
susan H.
May 25, 2015
i like to serve burgers on well toasted english muffins, spread with blue cheese. a bit of arugula is great, as well. yum. s.h.
btglenn
May 25, 2015
I would love a great version for turkey burgers.
Lisa S.
May 26, 2015
1lb-ish ground turkey, 1 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp black pepper, diced red onion, diced red pepper, and a couple drops of liquid smoke. Grill, and top with a grilled pineapple ring.
Fajita Turkey burgers - 2 pounds Ground Turkey, 3 teaspoons Ground Cumin, 2 teaspoons Dried Thyme Leaves, ½ teaspoons Salt, ¼ teaspoons Pepper, 1 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 2 Jalapeños, 4 cloves Garlic, ½ Onion, ¼ cups Cilantro, 1 teaspoon Hot Sauce. Makes 8 burgers. I top with salsa and guacamole.
Fajita Turkey burgers - 2 pounds Ground Turkey, 3 teaspoons Ground Cumin, 2 teaspoons Dried Thyme Leaves, ½ teaspoons Salt, ¼ teaspoons Pepper, 1 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 2 Jalapeños, 4 cloves Garlic, ½ Onion, ¼ cups Cilantro, 1 teaspoon Hot Sauce. Makes 8 burgers. I top with salsa and guacamole.
Ashley U.
May 25, 2015
One of the correspondents on this site suggested grating cold butter into the beef and I have to say it worked a treat for me.
Daniel B.
July 16, 2014
Tip. It works. Add one teaspoon of ... yes, it's true .... beef baby food. It's clean, pure beef (it's for babies after all). Incredibly intense beefy flavour and adds moisture. It's weird, but absolutely good, I promise.
Lisa S.
May 26, 2015
Yeah, I'd double-check the ingredients on the baby food. Contrary to what food companies want you to believe, they add plenty of chemicals and other junk to baby food. That's why so many people are choosing to make their own these days.
Nancy
June 29, 2014
I always use a chopstick to poke a small hole in the center and several more around the burger. After cooking, they don't show and they allow the burger to cook evenly.
Jo S.
June 18, 2014
Season your burger with some anchovies worked in along with some smoked pimenton. After you grilled them, put them in the oven with some high quality chicken broth for ten minutes or so. Make sure they are in the broth only til halfway. They will be deliciously moist and still crispy because the top side is exposed to the heat of the oven :)
anne
June 15, 2014
I feel very strongly that the only way to make a good burger is: Niman Ranch Beef. Period. Salt and pepper, medium-rare. Nuff said.
ride&cook
June 12, 2014
I am a salt and pepper purist and I also add a couple shots of worcestershire to the meat. Put on a lightly toasted ciabatta with watercress on the bottom and ketchup on top. Hey, that's what I made for lunch!
donald K.
June 12, 2014
Make your own buns. Good recipe from Comma Ca in LA. Grind your own meat, its super easy. Spread yellow mustard on the top of the meat before turning the patty over, gives a great taste.
Sarah S.
June 12, 2014
We like putting bernsteins Italian dressing and Johnny's seasoning salt on one side. Put it on the grill with seasoning side down and then sprinkle mountreals steak seasoning on!!! Delicious!!! Then add your onions, tomatoe, cheese and lettuce on a Keiser bun!!!! Love,love, love!!!
Katie @.
June 12, 2014
Trick to making the best burger ever? Make it a veggie burger! It's better for you, the animals, and the planet :D
Ben C.
June 15, 2014
I'd love to hear some good veggie burger ideas. My sister-in-law is mostly vegetarian and won't eat beef burgers. I hate throwing the standard Boca burgers on the grill because they're gross and I feel I'm just copping out on her since I spend so much time on our beef burgers.
LysiaLoves
June 16, 2014
Aside from making your own, my mom likes the SortaSausage Hemp Burgers. there are some decent recipes online too if you wanna get fancy but bear in mind, they're a lot more work than a regular burger! Also, some people really like the rice-based ones and some prefer the bean-based. I know some love portobello burgers too.
Mr_Vittles
June 12, 2014
I am one of those ever-so-common-now burger fanatics. The kind of person who is persnickety over his burger. My personal two cents: always cook on a flat top griddle. I bring out my cast iron behemoth when I grill outdoors, right on top of the grates. I also never handle my ground beef (and it should always be beef), instead of hand forming my patties, I use a large disher and plop them straight on to the griddle seasoning, then smashing them in to the hot metal. This creates a super crust and gives you a nice latticey edge to your burgers.
Nanda G.
May 26, 2015
You are the perfect person to ask the one thing the author didn't address: how do you know when it's done (medium rare) without cutting into it?
Martha
June 11, 2014
Thank you for the great tips. I'll be adding the indent and telling my son he's right and I'm wrong about the seasoning!
SipOfPerfection
June 11, 2014
Boy those look delicious! I wonder what the different sauces are on top?
Akiko
June 10, 2014
Thank you for the great tips :) Especially the seasoning part was eye opening and worked wonderfully.
After we ate our first burgers, my boy friend took a bike ride to a butcher again to make his second one ... ;)
Really really tasty! Simple is the best. Thank you a lot!
After we ate our first burgers, my boy friend took a bike ride to a butcher again to make his second one ... ;)
Really really tasty! Simple is the best. Thank you a lot!
Foodness G.
June 7, 2014
Love the indent tip..I hate when my burger shrinks and becomes too puffy in the middle. I second the bun comment. Its very important to get a uniformed bite without everything going south. A nice toasted brioche is my fav!
Pat E.
June 7, 2014
I'm a fan of Julia Child's suggestion to work a bit of soft butter into the meat…and then stay pure from there….and if today ciabatta works out there will be burgers tonight!
Sietske V.
June 7, 2014
Get a good bun. Nothing too hard/chewy or all your toppings will squirt out the other end when you bite into it. Or even bake your own buns. So worth it.
Catherine L.
June 9, 2014
Good point! Nothing worse than a bad bun. Also, we have a small batch on it, so no excuses for anyone! https://food52.com/blog/7171-homemade-burger-buns
Dawne F.
June 15, 2014
Sadly, Ingredient number1 makes that impossible for me :(
I haven't met a GF bun that works, so it's lettuce wraps...but it's just not the same.
I haven't met a GF bun that works, so it's lettuce wraps...but it's just not the same.
LysiaLoves
June 16, 2014
Have you tried the Udi's whole grain buns? Toast them lightly first. I like them but flavor-wise they're definitely on the whole-wheat side more than the sourdough or ciabatta side. But for me, better than nothing!! And DEF better than lettuce. To me :)
AntoniaJames
June 6, 2014
Great post! Looking forward to seeing others' posts with their tips, here. ;o)
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