Burger Cooking Tips.

Let’s just talk about burgers. Everyone loves a great, tasting burger. Whether it’s yours on the grill, or simply at a restaurant. There are many combinations of burgers. For example, venison, ostrich, deer, elk, chicken, salmon, pork, or beef, would just about do for any burger. Does it matter what type of meat you use? Yes and No, depending on if you’re just buying ground meat from your local butcher shop, or simply grinding meat on your own. It’s important to know the cuts of meat. What’s also unique about burgers, is that you can season and dress it up however you would like.

For example, in America, we are very familiar with putting an egg, bacon, or some sort of cooked vegetable on top. Being a college student, we call that “The Hangover”. Sometimes, if you were to ever make a southwestern-inspired burger, you might be thinking things such as, poblano peppers, guacamole, salsa, and pepper-jack cheese. Then again, you also have the typical “Luther” Burger. The Luther Burger is a burger in which you use two glaze donuts (preferably Krispy Kreme), as the buns.

There are numerous types of burgers, and in fact, a burger doesn’t always have to be ground meat. As a matter of fact, down the street from where I live, I know a local bar that makes a Pork Belly Burger.  Back in my hometown, a local Korean restaurant makes a Bulgolgi Burger. If you go to Salina, Kansas, stop by the Cozy-Inn Hamburger shop, and you will see the history of how their famous sliders are still out of this world, since the 1940’s. I thought of at least a few burger creations myself, in fact, I cannot reveal what they are until I have fully tested them out.

So what are some common secrets of making “the perfect burger”? It all depends on how you cook them. Grilling, steaming, pan-frying, or deep frying (Dyer’s Burgers). However, let’s begin with the basics.

o   I have ate at a few restaurants where burgers “Looked” delicious and fancy, but have tasted bland. Seasoning your ground meat is like seasoning a meatloaf. Adding it with Salt, pepper, onions, peppers, seasonings (any kind of your choice), breadcrumbs (optional), and ALWAYS, a hint of a liquid seasoning. Make sure to mix it very well.

o   When pressing your patties, make sure that they are not too thin, or else you will dry out your patties. When you’re pressing your patties, leave a thumbprint in the middle to avoid plumping.

o   Whether you are cooking in or out, place the already pressed patties in the fridge, leaving them covered so it doesn’t dry out. This will allow the flavors to come together.

o   In a hot pan, about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the pan with salt and pepper, and place your patties in the pan. When patties are in the pan, season them again with salt and pepper.

o   With the juices in your pan, spoon the remaining of the juices on top of the burgers as they cook. To speed up the process of cooking, place a lid over the pan for indirect heat.

o   For the [Outdoor] Grilling Method, the same techniques from above, apply. However, have you ever been to a cook-out, and many people use the frozen patties? Not the flavor stuff that comes in a box, but frozen ground beef patties. Here’s where the problem lies, people tend to over cook them. Once people are done cooking them, they leave the patties stored in a cold tinfoil case. The problem with that, is once burgers settle, they start to dry out, and become tasteless.  Here’s my tip, don’t over cook them. Allow your burgers to be at a medium temperature, place them in a heated tinfoil, and allow them to continue to cook within its own juices.

When cooking your burgers, do NOT take a spatula and press on the patties, unless you want your hamburger to be well done. When that happens, you let the juices come out.

o   Another tip, when you leave a burger on the grill, do not keep flipping it. LEAVE IT ALONE!! My tip is this, five minutes per side would do. Sometimes it may vary depending on the size of your burger. Let me add this, some people don’t like to eat a “raw” burger, but you can always choose your temperature range from being medium-rare, to medium, to medium-well, and well done.

o   My last tip is this, if you’re thinking cheese, I suggest placing the cheese directly while it’s still cooking. Let the cheese melt while it combines with the added flavors of the burger. If you’re grilling, take the burger away from the coals, yet cover the grill for a few seconds to a minute.

o   A Burger is about being juicy. What’s most important is the fat content. I suggest about 20%. If you’re thinking lean meat, it will be dry.

·      Condiments: You can put any condiment on your burger of your choice. Go beyond the ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Think of horseradish, habanero BBQ, aioli, coleslaw, bacon, mushrooms or even Mozzarella sticks. Think what type of delicious vegetables and fruit would best suit your burger. Select your styles of cheeses. Be creative, and think outside of the traditional "American" burger.

·      Bun Tip: Butter your buns. Buttering your buns will keep them from being soggy once the burger and all of the condiments are on there. It will pack a great crunch, and much added flavor. If you do not have any buns, you can simply use regular texas toast. What I like to make, are patty melts, just like the picture to the right.