Now that we’re in Spring and Memorial Day is right around the corner, TheCultureBite wanted to share some tips for making some Awesome Burgers for your next outdoor BBQ.
The Meat
- Grind Your Own Meat. Or have the butcher grind it for you. For juicy burgers, make sure you use coarse ground burger patties.
- Your Burgers Need Fat. No fat, no taste. Keep fat to about 20%.
- Add a Dimple. Press your thumb in the middle of the burger to minimize bloating
- Salt And Pepper. That’s it. Adding other ingredients increases the chance that a burger will fall apart.
- Form, then Salt. Form the Burger before adding Salt. Preferably, salt right before grilling.
- Beef… it’s what to Grill. Turkey and Buffalo are alright, if you are lame, but if you are awesome, then you’ll use Beef.
- Keep Meat Cold. The worst thing for your burgers is to allow them to warm in your hands.
The Technique
- Do no Press the Burger. You don’t like it when your Dad/Boss/Spouse, stands over you while you are working on something important, and neither does your meat.
- Flip Once. Build those Grill Marks, then Flip.
- Flip, Then Cheese. Cover the Grill to evenly melt the cheese.
- Toast, not Roast, the bun. Nobody likes to eat burnt bread. Lightly Toast it and keep the center nice and moist.
- Hot Grill, Good. Make sure the Coals are well heated, not heating. When you are getting a good heat, burgers should just spend 4 minutes on each side.
- Use a Thermometer.
- 120°F and below for rare (red/raw in the center)
- 130°F for medium-rare (pink and warm)
- 140°F for medium (totally pink, starting to dry out)
- 150°F for medium-well (grayish pink, significantly drier)
- 160°F and above for well done (completely gray, very little moisture)
Add your own Tips in the comments!
