10 tips for preparing and grilling hamburgers on Memorial Day
A burger that's slightly charred on the outside and juicy on the inside is tops in my burger book. Add a slice of melty cheese, nestle the burger on a lightly toasted bun add a few toppings and dig in.
Memorial Day is one fine time to fire up the grill. It's the second most popular time of the year to do so.
And if juicy burgers are on your menu, you want them to be perfect. That will depend on what meat you choose, how you prepare the meat, and how you cook the burger. After all, Americans consume some 50 billion hamburgers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This Memorial Day weekend we've got you covered with our annual grind to grill guide to great burgers.
Here are our 10 best tips.
Choose your beef
Most burger experts recommend using ground beef with some fat in it. A good, standard choice is ground beef labeled 80/20 ratio of lean beef to fat. This means the beef 80% lean and has 20% fat. Typically, you will find this also labeled as beef chuck. Also, some markets and grocery stores grind their own blend for ground beef. You can go somewhat leaner if you like with ground beef labeled 85/15. But any leaner and it's best to add some moisture like a tablespoon or so of Worcestershire sauce or wine to prevent the burger from drying out.
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Can I grind my own cuts of meat?
You can come close using a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Choose the cut of meat you want — chuck, round, brisket, short rib, sirloin — and make sure it's super cold. Cut it into 1-inch pieces. Add to the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times to get chop into smaller pieces.
How should I mix the ground meat?
Make sure the meat is cold and always mix the meat gently so it just comes together. Do not overmix. If you overmix the meat (the same holds true when you make meatballs and meatloaf) the meat will be more compact and not as tender.
Should I season the ground meat?
You can while mixing and most sources say to season the ground meat with at least salt and pepper. It's best to season just before cooking. You can mix it in the meat or sprinkle seasoning on the outside of the formed patties. Don't let burgers seasoned on the outside sit too long because salt will draw out moisture from the meat.
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What size should the burger patties be?
A good amount for an ample serving is about 6 ounces before cooking. Use a scale if you have one to make sure burgers are all equal in size.
How should you shape the patties?
After handling the meat as little as possible, this is another big rule. You want to match the size of the patty with the bun. Figure there will be shrinkage, so shape the patty about ½-inch larger than the bun. Generally, a 4-inch in diameter patty, with a dimple or depression (see next tip) in the center, that is at least ¾-inch thick will suffice.
Why make a dimple or depression in the patty center?
If you don't do this, the burgers will end up more of a round shape and puff up like a tennis ball. The burgers won't fit the bun and you end up with a top bun that slides off.
How do you make the dimple?
It's easy and you shouldn't skip it. Once the patty is formed, use the back of a soup spoon to make an indentation, about 1/3-inch deep and 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide in the center of the patty. When the burgers cook, the indentation slowly rises and you get a nice, flat even top.
What's the best way to grill?
Burgers like high heat. This helps form that exterior crispy crust. Cook them on the non-dimpled side first over direct heat. Once a crust develops, about three minutes without moving them, flip them over and cook on the other (dimpled) side. Do not press down on the burger. When you do this, you're pressing all the juices out. Remove burgers and let them rest for a few minutes (add a slice of cheese if you like while the burgers rest) before placing them on a bun.
How long should burgers be grilled?
That depends on how you like them done. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) safe internal cooking temperature for ground beef is 160 degrees. That means it's well done. And the cooking time will depend on the thickness of the burger — but generally at least five minutes per side. If you like it at less done than that and depending on the thickness, figure about three minutes per side for medium-rare or 130-135 degrees and 150-155 degrees for medium-well.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hamburger preparation, grilling tips for Memorial Day
