Want to grill a perfect burger this July 4? Try these tips from owner of Ray Ray's Hog Pit

Some people make a habit of grilling on a regular basis once the weather turns warm. Others break out the grill perhaps once or twice a year.

James "Ray Ray" Anderson, who owns and operates Ray Ray's Hog Pit, surely belongs to the former category.

But no matter what category you yourself belong to, grilling that perfect burger isn't as hard as it may seem.

Here's five tips for ensuring success this July 4 weekend, as outlined by Anderson, who opened his fifth location last year.

Form the patty

Mold the meat into an 8-ounce patty. Make sure it's uniform and even.

Clean the grill grates

A simple but often overlooked step. Clean grates ensure meat doesn't stick to them. Anderson recommends using nonstick aerosol spray as an added measure.

Leave the burger alone

This is perhaps the most important thing.

After placing a patty onto the grill, don't touch the meat for at least four — if not five — minutes.

“We’re not going to poke around at it, we’re not going to check the underside," Anderson said. "We’re just going to let it cook for a good four to five minutes to cook the entire side.”

Flip it once and only once

“That’s going to really result in getting those good grill marks and make sure that we don’t have the sticky points where half the burger is still sticking on the grill grate," Anderson said.

Backyard grillers often make the mistake of flipping their meat too much, according to Anderson.

"You don’t want to flip it, you want to create that caramelization and that crust on the outside of your product," he said.

Check the burger's internal temperature

The best way to see if a burger is done is by using a food thermometer. The burger will be done once its internal temperature reaches 135 or 140 degrees.

If you don't have a thermometer, poke the burger with a finger. A burger that’s done should be soft, Anderson says.

Or, lightly press down on the burger with your spatula. The burger's juices should be slightly pink. If they're red, you've still got raw meat. If the juices are clear, the burger is overcooked.

Bonus: Tips for grilling vegetables

The average cost of a summer cookout is up 17 percent, or $10 from last year, according to a survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Ground beef prices alone are up 36% from a year ago, the survey found.

If that price has you balking, vegetables are a good alternative for cookouts.

Anderson recommends cabbage and cauliflower when it comes to his favorite vegetables to grill.

Start by cutting a cabbage into quarters. Season each piece with mustard. Be sure to remove the stem.

Then, put your favorite dry-rub seasoning on top. Mustard helps the dry rub stick to the cabbage, Anderson says. Water will also do the trick.

Finally, cook the pieces over an open flame for 10 minutes without them flipping too many times.

“You want a little char on there. You don’t want to keep flipping it," Anderson said.

For cauliflower, coat florets in mustard or water, then dry rub. Grill for about 20 minutes.

Monroe Trombly covers breaking and trending news.

mtrombly@dispatch.com

@MonroeTrombly

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ray Ray's Hog Pit owner shares tips on grilling the perfect burger