How do I make the perfect homemade burger?

Vim Fuego

Hey folks, I've recently started watching a show called Man v. Food. It's about a guy who travels around America checking out some of the top 'pig-out' spots in America and he takes on these epic eating challenges as he goes along. Sounds horrible in a way, but the host is a bit of a legend which elevates it above greasy American reality TV. Most of the food actually looks excellent and it's a mix of travel/restaurant show and challenges.

But on to my query - any time I've made burgers, I've just used mince and they've been grand but never as good as a proper burger from the likes of GBK. On the show, they use this 80/20 (lean/fat) hamburger meat. It seems much finer and pliable and the result is some damn fine looking burgers. They seem to finish off the cooking by putting a metal bowl over the burger as it's cooking to steam it.

How can I achieve the same results at home? Can I blend some mince beef to this finer consistency or is there a special type of meat I should buy? Can I use the metal bowl method at home?

My goal is to make the perfect burger basically, any advice is appreciated!

CJhaughey

I make burgers the same way but find that for more normal sized portions making the patty and then chilling it the patty holds together better.

olaola

My tip - blitz the onion in a food processor until it's puree. When you add it to the mince, the liquid from the onion keeps it moist, and helps tenderise the meat. Also, always add breadcrumbs - it really makes it light. And holds onto fat (and flavour) from the meat.

Kimia

When i make burgers I get fatty mince (for the want of a better word). I also include a little bit of yellow mustard, worchestshire sauce and my secret ingredient - crumbled blue cheese! It doesn't taste of anything because it melts into the burger mince but it makes it super moist and moreish.

Also, chill the patties and put the olive oil on the burgers, not the pan. Also, cook to medium well, not well done. mmmmmm

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1lb Mince
Onion blitzed
1 tsp Mustard
Couple Splashes Worcester Sauce
1 tsp Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce
Sprinkle Chili flakes
1 tsp ketchup
1 blitzed clove Garlic
coat of flour

I fry mine for a minute each side on a hot pan, then whack into the oven for about 7 mins

bottom bun, jack daniels BBQ sauce and mayo and lettuce

on the cooked burger gherkins, jalapenos, fried onions and cheese on top of these, back into the oven for the cheese to melt and hold all the other stuff in place

top bun ketchup

nyommers

Dizzyblonde

I use a burger press for mine and find it great for shaping them - plus they're really easy to freeze with the wax discs on them.

Vim Fuego

Thanks everyone, some whopper suggestions in this thread.





*I'll get me coat

Dinkie

I've never heard of a burger press *goes off to google*

+1 on liquidising the onion. I also add in some celery here also.. it keeps it moist.

I fry the burger to colour it on the outside, and then put it in the over for 10 mins. I find this keeps it moister.... and there is no danger of it burning on the outside before it is cooked on the inside.

A tip I got from Aus masterchef was to work the mince with your hands, scrunching it up until it was really mushy. Seemingly it means that the fat distributes better (and something else, but can't remember). Tried this at the weekend, and it really worked.

rubadub

Vim Fuego wrote: »

On the show, they use this 80/20 (lean/fat) hamburger meat. It seems much finer and pliable and the result is some damn fine looking burgers. They seem to finish off the cooking by putting a metal bowl over the burger as it's cooking to steam it

I do cover lots of stuff I am frying, keeps it very moist, I fry burgers & chicken in a saucepan and would add a teaspoon of water to the chicken near the end and put a cover on. Cooks very quickly but is still fried and nice & moist.

You do not often see recommendations on the actual cooking or the cut of meat itself or fat content -usually you see tips as above as to what people add to the meat, but many takeaway places are 100% meat or just with salt & pepper added. If you let a frozen quarter pounder defrost you will see it is more like liquidised meat, not minced. You can just pop mince or rib steak into a blender to get the same effect, if low in fat I would add butter.

Dizzyblonde

Dinkie wrote: »

I've never heard of a burger press *goes off to google*

http://www.kitchencomplements.ie/kc/Main/Product.asp?iProductID=503

Mellor

Vim Fuego wrote: »

I've just used mince and they've been grand but never as good as a proper burger from the likes of GBK. On the show, they use this 80/20 (lean/fat) hamburger meat.

rubadub wrote: »

You do not often see recommendations on the actual cooking or the cut of meat itself or fat content -usually you see tips as above as to what people add to the meat, but many takeaway places are 100% meat or just with salt & pepper added.

Just to clarify for the OP, 80/20 meat is just 100% meat, it isn't added fat. It's a convention used in the states for mince.
80/20 is just mince that is a little more fatty than normal. Lean mince you can buy here would be 90/10 or above.

rubadub

Heston Blumenthal had a program on and was making camel burgers (yes camels).

What was more interesting than the meat was the way he made them, he added salt to the meat before putting it in a mincer. He said this was to draw moisture out and make them stick better or something. Then he got all the mince still in its long strands and carefully gathered them all up, then put them into cling film and rolled lightly into a big long sausage, so now all the mince was gathered up like a bunch of drinking straws, then he cut slices off this to form burgers. Looking down on top the burger is made up of loads of cyclinders of mince. So now when you bit in it should fall apart really easy.

In many supermarkets the mince comes like this in a tray, all separate strands, so you could try the same thing.

Sofiztikated

Trying to remember a great recipe I had for burgers.

Saute some finely chopped onions in butter, and let cool.
In the mean time, add the mince, salt, pepper, and whatever herbs take your fancy to a glass bowl. Mush up with your hands. Lift balls of burger in your hands, and slam against the side of the glass bowl, you will see some excess fat gather there. Remove with a bit of kitchen roll.

Add in the cooled saute onions, with the butter, and some sweet chilli sauce, and mush up further.

Make hefty burger pattys, and whap them under the grill.

Voila.

dixiefly

olaola wrote: »

My tip - blitz the onion in a food processor until it's puree. When you add it to the mince, the liquid from the onion keeps it moist, and helps tenderise the meat. Also, always add breadcrumbs - it really makes it light. And holds onto fat (and flavour) from the meat.

Are these onions cooked or raw when you do this?

Fries-With-That

The reason for covering the burger is to allow the steam generated by your hot pan to part cook the top of the meat pattie, before you turn it.

A tip from the trade, is to have your pan as dry as possible, no oil required this way you are cooking the meat pattie in its own fat which is far tastier than adding more oil.

** The following instructions depends on the thickness of the meat you are using.


1 Heat pan to cooking temp.
2 Place meat pattie on hot pan.
3 Sear (press) meat pattie with the back of an egg turner to help it stick to the pan.
4 Leave for 30 seconds
5 Cover with suitable cover (stainless steel burger cover)
6 Leave for 90 seconds ( use a timer its worth it)
7 Lift cover and turn meat pattie, onto exact spot it was on
8 Gently sear again (don't squash it)
9 Season (a mix of salt cracked pepper and arrowmat) or whatever you fancy
10 Cover again and leave for 90 seconds.

This should produce the perfectly cooked regular sized burger, for larger burgers use longer cooking tiimes at 6 and 10.


The secret to a perfectly cooked burger is to turn it only once, try not to cook the juice out of it.

Try this on your next burger and you'll be amazed at the taste.

Regards,

Fries.

DublinWriter

Don't buy pre-ground mince from your butcher...point to a nice juicy steak and tell him to mince it for you in the shop.

carab

dixiefly wrote: »

Are these onions cooked or raw when you do this?

Raw. Also good for kids as no "bits" of onion, just the lovely taste!:)

yungwan

Ok my burger recipe is a little uncoventional in that I often make mine from lamb mince instead of beef. The reason for this is that my boyf cant eat beef but loves burgers.

Anyway I buy minced lamb in tesco, €4 for 600 gms or something - yes it is more expensive then beef but I find it a lot less "stringy" and leaner ( I cant stand lumps of gristle and fat that can often be found in beef mince). And if you like lamb you will love these.

I mix the lamb in a bowl using a spoon, rubbing it between the spoon and bowl to grind it further, which i think adds a nice texture and makes the burger lighter.

Add two tablespoons of flour, salt, pepper, finely chopped onion (you can add this at the end if you wish to make the kids ones first without onion), fresh parsley, pinch of chili powder and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Form into burgers but dont squash it too much - i hate when burgers are too condensed, they need to be firm but light and slightly crumbly when cooked also IMO.

Then cook in the oven for a bout 15 - 20 minutes until cooked through but still moist. (Do not over cook, my boyf has a habit of doing this and it ruins them!)

Serve without bun with boiled potatoes, fresh veg and onion gravy.. yummy

....or in a bun with salad and chips.... extra yummy

CJhaughey

Heres a good tip.
Use a spoon to dig out the required amount of meat for the patty, and make it into a ball.
Now throw the ball from hand to hand hard enough that it hits the opposite hand with some force, do this 10 times then slap the ball of meat onto a plastic cutting board and use a sharp thin knife and quickly slide it under the patty and chill for 20 mins or so.
This binds the meat together and makes for a more robust burger.

JIZZLORD

I mix Worcestershire sauce, whole grain mustard, chopped garlic, fine chopped onions, a bit of pepper and some sage with my mince and chill before use. Always turns out great

fionntan g

Use this one all the time its excellent

pound of mince
12 jacob cream crackers blended
1 free range egg
pepper & salt
2 cloves of garlic
few drops of tabasco
good sprinkle of oregano
squeeze of ketchup

Shape with your hands for a rustic look

serve on fresh baps with,dubliner cheese,red oinion marmalade,mayo and iceberg lettuce

Serve with a pickled dill and cous cous olive oil,sultana's and red peppers salad.


ALSO

if anyone is ever in california go to Fatburger,the best burgers youl ever have.

Snowie

olaola wrote: »

My tip - blitz the onion in a food processor until it's puree. When you add it to the mince, the liquid from the onion keeps it moist, and helps tenderise the meat. Also, always add breadcrumbs - it really makes it light. And holds onto fat (and flavour) from the meat.

Your a genous ...Mines the same.

tho i add a can of tomato puray to mine and some thinly diced deceaded chillys a bit of a kick...

duploelabs

If you've the time, make up some garlic butter, roll it up in some cling film, shaped like a sausage and chill. Then slice off discs of garlic butter.

When you make your burger, get one of these flavour bombs in the center of the patty and bingo, burgertastic

niall_belfast

Here's the Oliver Dunne recipe from "The Afternoon Show" - have to say - absolutely delicious!

Don't skimp on the red onion jam..

http://www.chilliandchocolate.com/recipe-tasty-homemade-beef-burger-from-oliver-dunne/

Mike Litoris

2 tablespoons dried parsley
3-4 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
500g Round Mince
1/2 small red onion finely chopped.
1 Table Spoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika (mild not spicey)
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of Celery salt

I usually melt the cheese over the burger when its cooking the whatever toppings you want lettuce, katsup, mayo etc. Make sure that buns are mega fresh.

mike65

God I'm hungry suddenly

FTGFOP

This man is a god. Here is his burger.

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...
I hope I don't come across as a travel bore in saying this, but it wasn't until I went to the U.S. that I knew what a good burger was. And now that I know, I can't get one out! They're just so dry here. Which is such a shame when we can get steak so right.

There are a couple of things I think are worth trying if you don't already do them:
Let the burger be meat and salt and nothing else.
Let it be the right meat -not too lean.
If you're not elderly, a child, or immuno-comprimised, try it medium-rare especially if you've followed the recipe above and ground the meat at home.

A whole other tack that I've found to produce decent results is to fry the burgers very gently in butter all the way to well done. The butter gives good flavour, helps with browning, and will let you know when it gets too hot (by burning) where oil wouldn't. Bonus: while the meat is resting you get to quickly fry onions in said butter

Four and a half hours till the butcher opens... *drools*

_feedback_

Made my burgers for the first time last night - couldn't resist after reading this thread! I was well worth it.

My G/F is a veggie so made 2 big ones for myself!

Just under 1/2lb of round mince.
1 Medium Red Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
Handful Dried Herbs (whatever was there)
Large squirt Ketchup
Couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Breadcrumbs (about half the amount of meat)
Small bit of flour

Meat in a mixing bowl. Onion, garlic and herbs to blender. Poured Onion mix over the meat and mixed very well with hands. Then added Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mixed again. By this time it was a sticky mess! I then added quite a few breadcrumbs. I bought some polish ones (bułka tarta) in tesco - big bag for €1.09 - thought they worked great. Then added a small bit of flour at the end.

Made a couple of incredibly thick burgers and left them in the fridge for an hour.

Cooked long on low heat on griddle pan - approx 30 mins - and oven for 10 mins. The outside was crispy and inside juicy and very very delicious.

Also watched a few episodes of Man v Food after reading it in the OP. Wow, that man can eat! I couldn't finish my two burgers and he just kept on going !!