If you want to impress your family and friends with a perfect grilled burger, read on.
Hey guys, I know burger meat is getting as costly as a steak was a year ago. So, we all want to be able to grill the perfect burgers for our next cookout.
I reached out to the professionals at Datenightdoins.com, a site dedicated to amazing recipes for the grill to get their top burger preparation tips just for you.
What you put into your burger determines what will come out.
The great news is that most people prefer burgers that use cheaper ground meat that the premium. If you want a juicy burger that will melt in your mouth, you want to use 80/20 meat that contains 20% fat. Getting the best result with this type of meat takes preparation and skill. So, pay close attention to our tips here.
Meat preparation for the ultimate burger
The ideal size of your burgers is 1/3 pound burgers. These make the burger patty 4 inches around and about 1 inch thick before cooking. You can use a burger press to get a nice uniform size if that helps you. I like making mine by hand unless I am cooking for a large group.
When you make your burger patties, make sure to pat them dry with a paper towel. Taking care to leave no paper. Then top them off with light seasoning on each side. Your seasoning should likely just be salt and pepper, unless you are practiced at using garlic and use only fresh pressed garlic. You may also add a tiny amount of extra virgin olive oil. I mean literally 2-3 drops only on each side. Think of this like the sweat vermouth in a martini. Next, let your meat chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour covered loosely with saran wrap. You want the meat to get cool to the touch, not frozen, so refrigerate only.
Next prepare your grill.
Choosing the grill type
There are arguments people have about what type of grill to use. Electric, Charcoal, Gas, or Wood Pellets. The very best burgers will come from a wood pellet grill because of the smoke flavor. Next, charcoal is the likely choice for most of us.
A great burger can be made on all of these types of grills if you follow these important steps.
- Preheat the grill to 375
- Clean the grill as it starts to heat up and make sure your cooking area is clean and ready
- Use a secondary thermometer to assure the grill temperature is correct
As your grill gets to proper temperature, prepare your ingredients, including all of your toppings, buns, and remove the meat from the fridge.
Freshly clean your BBQ tools and then take everything to the grill.
Cooking the ideal burger
Here is your checklist:
- 80/20 meat (ground chuck) coated lightly with salt, pepper, and a dot of oil. You may also add fresh garlic oil from pressed garlic. Go light.
- Fresh buns
- Fresh Lettuce
- Fresh sliced tomato
- Your choice of cheese
- Butter
- Make condiments available at the time of service
2 clean plates. 1 for the freshly cooked meat, 1 for the assembled burgers.
Place your burger patties on the grill. Let them cook at 375 for 3 minutes on the first side, 2 minutes on side two adding cheese if desired. Cover the meat for 30 seconds while on the heat to melt the cheese.
Always flip your burgers. Do not make the mistake of pressing your burgers. You do not want to cook them faster, or lose the natural juices.
Since you cleaned the grill right before cooking, your meat should not be sticking.
Quickly remove the meat at 2.5 minutes on side 2 with or without cheese. Let it rest on a clean plate for 2-3 minutes.
This meat resting period helps the natural juices gather back into the entire patty.
While your meat rests, prepare the buns. On a top rack, place your buns with butter on the business sides down. Let the buns sit on the rack during the burger resting period. 2-3 minutes will be enough at 375 for the butter to melt and the buns to get warm.
Pull the buns off the grill and build your burgers per your recipe. Once assembled, take them to your guests and provide standard condiments.
Congratulations, you have just prepared the perfect burger.
Over time you can experiment with larger sized burgers, more recipes, and all the world has to offer with toppings.
Want to find the perfect burger recipe visit datenightdoins.com for hundreds of free recipes tried and tested by thousands of cooks and chefs.
