Episode 022- What makes a great hamburger? It's such a personal choice but, regardless of your preferences, there are specific things that you take your burger from "meh" to fabulous. On today's show, you'll learn about those things. We'll also explore some ideas from fellow burger lovers. Their suggestions might make you stop and say, "Hey, I want to try that!" One of my favorite burgers ever is from a restaurant called The Good Steer on Long Island. It's called "The Cheese Dream" --now referred to as the "Classic Cheese Dream Supreme" on their menu. This hamburger is bathed in a velvety cheese sauce, tomato, bacon, and crowned with perfectly fried onion rings. I've tried to replicate it at home, to no avail. My only recourse is to get a Cheese Dream whenever I am back on Long Island. Usually, I will stop at the Good Steer before I see my family or friends. If you've ever had The Cheese Dream, you'd know why. There are many ways to enjoy a burger. How one has it depends on many variables including mood, location, company, who's doing the cooking, and what's available. I don't eat a burger exactly the same way every single time. Nor should you; explore the many ways to achieve hamburger enlightenment! Peanut Butter? We saw this at a restaurant not too long ago. While intrigued, I went with something else. Have you had or would you put peanut butter on your hamburger? Today, we'll cover primarily beef hamburgers. I know, I know. There are some very good veggie burgers, turkey burgers, lamb burgers, etc. For the purposes of simplicity of this particular episode, let's stipulate that we're talking about beef with the understanding that some of these hints, tricks, and ideas could transfer over to other burgers made of something other than beef. The Way That You Cook It Some people prefer small burgers, I do not. I like a big burger that has a crust on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. In my opinion, the best way to do that is on a very hot cast iron pan or griddle. Alternatively, you can do this outside on the grill and I like the flavor that charcoal imparts on a burger. However, when at home and since we are a small family, I'm not going to do all that work firing up the Weber for three burgers. All the more reason I should get a small hibachi grill, I know. The temperature of the burger is important for the taste and consistency. Some people go by looks, others use a thermometer to get an accurate reading. Remember, your burger will continue to cook when you take it off the heat. But here are the temps: Rare 120 °F Medium Rare 130 °F Medium 140 °F Medium Well 150 °F Well Done 160 °F For food safety, the USDA has guidelines for safe minimum temperature of ground meat which they say is 160 °F. For me, Well-Done burgers are unpalatable. I am usually a Rare or Medium Rare guy, depending on my mood. Disclaimer: The temperature of how you eat your burger is your own business and only you take responsibility for what you put in your body. Don't eat anything you don't want to eat. You Invited me Over for Burgers? Why are you Serving Meatballs? Has this happened to you? You start with patties and then through the process of cooking the meat transforms into a meatball? If you have this problem, try this: After you make the patty, make a divot in the center of it with your thumb. Don't squish the burger into submission, just make a gradual indentation. What You Put In It The quality of the beef is important; the taste and juiciness of your burger depends on it. If you buy supermarket ground beef it's very likely that you're going to get lower quality ground beef than if you bought a slab of chuck and ground it yourself. That's just a fact with industrialized meat. Chances are they are not as discerning about what parts of the cow they are throwing into the mix as you are. That said, not everyone has the time or patience to start grinding meat at home. So go to a butcher you trust (whether they be at a supermarket or not) and buy the ground beef from them. Another option is to buy the cut of meat that you want and have them grind it for you. It's worth the extra money! The amount of fat is important too. The more fat, the tastier and more moist the hamburger will be. Most things that I've read suggest 80/20 or 85/15 beef- to-fat ratio. How you get a great tasting burger with anything leaner is beyond me. Recommendations for the type of meat center around chuck, that's what I use. However, I've used ground pork, chopped up pancetta, or regular bacon if I have it in the fridge. I had recommendations of adding tasso, brisket, or short rib meat into the mix too. Some people suggest adding things such as salt, pepper, Dash seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, or other types of sauces into the meat before forming patties. I do not. When you start doing this, it is a slippery slope and then you fall so very close ...
