# How do I make good hamburgers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991 "2005-12-16T23:16:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/1 "2005-12-16T23:16:41Z")
The title says it all. I’m sure it is more than just getting some ground beef and cooking it. Suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/2 "2005-12-16T23:24:44Z")
I’m a butcher.First,Get go to the grocer’s and get a nice looking piece of chuck(Iprefer the shoulder roast or steak).Second,have the butcher grind it twice for you.Third,gently,mold it into shape,but not tightly.Fourth,cook it on medium heat til it’s a little pink inside.Salt and pepper when you want.That’s preference ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/3 "2005-12-16T23:31:54Z")
Turn once and once only. Never press. Don’t cook well-done. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/4 "2005-12-16T23:32:15Z")
I use lean ground beef and add some salt, pepper, and a dash of worchestershire sauce. Then I throw them on an outdoor grill. You can oven-broil them, but I don’t recommend pan-frying. Every so often I get a little fancier and add diced onion, seasoned bread crumbs, ketchup, barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, or crumbled bleu cheese to the meat – but then you’ve got something more than just a hamburger. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/5 "2005-12-16T23:32:18Z")
I don’t have a grill, but I make a great burger on the stove. Make sure the meat is not frozen, and take it out of the fridge about an hour before cooking. Add a little salt and pepper, then form it into a patty slightly thinner in the middle than at the edges (somewhere between a cinnamon roll and a donut; the center will swell during cooking). Preheat the pan (it’s a little below medium on my stove). Add the burger and cook 4:15 on each side. Don’t press down to get that sizzling sound, it forces the juices out and dries out the burger. Changing the setting of the burner makes the outside more, or less, well done; how long you cook it changes how the inside is cooked. Tinker with the stove, the timing, and the thickness of the patty to get it the way you like it. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/6 "2005-12-16T23:35:23Z")
I also remember hearing that a thin hamburger patty is better than a big fat one, but I can’t remember the benefit (more even cooking?) and this is my favorite gourmet hamburger recipe: 1 pound ground chuck (80/20) 4 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled Shredded cheddar cheese Crumbled blue cheese salt/pepper/Worcestershire sauce Gently mix meat, salt (1tsp)/pepper(1tsp)/W. sauce(1Tbs) in a bowl. Make four thin patties. On two patties, add some bacon a good sprinkling of cheddar (about 1/4 cup), and a sprinkling of blue cheese. Add another plain patty on top of each and gently seal edges. Grill to your content. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/7 "2005-12-16T23:38:17Z")
When you grill outside watch for beads of juice to form on top and then turn. ---
**Author:** ![Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try_As_I_Might)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/8 "2005-12-16T23:42:21Z")
follow your butcher’s advice. I also will sometimes substitute 1/3 ground pork with ground sirloin or chuck. It makes a really juicy burger. I also recommend not adding anything in the beef patty. Grill, turn once, don’t press-as stated above. After you flip the burgers, wait half the amount of time and add good cheddar slices. Grill the buns the last 90 seconds. when you pull them off, let them rest for fivem inutes or so and have all of side dishes ready to go. Consume with good beer. good luck! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/9 "2005-12-16T23:46:34Z")
Better than the ground pork listed above is sweet or hot Italian sausage. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/10 "2005-12-17T00:49:54Z")
Burgers also hold shape and cook more evenly if you freeze them a bit. Make sure they are thawed completely, then form patties. Then put them in the freezer for 25-30 minutes before you cook(you can also marinate them while they are in the freezer). ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/11 "2005-12-17T01:19:30Z")
Mix and egg or two in with whatever mince you use – you’ll probably have to use your hand to mix it properly. If it gets too runny put some flour in to get it back to a sort of sticky but not runny consistancy. Then when you grll or fry the patties it, do it on low heat so that the centre gets cooked. You won’t be able to taste the egg or the flour when it’s done but you’re guaranteed patties that won’t fall apart and you can use any kind of ground meat this way. Lamb burgers taste great! I don’t know why this hasn’t been mentioned yet in this thread, I assume that it’s considered common knowledge but I didn’t know it until a few months ago and all of a sudden hamburgers have gone from something it was easier to buy premade to an easy meal I can toss together in 20 mins start to finish. ---
**Author:** ![15\_noon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea5d25/32.png) [@15\_noon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/15_noon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/12 "2005-12-17T01:25:04Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Turn once and once only. Never press. Don’t cook well-done. All three of these are canards. Personal taste determines how well done you like it. Turning twice or more doesn’t matter. The more often you turn, the more even the center will match the sides, and this is a good safety thing with frozen patties. Pressing does get rid of fat, but that’s the whole point of the George Foreman grill, so again it comes down to taste. I always add a couple of drops of either A1 steak sauce or italian dressing after the first turn. I also love when there’s chopped onion and perhaps grated cheese added to the ground beef before forming patties. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/13 "2005-12-17T04:48:09Z")
Even though I grill every chance I get, I like my burgers skinny ratso-thin and fried in a cast iron pan with a little beef fat (ask the butcher for that fat webbing stuff - I forget what it’s called). Just a little S&P on the patties. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/14 "2005-12-17T06:11:21Z")
I add a bit of paste boullion (Better than Bullion, it comes in jars and is the consistency of peanut butter). Yum. It really adds to the beefy flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/15 "2005-12-17T07:01:40Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > The title says it all. I’m sure it is more than just getting some ground beef and cooking it. > > Suggestions? I dice up an onion to put in with the meat before cooking. Tastes wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/16 "2005-12-17T08:35:35Z")
I prefer to make mine using ground turkey (hey at $0.79/lb vs $2.00/lb for cow it’s dirt cheap), and the seasonings I add work with beef just as well. I like to mix in 1/4 package per pound of either onion soup mix or Italian dressing mix before I make the patties. The onion soup mix gives the turkey burgers a subtle smokey flavor, and the Italian dressing gives them a slightly different flavor that’s not readily identifiable as being Italian dressing. Another thing you can try is chopping up bell peppers and onions and mixing those in with your meat. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/17 "2005-12-17T14:53:28Z")
Make sure your meat has enough fat in it. We never go below 85%. We get five burgers out of three pounds of meat (we like em big). Divide into portions, roll in to balls, squishing well. Smash into neat circular patties. Salt and pepper outside (sometimes we add a little bottled dry steak seasoning). Cook over medium coals. Your timing will, of course, vary. We go about 6 minutes a side for medium rare burgers. Eat on fresh crusty kaiser rolls with lots of tomato, mayo and ketchup. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/18 "2005-12-17T15:26:49Z")
> [@priapus](#): > > Third, gently, mold it into shape, but not tightly. I’ve heard hamburger “experts” insist that people not overpat (or too tightly pat out) the meat. Why? I can understand not pressing on the burger once it’s on the flame, but what’s the problem with a tightly patted hamburger? Cooking on a stovetop will yield an outstanding, extra-juicy burger. What it won’t do is give that extra bit of flavor that a charcoal grill might. While you’re at it, sautee some red onions and mushrooms, separately. Great stuff. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/19 "2005-12-17T16:02:56Z")
Something I just love and have not seen mentioned yet… olives. There is NOTHING tastier than good quality ground chuck mixed well with a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix, a little Worchestershire sauce, and chopped up green olives to taste, made in to big, thick patties and cooked on a gril. Add a slice of red onion if you like , but they need absolutely NOTHING to add flavor. Mmmmm, I would love one right now !! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991/20 "2005-12-17T21:31:14Z")
Also, after you have flavored the beast however you like, when you make the patties, make them concave on both faces, that way the edges will shrink down but not split. Flavorwise? I like to add a bit of fresh ground pepper and some finely minced onion and a very small [like 1 tbsp] dash of red wine to a pound / half kilo of ground/minced/chopped beef ANd _dont_ do them in a foreman type press grill … it squeezes out all the juices. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-good-hamburgers/335991.md?page=2)