How do I make good hamburgers?

[priapus]

@Carnac the Magnificent!

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.

Nothing is wrong with a tightly packed burger…if you’re cooking a hamburger roast.Not packing it for a grill or pan just helps it cooks evenly and not get burned on the outside and stay raw inside.

[Tuckerfan]

Another thing I like to mix in mine is a bit of minced garlic.

[Squee]

Lea and Perrins, plus garlic and onion are your freinds. Chilli powder couldn’t hurt either, but then again that’s a personal preference.

[Zsofia]

I agree with whoever gave the tip about dishing them a little in the center - that way they don’t swell up and they work better with the bun.

And don’t come yelling to me if you get some sort of awful disease… but burgers are way better with a little pink in them. I got my first grill this year, and I’d been making burgers on it for about a week before I remembered to buy a thermometer. “It’s not there yet?!” I choose to take a little tiny bit of risk for a really amazing hamburger. Obviously, the risk is less with better meat - I’ve never had a butcher actually grind a piece of meat for me, but I do look for the freshest meat and such.

[ivylass]

I read somewhere that if you form the patties around an ice cube just before grilling they will stay nice and juicy. I’ve only tried it once, for a party, and I was really too busy to notice, but my BIL raved about it.

I’d also heard not to use salt or salt-based sauces (soy, Worcestershire, etc) because the salt pulls out the juices and makes for a dry burger.

[priapus]

@Zsofia

I agree with whoever gave the tip about dishing them a little in the center - that way they don’t swell up and they work better with the bun.

And don’t come yelling to me if you get some sort of awful disease… but burgers are way better with a little pink in them. I got my first grill this year, and I’d been making burgers on it for about a week before I remembered to buy a thermometer. “It’s not there yet?!” I choose to take a little tiny bit of risk for a really amazing hamburger. Obviously, the risk is less with better meat - I’ve never had a butcher actually grind a piece of meat for me, but I do look for the freshest meat and such.

Get the butcher to grind a fresh piece of meat.It’s a world of difference in freshness.The norm for most supermarkets is to get preground hamburger that is kept in cryovac packing.The hamburger is ground again for individual packs.So,that fresh looking burger may be almost 2 weeks old by the time it is put out.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

Cook it slowly.

Don’t go for the giant fireball school of cooking.

[pulykamell]

@Silentgoldfish

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.

I presume it wasn’t mentioned in this thread because it’s a texture thing. Eggs and flour don’t belong in hamburger. They belong in meatloaf. I make burgers using three simple ingredients: freshly ground beef, salt, and pepper. You don’t pack the hell out of 'em, and you don’t add filler. Not that onions, Worcestershire, or onion soup mix aren’t good with ground beef–it’s just that at that point, for me, it stops being a hamburger and starts turning into a meat loaf. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat 'em both, but a hamburger–to me–should just be ground beef, minimally handled, and just barely formed into patties that hold together.

[aktep]

Add blue cheese crumbles and chopped jalapeno to the meat before making the patties.

Divine.