Oh, and to be more specific. If I’m going for the thinner styles of burgers I generally prefer, I like them cooked in a pan or a griddle, not a grill. The crispy brown sear this produces works better for me than the flavor grilling imparts to it. When I do thin patties, I want them fast-food style.
For 1/2 lb burgers or bigger, I prefer those grilled, and no further than medium-rare. If you’re going to err, please err on the side of rare for me. The thin burgers work well for me at higher levels of doneness, but the thick burgers need the textural counterpoint and flavor of the rarer meat. It just makes for a more satisfying texture and flavor.
As for the meat itself, I’ve been pretty much doing all-boneless short ribs burgers when I grind my own. That just makes a rich beef bomb. I don’t think there’s a cut of meat on the cow with a more meaty flavor, and the meat-to-fat ratio is perfect for hamburgers (which I like to be at least 20% fat, up to about 30% fat.) Some like to cut it with sirloin and chuck, but I’m not that fussy and short ribs give me unctuous burgers every time, so I’ve felt no need to complicate the process. I’ve never tried making them with skirt steak, but I think that’s a fabulous idea. If I’m lazy, the 80-20 ground chuck is what I go for.
The patty contains no ingredients inside other than the beef, and should be handled very lightly. Just enough to have it come together. A good burger should have a relatively light and airy texture. We’re not making a densely packed sausage. Salt and pepper always goes on the outside of the patty. Putting salt in the ground beef before mixing it changes its texture to something more sausage-like than burger-like. I had no idea how dramatic of a difference it makes, until I saw visual proof on this website.
