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Originally Posted by SupDock
Exactly. I saw a recipe that called for cracking an egg in the ground beef and putting in bread crumbs. What the ****?
Just be careful about pulling the meat out of the fridge too quick or handling it too much as the fat warms and it gets sticky
I like to put a dimple (make the middle thinner) in the middle to avoid the burger ending up super thick in the center.
I always use a thermometer because it is so easy to burn burgers. As above, shit goes fast when the fat drips on the coals.
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I had a cow about 3 years ago where the butcher just made the hamburger way too lean. With that entire cow I would add an egg yolk and a 'squirt' of vegetable oil to the mix just trying to get some fat in there. Otherwise the outside scorches more than it 'fries' and it's just not that good. Made a lot of tacos that year because it just didn't make good hamburgers.
And yeah, if you're grilling instead of smashing, the dimple is a must. Really helps prevent the meatball problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SupDock
With salt, I have always heard immediately before grilling, or at least 30 minutes before. In between makes an inferior product.
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Yeah, that's a fine rule of thumb. Like I said, I try to get an hour in there. And adding the salt right before you grill will have the same general impact as just adding it after. I typically add it after I pull them figuring the juice will dillute the salt and it will run into the patty and the condiments.
Oh, and the bun is a HUGELY underrated element. Get good buns - it's the first thing you truly notice on a burger. And put some mayo or cream cheese on your bottom bun. Some people hate mayo so I suggest cream cheese instead. Whatever you use, you need a fat layer on your bottom bun to keep the juices from running into that bottom slab and turning it into mush. It creates a barrier that keeps the juice in the meat better.