Everyone loves a burger, especially if it’s done right. Believe it or not, it’s pretty easy to mess up a burger, but here are ways to get it right every time.
Sarah with The Domestic Geek posts some of my favorite recipes on YouTube. The girl knows what she’s doing, and that’s no different with grilling a mean burger.
Here are 10 tips for getting the burger of your dreams:
1. Pick The Right Meat
The ratio of fat matters in a burger. Your ground beef has more flavor when there’s more fat, so if you want the perfect burger, go for a fattier cut of beef.
2. Always Use Freshly Ground Beef
If you can go to a butcher and have them grind the beef for you right then, that’s always best. You can even freeze the beef then use a food processor to grind it yourself. Fresh food is better food!
3. Don’t Overwork Your Beef
When you form your patties, try to touch the meat as little as possible. The more you work the meat, the tougher it’ll become. No one wants a tough burger.
4. Create A Dimple In The Center Before You Cook
Just use your thumb and create a little divet in the center of the burger. This helps the burger cook more evenly and stops the burger from puffing up while cooking.
5. Don’t Overseason
Okay, hear me out. When it comes to a classic burger, all you need is salt. Hard to believe, I know, but that’s how you do it! Obviously you can add more, but the salt really highlights the beef’s flavor best.
6. Refrigerate Your Burgers Before Cooking
Unlike steak, you want your burgers nice and cold before you cook them. It’ll help them stay together better on the grill. 20-30 minutes in the fridge should work.
7. Cook Over Medium High To High Heat
High heat creates a really beautiful color and crust on the outside without overcooking the center!
8. Flip As Many Times As You Want, But Don’t Press The Burger
Flipping the burger too many times is a myth, but pressing the burger is not. If you press the burger, you’re pressing out the juices, therefore pressing out the flavor. Just don’t.
9. Use A Meat Thermometer To Get The Doneness You’d Like
Checking the internal temperature of your burger will give you the burger you want. 160 F is well done, 130 is medium rare, and 140-145 is about medium. The choice is yours.
10. Dress Your Burger Right
Here are a couple of dressing tips that will make any burger better: butter your buns before your grill them for optimal flavor, and put lettuce on the bottom before your patty so the bun doesn’t get soggy!
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How delicious do these look? I can’t wait to use Sarah’s tips at my next barbecue.
What do you like to put on your burgers?