GREAT Burgers

i saw the issue as well, a local QPR wine store was featured in it, Wine Savor, that i've talked about before on this board

this is my burger recipe, everytime... couldn't tell you if it's GREAT, i mean i think it is and others love it too, but personal preference is exactly that...

*1/2 8-15% fat ground sirloin
*1/2 ground "round" beef
*1-2 (depending on how much making) free range eggs, goose eggs even better
*bread crumbs set out from the night before
*worcestershire sauce
*touch of soy sauce
*super diced red onions
*Lawry's Prime Rib salt
*ground black pepper

mmm... im making myself hungry

...I'll find the recipe and get back here - it's from a greasy spoon in eastern Oregon and it's a big hi-grade beef burger w/ blue cheese and an egg over easy in there, too. I'll post when I find it.

Normally I use...

Ground Beef (I never paid much attention to fat %, nor have I mixed different ground meats)
finely diced onions
worcestershire sauce
eggs
breadcrumbs
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

My burgers are good, and others like them... but I wouldn't call them "WOW!!!"

the beef does make a difference, think about the extreme, a Kobe beef burger...

fat makes a difference as well, i mean, its not the healthiest thing, but your burger will be more juicy the fattier it is, that's why i add in the "round" instead of other cuts...

and i try and use the freshest ingredients i can, there's alot of fruit/vegetable stands off a HWY close to my house, along with a guy who sells free-range eggs for fun, chicken & goose, the sum, at least in my opinon, adds up to an all around better burger... and don't forget a great tasting bun, lettuce, tomato's, cheese, etc...!!!

I'll give it a try. Man... reading this makes it feel like summer.

i generally follow kumazam 's recipe, but never never eat , use or allow my children to eat ground beef. i will only use ground sirloin, ground chicken breast, or veal.

drthvader

the ground beef i use isn't the ground beef sold in markets or butcher shops, it's the actual "round" cut... the equivalent would be chopped stew meat, or round/rump roast, etc... then i ask the butcher to ground it...

im in the boat with you regarding regular ground beef

mwagner

because of this post, hamburgers tomorrow

What's the deal with this ground beef? Are you refering to Mad Cow?

And with that... 1100 posts.

no not mad cow at all, at least for me... i think the standards for what goes into ground beef vs. ground sirloin are lower, thats all

Actually, no not the reason. Ground beef comes from many, many cows, in fact about 30 to 50 cows could be part of the ground beef you buy. Not to mention the fact that all kinds of parts are thrown into ground beef, ears , nose , certain organs , you name it, it is probably there.I buy sirloin and ask that it be ground, i see what i'm getting and know it is not from 30 different cows and no organs , or cow parts etc. Sorry pal, but you asked.

I just buy a whole chuck roast, cut it into about 1" pieces, and then use my food processor to grind it myself. If you do this in small batches, with only about 10 pulses, you get great texture. Then I just add salt and pepper, and they're ready to go. This way I'm also comfortable grilling them medium rare. A juicy burger is a beautiful thing!

Wiser men than I have said it many times before: The secret to a lot of flavor is a lot of fat.

You want to make a really good, juicy burger, use ground beef with at least 15% fat – and don’t over cook it. Personally, I like to mix in a little powdered beef bullion, too – to really pump up the “beefiness.” But beyond that, I think “the simpler, the better” is the way to go.

Then put some good fixins on top – cheddar cheese and slices of raw onion and nice ripe tomato and couple of pickles and ketchup… Yum! Where’s my glass of Zinfandel?

Drth,

Are you telling me that "lips and a$$holes" are in ground beef as well? Geez, now I won't be able to eat hotdogs OR burgers!

its a fact Baird.

Salmon Burger:

1 salmon patty
1 brioche bun
Bearnaise sauce
Red onion sliced
Swiss cheese.

Freakin good AND different!

STEF, that's an embarrassing burger. We're talking beef here, not sally salmon burgers.

shame on you!

Angus,

- Flatten out into 1/4 Lb patties
- Top with
1) McCormick's Seasoning Salt (orange)
2) McCormick's Garlic Salt
3) " " Onion Salt
4) Black Pepper
5) Sugar

Keeps them nice and juicy, but not too greasy... lots of flavor. Don't worry... alot of it burns off while grilling... but it still gives it great flavor. Nothing special... but we love it.

LJ

"Drink up, me hardies, YO HO!"

Check out this Sam Guigino article from the 5/31/02 issue about great burgers.

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Archives/Show_Article/0,1275,3666,00.html

I have to agree 1/2 chuck and 1/2 sirloin makes a great burger. If you use standard ground beef, no matter what additives you use, it's going to taste like a basic burger. Changing the meat really makes a difference and makes for a GREAT burger.

Yeah, I remember reading that also. Thanks for the refresh!!!

Great burgers don't need bread crumbs or eggs. Good beef, a little spice, and an absolute must, 2-3 tablespoons of liquid per half pound of meat to make the burgers juicy. Use beer, water, or chicken broth.

Just one more sip.

You guys are making me friggin hungry!!!

A good juicy burger recipe is to put a little "disc" roquefort cheese in the middle of the patty before grilling. Also a F&W recipe. Delicious, try it. Assuming you like roquefort of course.

i prefer politically incorrect burger - veal!

straight up, no additives or flavorings, just veal, salt, pepper and olive oil.

oh, yeah, and i salt it well ahead of time, shape patties and let sit at room temperature half a day.
i'm having it tonight on ciabatta bread with grilled green onions, some baby mizuna salad, heirloom tomatoes, Niman Ranch bacon and Chimay cheese ...with a '96 Cahors! i can't wait... oh, mama...

Steve8,

How are you able to stuff the disc of cheese into the meat patty without the cheese oozing out when it is grilled...I seem to have had the problem everytime.

the patty is secure in depend....

When I'm not too worried about fat intake, I use ground round or half ground chuck and half ground sirloin. I mix it with very finely minced garlic, dijon mustard (mustard powder also works) Worstchestire sauce, a dash of hot sauce (something good like Dave's Hurtin Habanero) a little lime juice, salt and pepper and some beer.

a

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?" -- W.C. Fields

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sapril Nguyen:
Steve8,

How are you able to stuff the disc of cheese into the meat patty without the cheese oozing out when it is grilled...I seem to have had the problem everytime.

---

Sapril, some of it does inevitably ooze out. I try not to squeeze the patty down too much while cooking. I also don't use all the butter that the F&W recipe calls for. I think that makes it thicker and less "oozy".

OK, I'm resurrecting this since a "prime burger weekend" is almost upon us.

Last night I was picking up the meat for my burgers. I got the ground sirloin as stated above. However, for the "second meat" there were too many choices. I could have had ground "round", ground "chuck" or ground "beef". I remembered the Food and Wine article, so I bought ground "chuck". However, which one is the best. (By the way, I got 13% fat for the sirloin and 20% fat for the chuck).

Ground round is usually the leanest, ground chuck is still relatively lean, and ground "beef" tends to be the fattiest.

I think the 15% variety makes a good burger, and it's very forgiving. Even if you cook the hell out of it, it's still going to be very moist.

However, lately I've been buying 7% ground sirloin, which makes a very tasty burger provided it's not cooked past medium-rare to medium. It's a very lean burger, but provided it's still pink, it'll be very tasty.

mwags,

ur the man, totally forgot about Burgers for this weekend... because of you, Burgers are back on the menu!

I'm making them on Monday...

1 lb. Ground Sirloin (as above)
1 lb. Ground Chuck (as above)
handful of finely diced red onions
8 tblspn. McEwan's Scotch Ale
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

We'll see how these are. Future modifications include adding the smoker box to the grill w/ hickory, adding chopped garlic, adding different spices (granulated garlic or onion, cayenne, paprika, etc.), trying different "moisturizers" (soy, Worcestershire, beef broth, etc.). But if these turn out good... I'm leaving it alone.

No eggs, breadcrumbs, onions - leave that for the meatloaf.

Simple seasonings - salt and pepper.

Don't forget the bacon and cheese!!!

Then you can add the fresh produce.

That is what I had last Saturday night with an '02 Waterstone Cab

My recipe is much like Whiner's. Usually a mix of ground sirloin and lean beef. Hot sauce, eggs, oatmeal (to bind), dijon, minced garlic, coarsely ground pepper, salt and touch of cumin. I pay careful attention to not overwork the meat when mixing and forming the patties to keep them tender.
I always cook them all the way through, no pink whatsoever. I like my steaks medium rare, but ground meat - whether ground by a butcher or me is a different matter and I would prefer not to get E. Coli. So no pink in the middle.

The Kobe Beef Burger that we had downstairs in the cellar of the Martini house in St Helena is outstanding. At the time they served it with onions marinated in red wine....Yum.

One of our sawmills, Scott Lumber also owns several thousand acres of farmland. Every year they have a deer burger cookout with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and corn on the cob. Now, I don't mind wild game, but I also don't like a heavy gamey taste. However, these were some of the best burgers that I have ever had. I asked Bob, the grill master, and he said that they add 40% pork to hold the deer meat together and to soften the taste a little. Fast forward a year to the next cookout, and I say to one of our salesmen, "go ahead and get another, deer meat and pork is alot better for you than beef". Thats when I found out the truth, they don't add pork meat, just pork fat. No wonder why those burgers tasted so good.

I think I've changed tonight's menu from pecan-crusted tilapia to BURGERS!! I think, though, if you use good meat, you don't need to add anything but a little sea salt and cracked pepper. Once in a while, I will stuff a little pat of herb butter in the middle...which melts on the grill and keeps the burger so juicy!

I always do only sea salt and pepper...

quote:

Originally posted by Bella Donna:
I always do only sea salt and pepper...

Do you not tenderize?

I recently had a bison burger covered with goats cheese and a little truffle oil - outstanding.

1). 1 lb Ground Sirloin (10%) + 1/2 lb Ground Tenderloin, pattied and grilled medium rare.

2). Kosher salt and ground black pepper corns

3). Vidalia onion, sliced, seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil...grilled.

4.) Slice of ripe Ugli tomato, or Hanover tomato.

5). A good dijon mustard.

6). Toasted onion roll.

F**king yummmmm!