Thick or Thin Burger Patties???

[Andy M.]

Tomato on the bottom? Blasphemy!

Yes, tomato on the bottom and genoa salami under the cheese.

 

[caseydog]

KC, have you tried a Keller's Speciecial *1 at the old Car Hop on Loop 12? there may still be the old original place in Keller Springs. Really nice micro thin big burger. They make a version of it here in Austin at Hut's Hamburgers, but it is Way to big.


Eric, Austin Tx.

I haven't heard of The Car Hop. I'll have to check it out.

CD

 

[Cheryl J]

Between thick and thin, I prefer the thin side. I want to be able to get a bite out of a nicely charred grilled burger without the fillings squishing out of the side.

My bread of choice for burgers is onion buns, toasted on the grill with the patties. My fave is an Ortega burger...grilled patty, lettuce, tomato, whole Ortega green chiles, and a slice of Monterey Jack. I like a leaf of lettuce on the bottom of the burger and on the top to help keep the bun from getting soggy.

Now I SO want a burger.

 

[RPCookin]

I like hamburgers. That's about it.






I like 'em thick, and I like 'em not as thick, but I want enough meat so it's the star of the show and will shine through the condiments. If the patty is too thin, then I want a double. I want a patty that's as big as the bun, regardless of the thickness. Toasted onion or wheat bun (my preferred brand here is Orowheat). Sear the burger hot so the edges have a bit of a crunch. I never buy preformed patties. When having burgers at home I always make my own by hand.

Start with the bottom half of the toasted bun. Ketchup and mustard, then a slice of raw onion. Next is the meat, cheese (usually American, nicely melted), lettuce, tomato, mayo, and top half of bun. I can and do change it up, but this is my favorite, classic burger.

I first had one made up like this in the mid 1950's when I was a kid in White Bear Lake, MN. There was a restaurant in town called The Malt Shoppe, and in Minnesota back then, that burger was called a California hamburger (I guess that was the first place that built one with that stack of condiments). That burger along with a chocolate malt for dinner on Friday evening before the weekly grocery shopping is one of my fondest childhood memories. The restaurant is gone, and I haven't seen "California hamburger" on a menu for nearly 60 years, yet I still miss it.

I have had, and liked, many variations on the lowly hamburger. One of my favorite lunch stops when I'm in Denver is to hit a Red Robin. They have a lot of different offerings that I like, except I usually sub onion rings for their steak fries. Their Whiskey River BBQ burger that comes topped with fried onion straws is quite tasty.

There is another Denver area brew pub called CB & Potts that has a really good variety of burgers. Most brew pubs tend to have decent burgers, but some also have good fish 'n chips, so it's often a dilemma deciding which to have.

 

[Markf]

I vote for thinner burgers. The bun, toppings, and meat need to balance out. I cannot get that balance with a thicker burger.

Mark

 

[Addie]

Two problems for me. I am not a bread eater. I just don't like the texture of it. So I always opt for a rare burger on the thin side. I use the bread as a means to hold it all together.

My second problem is serving me a large helping of any food. I immediately feel overwhelmed and can never decide where I should start. Pirate one day when he was in the Dollar Store, he spotted a child's plate and matching soup bowl. Perfect size for me. If I manage to eat that first helping, then I can always ask for a small second one.

Fried onions, one thin slice of tomato, and if the bun is well toasted, I most likely will eat that also. Just one more thing though. After all the cooking has been completed for it, I want both sides of the bun smeared with lots of mayo or butter.

 

[tenspeed]

So I always opt for a rare burger on the thin side. I use the bread as a means to hold it all together.

Eating rare ground beef is dangerous. USDA guidelines call for a minimum internal temperature of 160 F for ground beef. Are you looking for e coli sickness?

 

[CraigC]

Eating rare ground beef is dangerous. USDA guidelines call for a minimum internal temperature of 160 F for ground beef. Are you looking for e coli sickness?

My father and oldest brother used to eat raw ground beef (purchased from the grocery store) sandwiches with a thick slice of raw onion, salt and pepper. That isn't what killed them. The USDA also requires that prosciutto imported from Italy or Iberico ham imported from Spain, go through a longer curing process than what those countries have been doing for hundreds of years. Just sayin.

 

[tenspeed]

My father and oldest brother used to eat raw ground beef (purchased from the grocery store) sandwiches with a thick slice of raw onion, salt and pepper. That isn't what killed them. The USDA also requires that prosciutto imported from Italy or Iberico ham imported from Spain, go through a longer curing process than what those countries have been doing for hundreds of years. Just sayin.

People drive without wearing seat belts, ride motorcycles without wearing helmets, and eat at Chipotles. Most don't suffer any negative consequences. I guess you have to decide what risks you are willing to take.

 

[GotGarlic]

Eating rare ground beef is dangerous. USDA guidelines call for a minimum internal temperature of 160 F for ground beef. Are you looking for e coli sickness?

Especially for elderly people whose immune systems are often compromised.

 

[caseydog]

I haven't heard of The Car Hop. I'll have to check it out.

CD

Oh, I know what you are referring to, now. Keller Springs is a major road in the North suburbs, which threw me off.

Keller's is a Dallas landmark, with car hops.

It is a drive-in burger joint that serves beer. It is a big time hot-rod hang out. Not my kind of car thing, so I've never eaten their. I've driven by many times.

CD

 

[giggler]

Glad you got it, I should have made it more clear..


I'm form DFW and there are still a few Old School places like Keller's in town.


The burgers (thin) are good and they serve a Poppy Seed bun which is odd. Also, Tater Tots only as I recall.


No seating, maybe a picknic table. You roll down your window half way and the pretty girl on roller skates hooks the tray on the door.



I wonder if you can still do that with electric windows?


Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I don't eat bread, so for me it's all about the meat. I like fat burgers, and I like them pink in the middle.

I also don't buy pre-ground burger. I'd rather grind it myself. It doesn't take that much time, and I know exactly what's in it. I have one of those old fashioned meat grinders if I want to be real putzy, but I've also pulsed it in the food processor. The trick is to cut the meat into 2" chunks and put it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before grinding so it's very cold and chops cleanly. Then just pulse it until it's chopped finely, but not so much that it's turned to goo.

 

[di reston]

I'm with Steve. For me, burger meat has to have the right amonunt of lean beef, fat beef from a different part from the carcase, and fat to bind it well. If you don't have a good burger the rest of the procedure is not up to scratch. My American Classics advises that with the right meat, you can get very good results. They advise '100% percent ground-chuck meat for hamburgers, and they also say if you have the right kind of meat, the perfect hamburgers can be ready in 15 minutes, assuming you season, form, and cook it properly. 'The biggest diffiiculty for many cooks, though, may finding the right beef.

To test which cuts of beef, though may be finding the right beef.'
Therefore, the quality of beef required has to be carefully chosen. The last sentence is crucial, as it would seem that you have to be careful about the quality of beef you need to source.

Now, I'm a novice, although I've been studying American for quite a while now. As with many, I find that reseach helps a lot, but it does'nt necessarly solves the queries!

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[caseydog]

I'm with Steve. For me, burger meat has to have the right amonunt of lean beef, fat beef from a different part from the carcase, and fat to bind it well. If you don't have a good burger the rest of the procedure is not up to scratch. My American Classics advises that with the right meat, you can get very good results. They advise '100% percent ground-chuck meat for hamburgers, and they also say if you have the right kind of meat, the perfect hamburgers can be ready in 15 minutes, assuming you season, form, and cook it properly. 'The biggest diffiiculty for many cooks, though, may finding the right beef.

To test which cuts of beef, though may be finding the right beef.'
Therefore, the quality of beef required has to be carefully chosen. The last sentence is crucial, as it would seem that you have to be careful about the quality of beef you need to source.

Now, I'm a novice, although I've been studying American for quite a while now. As with many, I find that reseach helps a lot, but it does'nt necessarly solves the queries!

Ground chuck is the American burger standard meat. You want 80/20 meat to fat ratio. No leaner than that.

Some people use ground sirloin, which tastes good, but isn't as moist. Other people mix ground chuck and other ground beef cuts, like brisket.

Personally, I use 80/20 ground chuck. It tastes good, and it makes a really juicy burger.

CD

 

[Rocklobster]

I/we make about 150-200 burger patties a week at work. I have lots of trim from our rib eyes and strip loins we cut for the meat counter..I combine that 80/20 with AAA Beef inside round..An important tip is to not over pack the patties so they will have a nice texture when they are cooked..I also use a large holed plate when grinding as I find the meat and fat are not as fine so once a lot of the fat melts off you are left with a looser packed patty that traps more juice.This would not be favorable for retail as you can see the ground pieces of fat in the burger patty..I believe the supermarkets use small plate to incorporate the fat so you get a uniform color texture..

 

[caseydog]

I make about 150 burger patties a week at work. I have lots of trim from our rib eyes and strip loins we cut for the meat counter..I combine that 80/20 with AAA Beef inside round..An important tip is to not over pack the patties so they will have a nice texture when they are cooked..I also use a large holed plate when grinding as I find the meat and fat are not as fine so once a lot of the fat melts off you are left with a looser packed patty that traps more juice.

Yeah, but you are Canadian... you eat poutine, and your bacon ain't right.

You definitely don't want to overwork your ground beef, unless you want a dense meat puck on a bun. Keep it loose, for sure.

CD

 

[Rocklobster]

Yeah, but you are Canadian... you eat poutine, and your bacon ain't right.


CD

You guys are the ones who messed up the whole bacon thing by calling pork loin Canadian bacon..we eat regular bacon just like you do. Do they order French fries in France? Or do the Greeks as for Greek salad in Athens??
Why, I oughta!.....

 

[buckytom]

AND he calls it pork roll, not Taylor Ham!

<<wagging finger>> For shame!

 

[msmofet]

and he calls it pork roll, not taylor ham!

<<wagging finger>> for shame!

rotflmbo!