Shrinking Burger
- Thread starter kbreit
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
SierraCook
Master Chef
It could be the percentage of fat in the ground beef. The more fat the more the hamburger will shrink. The solution is to use a leaner ground beef or make the burgers larger to accomodate the shrinking.
Maverick2272
Washing Up
Exactly what Sierra said, the loss of fat as it cooks causes it to shrink. You can use a leaner meat but I prefer to just make em larger than the bun to begin with. I also like to add in other bonding agents like an egg, some bread crumbs, and spices and seasonings.
attie
Sous Chef
I have a piece of 1/4" thick stainless steel plate with a handle welded to it as a weight. If you could find anything with a bit of weight in it such as a cast iron plate the problem will be solved
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
i know that aussies are pretty tough, but i still prefer to eat hamburgers, not steel or cast iron. 
RobsanX
Sous Chef
i know that aussies are pretty tough, but i still prefer to eat hamburgers, not steel or cast iron.
bowlingshirt
Sous Chef
It's the fat that's cooking out. Personally, I would go with making the patties over-sized and not using a lean ground beef. The lean ground does not make for a good hamburger.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
The fat does melt out during cooking, along with water in the meat.
All meat fibers contract with the application of heat. This contraction forces juices out of the cells where it can be lost when you press a burger while it's cooking. This is why you rest cooked meat before eating or carving it. The rest period allows the meat to relax and reabsorb those juices.
All this to say it's the contracting muscle fibers that cause the burger to shrink.
All meat fibers contract with the application of heat. This contraction forces juices out of the cells where it can be lost when you press a burger while it's cooking. This is why you rest cooked meat before eating or carving it. The rest period allows the meat to relax and reabsorb those juices.
All this to say it's the contracting muscle fibers that cause the burger to shrink.
I make them a bit larger than I want and after shaping them, I make an indentation in the center. This prevents them from getting "puffed up" in the middle.
Lately, I've been eating turkey burgers. Not quite the same as a nice juicy 80% lean hamburger though.
Lately, I've been eating turkey burgers. Not quite the same as a nice juicy 80% lean hamburger though.
JohnL
Head Chef
Another vote here for 80 percent lean, nice ground chuck. Always make them a bit larger than the bun, they'll fit when you get done cooking them. Just don't cook em to death!
Well of course not
Yeah, I'd rather get a fattier meat and let it burn off than go lean.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
sketch182
Cook
I have a slightly different view. I go for a lean meat, but I add olive oil and any other spices/additions that I feel like. The olive oil keeps the meat moist and what is left in the burger is more healthy than beef fat. I find that shrinking is minimal since the olive oil takes little volume, unlike beef fat that is solid and shrinks/melts when heated.
IMO, if I'm going with more expensive lean meat, I'd fore-go the EVOO and enjoy the health benefits of low fat...Even though OO has some healthy EFAs, they die and turn toxic at 350f...
sketch182
Cook
There are many theories about using oils at high temperatures. The common theme is that the higher the temperature, the more they lose their beneficial properties.
I'm mostly interested in replacing solid fats with an oil that has a less harmful effect and has to be better than fat solids.
If you are making them yourself, make them slightly bigger than you want and put a nice thumbprint divot in the center of each one. Not sure why it works but it keeps them from shrinking as much.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
The thumbprint is a great technique, but it does not do anything to keep the burgers from shrinking. It is there because without it the burger bulges in the center. When you put the indentation in the middle then it will still bulge a little, but it will even out with the rest of the burger.
So why do my burgers not shrink as much then GB? I thought the thumbprint thing was about keeping the burgers level so they seemed to fill the bun better. Am I out to lunch?
Scotch
Head Chef
Use leaner meat and make bigger patties and don't cook beyond medium.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
I think they are shrinking just as much, but you are shrinking an equal amount so you don't notice it
