Best cut for burgers?

[HappyAvocado]

im having a party soon and i was going to make assorted burgers, some turkey, some homemade veggie, and some beef. to keep this thing on the cheaper side, i was going to buy a large innexpensive cut of beef and grind it myself ( i only buy organic meats... and when i buy organic beef ground is more expensive than a lot of the chuck roast type cuts). has anyone ground their own beef? is there a prefered cut, and how much fat should i include?

thanks!

 

[Alix]

I have used chuck, and you can choose the amount you like to include. I like to use about 5%.

 

[Andy M.]

I use ground chuck for burgers. Chuck is a more flavorful cut and less expensive as well. Experts recommend 80% to 85% lean. This gives you nice juicy burgers full of flavor.

If you buy a boneless chuck roast that's reasonably well trimmed (a nice thin layer of fat around the outside), you should be in the right fat/lean neighborhood.

 

[GB]

Here is another vote for chuck. It has good flavor and some fat to help make a juicy burger

 

[HappyAvocado]

excellent, thank you. chuck it is, i cant wait! what could be better than a burger party!

 

[Michael in FtW]

Here's one more vote for chuck. Doesn't really make any sense to use a more expensive cut of beef for burgers.

 

[Robo410]

chuck is excellent for burgers. If you go real lean, then you really have to add moist veggies to make them tender (a fine chop of mushrooms, onions, etc sauted) (just my opinion) 80 to 85% lean is most chefs recommendation.

 

[ch3f]

I have to put my vote for tenderloin...i know it should crazy but, when you work in restaurants that fab. there on meats you get a lot of usable meat from the tenderloin, good for grinding, add a little fois gras in for fat and flavor and FORGET ABOUT IT hope that does blow that budget...hahaha

 

[Bangbang]

I like a mix of 1/2 ground chuck and 1/2 ground sirloin.

 

[Tater Tot]

I have to put my vote for tenderloin...i know it should crazy but, when you work in restaurants that fab. there on meats you get a lot of usable meat from the tenderloin, good for grinding, add a little fois gras in for fat and flavor and FORGET ABOUT IT hope that does blow that budget...hahaha

The whole butt end or just the tender trimmed out? the whole tenderloin will leave the silver and wil be like grisle.. Trimmed out will cost about 15$ a .25lb patty... My choice is a seven bone steak ground with a chuck eye steak 2/3 to 1/3..If your going to grind yourself. Just remember organic beef dosent realy change the flavor just the chemical levels in the beef..If you want a real burger 3/4 buffalo 1/4 pork...


Tater tot

 

[ch3f]

Just the trimming, minus the sliver skin.

 

[htc]

Question for you seasoned at home meat grinders...

When I buy chuck, sometimes there is virtually no fat on the roast. In this case, what should you do? Can I just add some oil to the ground meat and mix in with my hands?

*sigh* Another time to be sad that I (or rather my Dad) no longer am in the meat business.

 

[Robo410]

I hope you get a variety of answers to this. You could just buy a1/2 pound of beef fat (yes they sell it) or something like salt pork or fat back and add it in. The fat back would give a nice flavor boost. You could do an Alton Brown and put in some ground pork. Biut let's assume you don't want pork product in your ground BEEF. I would put roasted garlic and olive oil. It would give you a healthier fat and great flavor from the roasted garlic. Or caramelized onion (also done in olive oil.) Either of those work beautifully. I also add a bit of fresh oregano. really good burgers.

I also like meat loaf burgers so I grind beef pork lamb, or chicken turkey veal together and add the garlic or onion and herbs.

But let's get some other ideas.

 

[HappyAvocado]

thanks everybody!

ch3f... sounds great but way out of my budget. maybe ill make that burger for the family some day, but my BBQ guests are going to have to settle for regular old burgers, hah hah.

tatertot... yes, organic beef does taste the same, but grass fed organic beef tastes quite different to me! the organic is not a flavor issue for me so much as an ethical issue. but thats another thread.

htc, my butcher will sell me pure fat if i ask for it... they dont keep it in the glass case but the butcher has a lot of good stuff hidden in those big freezer rooms.


not opposed to the addition of a little bit of pork, maybe ill check out alton's section of the foodnetwork site and see what he has to say about the subject.

thanks again!

 

[Constance]

I love ground chuck for burgers. For years, I'd buy the chuck roasts on sale and have my butcher grind them for me.
If you're doing a variety of burgers, you might consider these:

Tuna Burger
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna, drained
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped pimento, optional
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the tuna, bread crumbs, and egg, and stir lightly. Add the onion, celery, pimento (if using), lemon juice, horseradish, garlic, and pepper, and mix again. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook the patties, covered, until golden brown. Carefully flip the patties and cook the other side for 5 minutes. Finish baking in the oven until golden brown.
***********************

Black and Blue Burger
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

4 ounces blue cheese
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground chuck

In a medium bowl, mash together blue cheese and butter. Salt and pepper mixture, to taste. Place mixture on plastic wrap and roll up to form a cylinder. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. After cheese mixture has firmed up, divide ground beef into 4 equal portions and make an indention in the center of each patty. Slice blue cheese mixture into 4 equal parts and place in indentation in patties. Mold ground beef around the cheese mixture to cover. Cook on hot grill or in skillet to desired doneness.

 

[Tater Tot]

thanks everybody!

tatertot... yes, organic beef does taste the same, but grass fed organic beef tastes quite different to me! the organic is not a flavor issue for me so much as an ethical issue. but thats another thread.

I know Im my own taste free range beef is too tough and stringy like lamb from new zeland..I checked on the organic laws for beef and it seems that it only counts (for now) the raising of the beef and not when it reaches the feed lots, where some are fed ground news papers, asphalt, chalk and all sorts of thangs to raise kill weight that the FDA USDA ASPCA deem ok..

Like I said as the law for lableing organic for now (progressive grocer augest2005)

The Tot

 

[HappyAvocado]

I know Im my own taste free range beef is too tough and stringy like lamb from new zeland..I checked on the organic laws for beef and it seems that it only counts (for now) the raising of the beef and not when it reaches the feed lots, where some are fed ground news papers, asphalt, chalk and all sorts of thangs to raise kill weight that the FDA USDA ASPCA deem ok..

Like I said as the law for lableing organic for now (progressive grocer augest2005)

The Tot

okay, this is slightly off topic...
the laws on what can be called organic vary from state to state, so if you checked all of the states laws that would be a lot of checking! california, where i live, is one of the strictist. i should have been more specific, i buy my meat from local farms that i know through my own research to raise sustainably farmed and humanely raised meats. every time i buy meat i make sure that i know the ranch that it came from, and if i have not heard of the ranch i do not buy it.

Edited to add: i also wanted to clarify that the reason that i mentioned the organic beef in the first place was to explain that because of cost i was not going to buy already ground meat... i thought that conventionally farmed meat is probably cheaper ground so i wanted to avoid confusion, not to start a debate on factory farming. can we pretty please keep this on topic. i have gotten so many good responses from people answering my actual question.

 

[HappyAvocado]

back on topic again... i spoke to my regular butcher (gotta know your butcher, it makes all the difference!) and he recomended 50/50 chuck and sirlion, with 5-10% fat. bangbang, this was your recomendation as well... does the sirlion add additional flavor? i can also get buffalo, is anyone familiar with this meat, and if so, how does it compare to beef? thanks.

 

[Tater Tot]

okay, this is slightly off topic...
i have gotten so many good responses from people answering my actual question.

I was a little confused.. For that I must say excuse me...My living is paid for by meat so some times I go alittle over board and tend to over stress the subject//