Pre-Made Burger Patties

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Andy M.

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I usually buy a six-pound package of ground beef from Costco and package it in half-pound portions for freezing. Half-pound portions are convenient for burgers and recipes that call for a pound of ground beef.

Last time we were at Costco, I saw a package of pre-made half pound pattys in the meat case right next to the regular ground beef packages and bought one as a labor-saving option. I assumed there would be no difference.

These pattys appear to have been extruded like sausage meat and mechanically sliced of in half-pound portions.

There is a difference. It appears pre-made burgers are much more densely packed. It takes several minutes more to grill to the same degree of doneness as hand-shaped burgers and they are tougher.

Has anyone else noticed this?
 
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I usually buy a six-pound package of ground beef from Costco and package it in half-pound portions for freezing. Half-pound portions are convenient for burgers and recipes that call for a pound of ground beef.

Last time we were at Costco, I saw a package of pre-made half pound pattys in the meat case right next to the regular ground beef packages and bought one as a labor-saving option. I assumed there would be no difference.

These pattys appear to have been extruded like sausage meat and mechanically sliced of in half-pound portions.

There is a difference. It appears pre-made burgers are much more densely packed. It takes several minutes more to grill to the same degree of doneness as hand-shaped burgers and they are tougher.

Has anyone else noticed this?
I buy those at Costco all the time. They cost the same per kg as the big lump of ground beef. They are awfully big for a burger. :ermm: Tried that once, but the shape is too regular. I wrap them individually and freeze them. Then if I need ground beef I take out how every many I need. We usually make three burgers out of two of them.
 
I buy 4oz (¼ pound) burgers from Omaha Steaks. They are made with aged grain fed beef and individually wrapped. They will thaw in cold water in about 30 minutes, ready to cook. They also have 6oz (⅓ pound) and 8oz ([FONT=Times New Roman, serif]½[/FONT] pound) burgers available if that interests you, but I prefer 4oz.
 
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I'm asking about the difference in texture and density of machine made pattys and hand formed pattys.
 
I haven't found a pre-made patty I like yet. I think they cook differently and do not taste the same. Maybe it is freezer burn or the density causes the fat to flare more and taste more like a charbroiled patty. They tend to give me heartburn too.

I rarely use frozen meat for burgers. Everytime I use fresh beef everybody comments on how good the burgers are. I do freeze ground
beef all the time (after making burgers) but I use it for meatballs/meatloaf/tacos etc. Fresh is the way to go if you can.
 
I know they sell a "quick cook" Pattie in the food service industry. The grain of the meat is runs through the Pattie so the heat travels through it quicker and easier when it cooks. They fill large tubes with the ground beef so the grain runs through lengthways. Then, they freeze it and slice the patties on a band saw. There is one they call a natural look, or bear paw. Every one looks exactly the same. I also think they ground the meat so fine it is almost a paste when it comes out. So, the fat is so incorporated in the meat that it binds and firms up like that when cooked. Not sure if they use some similar process for fresh patties.
 
I've never been a fan of pre-formed patties. I agree that they are more dense or tighter textured. I doubt that they are formed from regular ground beef, but have their own process.
 
I've never been a fan of pre-formed patties. I agree that they are more dense or tighter textured. I doubt that they are formed from regular ground beef, but have their own process.
I'm not a fan of the pre-formed patties for making burgers. The ones at Costco, at least at my local, Canadian Costco, look like they are made of the same ground beef as the stuff in the big lump. They are not perfectly regular. There are no added ingredients. I think they make them into those patties at the store. They make wrapping 1/2 pound chunks for the freezer easier. They work fine for meatloaf, meatballs, etc.
 
I've never bought pre-made patties, but just the way everyone is describing it makes it sound similar to the burgers one gets at fast food places, which are less like meat and more like press board.
 
I guess I was surprised by this difference because I have never bought these pattys before so wasn't aware of the difference.

Live and learn. Back to making my own - after I polish off 8 more pre-formed pattys.
 
I guess I was surprised by this difference because I have never bought these pattys before so wasn't aware of the difference.

Live and learn. Back to making my own - after I polish off 8 more pre-formed pattys.

If you grill those patties, and then break them up, they are great in home made chili, and soups, where the simmering liquid tenderizes and loosens them up a bit. Plus, the flame grilled flavor adds greatly to good chili.:yum:

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
If you grill those patties, and then break them up, they are great in home made chili, and soups, where the simmering liquid tenderizes and loosens them up a bit. Plus, the flame grilled flavor adds greatly to good chili.:yum:

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Thanks for the tip, Chief. I was thinking about chili the other day. I usually use cubed boneless chuck for my red.

I'm thinking I'll break up the pre-formed pattys and re-form them loosely for grilling.
 
I don't like the Costco patties for just the reason you mention Andy. Its like all they've been compressed like a zip file. I DO buy preformed patties, but I buy either the bison burgers or the Angus burgers at Save On foods. Very juicy, tasty and tender and the price definitely reflects the quality. No comparison at all to the Costco burgers.

I generally buy burgers when we're having a large group of people over and I sure as heck don't want to make all those burgers by hand! I'm lazy like that.
 
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