Grilled Burgers Don't Taste Grilled.

[mborner]

I've been a burger connoisseur all my life. I've had some mighty tasty burgers in my 50 years. I believe there are rules that should never be broken when preparing a great burger. I prefer my burgers grilled and I've experienced some great grilled burgers in my life. As much as I love a good burger, I just cannot seem to make a great one, myself. I've been grilling burgers for 30+ years and the closest I can get to great is just "okay". When I go out for a grilled burger they always have this wonderful, very smoky grilled flavor. It's hard to describe, really. I guess the best way to describe what my homemade burgers lack is that although they're grilled, they taste more like they're just heated up on a grill. They don't have that very important "missing" smokiness to them. When they're grilling they smell absolutely divine. They should taste like they smell but they don't.
So, here's where I've been to try to conquer the perfect burger.

1. I've tried gas and charcoal, no difference.
2. I've tried charcoal with fuel or without fuel.
3. The last grill I had had been seasoned for 10 years.
4. The grill had everything you could think of cooked on it.
5. Burgers only get flipped once.
6. I only use ground chuck.
7. I've tried ground brisket and a mixture of both.
8. I've had the supermarket grind chuck roast right in front of me.
9. I use salt and pepper only, and only after the meat hits the grill.
10. I barely knead the meat. I can still see the grinding in the beef patty.
11. I’ve cooked them from medium to burnt to a crisp.
12. I've tried adding a drop of liquid smoke to the meat (gross)
13. I've tried brushing vegetable oil and olive oil on the meat before grilling.
14. I've tried buying premium beef from a butcher.
15. I've let them sit at room temp. for 45 minutes before grilling.
16. I usually close the grill lid for the entire process but I've tried leaving it open.

I've been over to friends' houses and had grilled burgers that were absolutely fantastic. When I ask them what their secret is, they don't quite know what this smokiness is that I speak of. In other words, they aren't doing anything special.

What am I not getting, here? I just want my burgers to be better than just "okay".

 

[Steve Kroll]

One of the places I used to eat at many years ago had a reputation for outstanding burgers. Even though they were cooked on a griddle, they had a nice smoky flavor. One day I had a chance to talk to cook. Their secret: liquid smoke was added to the meat.

I'm not saying all places do that. I personally think grilling over lump charcoal gives burgers noticeable smokiness, but when you can't do that because of time or weather constraints, liquid smoke is a nice shortcut. I don't think there is anything gross about it because it really is nothing but alcohol infused with smoke.

 

[puffin3]

Yep. Liquid smoke is the answer. 'SV' the burgers. add a couple of drops of the liquid smoke to the ground beef. Nothing else. When the burgers are cooked remove from SV and quickly sear on the grill.

 

[larry_stewart]

A few drops goes a long way.

 

[pacanis]

I use 80% hamburg and grill over high, direct heat. You need to get the juices dripping down, getting the flames to come up and lick the burgers causing all kinds of smoke. If you can close your lid and not snuff out the flames, all the better.

 

[buckytom]

i agree with mr. canis that you have to cook a somewhat fatty burger over high heat to get "that taste". it's about the fat smoke as well as the char.

also, a gas grill is nice but unless you're cooking a load of burgers to get a lot of fat smoke going, it won't be the same. even then i prefer to cook over lump hardwood when possible, like steve mentioned, to get additional real smoke flavour. i'm not a fan of liquid smoke unless i's way in the background, almost unnoticable.

i just started looking (again) into getting my first full sized weber kettle grill, the 22 1/2" gold series, mostly because i miss cooking things like burgers and shish kebabs over real coals for that authentic taste. i gave in to the gassy dark side a number of years ago for convenience, but with the rare exceptions of when i've used my little smokey joe on outings to a lake or picnic area, my grilling has suffered like jabba the hut on weight watchers .

 

[mborner]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I've tried Liquid Smoke in my ground beef but that is definitely not the flavor I'm after. I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy. I've seen other people just throw ground chuck on the grill with nothing else added and the burgers have this magnificent, smoky, I don't know, caramelized flavor? I just feel that my burgers should taste like they smell when they're grilling, but they don't. That wonderful grilling smell should carry on through the burger but I'm unable to accomplish it. They basically taste like they're fried, but on a grate.

Last year I was at a friend’s house and I couldn't believe how good the burgers were. I asked his Wife (she was preparing the patties) what she was doing that made them so incredibly awesome. She didn't really know what to say because all she was doing was forming ground chuck into patties and her Husband was throwing them on a gas grill.

My grill has a stainless steel grate, would cooking on an iron or ceramic grate make a difference?

 

[no mayonnaise]

The only way you can get the flavor you're after is when the liquids and fat drip down from the meat as it cooks onto the heat source and carbonize. That's what differentiates grilling from other cooking methods... which is also why it drives me nuts seeing people "grill" on aluminum foil, but that's beside the point. And it only makes sense, considering there's no other source of the smoky, grill-ey flavor if you omit liquid smoke from the equation. Try using a higher amount of fat in your burgers, like 70/30 so you can get more fat dripping into the heat source, and maybe use a hotter fire to get proper grill marks if you aren't already--another source of grill flavor. If nothing else, a few woodchips soaked in water for 30 minutes and thrown onto the fire can boost the smoke factor too.
Oh yeah and I'd think that putting patties on at room temperature or just a little below would aid in the melting of the fat in the burger to make more smoke as it drips

 

[jennyema]

Skip the liquid smoke. Personally, I agree that it's disgusting.

Always season meat before you cook it, so add the salt as you are making the patty. I think that might be part of the issue.

Grill the meat over fairly high heat to get the nicely charred crust -- also a big part of a burgers flavor.

 

[CraigC]

When I grill, I only use hardwood charcoal, started in a chimney. 80/20 beef, gently formed patty and only seasoned with salt and pepper. I set up a screaming hot zone to get a great crust and a cool zone to finish to correct doneness. I get those that range from threatened to medium rare. I won't ruin the meat by cooking it past med-rare. If I really want smoke, I throw some soaked cherry or pecan chunks on the hot side and use the cover.

 

[mborner]

The only way you can get the flavor you're after is when the liquids and fat drip down from the meat as it cooks onto the heat source and carbonize. That's what differentiates grilling from other cooking methods... which is also why it drives me nuts seeing people "grill" on aluminum foil, but that's beside the point. And it only makes sense, considering there's no other source of the smoky, grill-ey flavor if you omit liquid smoke from the equation. Try using a higher amount of fat in your burgers, like 70/30 so you can get more fat dripping into the heat source, and maybe use a hotter fire to get proper grill marks if you aren't already--another source of grill flavor. If nothing else, a few woodchips soaked in water for 30 minutes and thrown onto the fire can boost the smoke factor too.
Oh yeah and I'd think that putting patties on at room temperature or just a little below would aid in the melting of the fat in the burger to make more smoke as it drips

Thanks for the input. I agree about the fat drippings and the smoke but the issue I'm having is that the smoke isn't permeating the meat. Perhaps I could try a fattier beef. Still, I'm left wondering how my grill/meat/process is different than most. I must be doing something wrong.

Oh, I almost forgot, not every grilled burger I've had is great. My Mom and Dad are just like me, they just can't seem to make it happen. Their grill is 10 plus years old and well seasoned.

 

[no mayonnaise]

I don't think a burger goes on a grill long enough for smoke to "permeate" the meat as that usually takes a timeframe of a few hours with regular smoke, e.g. brisket or ribs on a smoker. The stuff that carbonizes gets on the outside of the meat though. Perhaps try rotating the burgers after a minute or two to increase the grill marks for more flavor? Not sure what else to tell you honestly. I'm all out of tips and tricks. Maybe someone smarter will chime in.

 

[mborner]

I don't think a burger goes on a grill long enough for smoke to "permeate" the meat as that usually takes a timeframe of a few hours with regular smoke, e.g. brisket or ribs on a smoker. The stuff that carbonizes gets on the outside of the meat though. Perhaps try rotating the burgers after a minute or two to increase the grill marks for more flavor? Not sure what else to tell you honestly. I'm all out of tips and tricks. Maybe someone smarter will chime in.

I appreciate your help, thank you.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

BT nailed it. After much experimentation, and observation, it became apparent to me that the amazing "grilled" flavor came from smoke particulate deposition on the meat. Charing adds flavor, but it's the flavor you get from browning meat. The smoke has to come from dripping fat, burning on the coals. To get the heat required to burn the fat properly on a gas grill, you get flare ups that will burn the meat.

The burgers should be no leaner than a 70/30 mixture. To reduce shrinkage as the fat melts and drips into the hot coals, add a raw egg per pound of burger.

If you want woodsmoke flavor, use real wood in with your lump charcoal. It's smokey flavor will blend with the fat smoke. Personally, I love wood smoke on ribs, pulled pork, chicken, turkey, fish, roast beef, but not on burgers.

Be careful cooking with the grill on. Usually, the burgers cook fast enough to develop that wonderful flavor without overdoing the smoke. But I made the mistake one time of adding trimmed beef fat to the grill, to intensify that great smoke flavor, and cooked with the lid on. The result was that too much smoke particulate accumulated on the burgers, making them dirty looking, and bitter to the tongue. When I cook with the lid on (which is almost always), I just let the fat from the meat do the work. Leave all vents wide open. You want a hot fire.

Too often, people mistake very lean for very good. Very lean results in tough burgers that won't hold together, and don't develop the grilled flavor you are looking for.

Hope this helps you achieve the perfect burger.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[jennyema]

Properly seasoning the meat before you cook it greatly enhances flavor.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Properly seasoning the meat before you cook it greatly enhances flavor.

+1

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[salt and pepper]

I have to agree with The Chief, Very hot grill, wood coals, lots of fat, some flame and an open grill.

 

[pacanis]

i agree with mr. canis that you have to cook a somewhat fatty burger over high heat to get "that taste". it's about the fat smoke as well as the char.

also, a gas grill is nice but unless you're cooking a load of burgers to get a lot of fat smoke going, it won't be the same. even then i prefer to cook over lump hardwood when possible, like steve mentioned, to get additional real smoke flavour. i'm not a fan of liquid smoke unless i's way in the background, almost unnoticable.

i just started looking (again) into getting my first full sized weber kettle grill, the 22 1/2" gold series, mostly because i miss cooking things like burgers and shish kebabs over real coals for that authentic taste. i gave in to the gassy dark side a number of years ago for convenience, but with the rare exceptions of when i've used my little smokey joe on outings to a lake or picnic area, my grilling has suffered like jabba the hut on weight watchers .

Thanks Tom. I knew we'd agree on something
I do a lot with my SJ right now, too, or even my chimney starter. There's no replacing wood or charcoal for an added subtle flavor. Since I don't feel comfortable using either on my porch by themselves, I set them in the gasser

 

[roadfix]

Is this why Weber named the metal shields which fit over each burner 'flavor bars'?
I always wondered about that...

 

[mborner]

Is this why Weber named the metal shields which fit over each burner 'flavor bars'?
I always wondered about that...

Interesting that you said that because I just bought a Webber S310! Although the grill is not yet fully seasoned, the burgers don't taste much different from the burgers cooked on my ten year old grill.