Burgers for lunch, my recipe inside...

[CraigC]

So, on the grill, reverse sear would be the best method for a perfect burger?

 

[taxlady]

So, on the grill, reverse sear would be the best method for a perfect burger?

The article talks about what happens with a cast iron grill on the stove top. I don't think we can draw any conclusions about how it works when grilling. I think that needs investigating. We have a lot of folks here at DC. Maybe we should have a grilled burger experiment.

 

[CharlieD]

Copied and saved the recipe for hamburger buns. And even ordered the conditioner already. We can get very good kosher buns here, but not in the store. I basically have to keep asking my neighbor for the favor, he can get them from me from his father's bakery, which is commercial and happens to be kosher, but they do not sell to public. This way I can make my own. Thank you.

 

[Dawgluver]

When I was in high school, many eons ago, I worked at our little town's most popular fast food place. The cooks always flipped and pressed the patties, and the burgers were the tastiest in town.

 

[RPCookin]

I have read that article, the funny part is I think the flipped one burger looked better, as far the "over cooked" meat they refer to I don't see it, I guess I will always just be a one flipper, I flip once, if you are constantly flipping when would you add your cheese if you like it melted on

He covers that too. You add the cheese when the internal temperature is about 10° less than your preferred finish point. For a medium rare burger, he says to add the cheese at 115° internal temp.

he covered the negative aspects of the flipping constantly too. It doesn't work for a large group because of the constant attention required. If you flip every 15 seconds, then you can only cook as many at once as you can flip in 15 seconds. His real point was that flipping several times does nothing to hurt the cooking process - that is just a burger myth.

When I was in high school, many eons ago, I worked at our little town's most popular fast food place. The cooks always flipped and pressed the patties, and the burgers were the tastiest in town.

Doesn't say a lot for the burgers in that town then, does it?

While I don't always buy into everything that is written or suggested for burger making, this is one that really makes sense. Once the fats and juices have liquified (maximum of one minute into the cooking on the first side), pressing the patty is just like wringing out a sponge. For a fairly thick burger that just kills it. If you want it smashed, do it immediately. There is absolutely no reason to do it again on the second side, since if it's done correctly the first time, the second side is already flat and making maximum contact with the pan or griddle. Additional pressing does nothing but squeeze out juices. That burger may be very crusty and tasty, but it will be drier than an identical burger which has not been pressed on the second side, and no more tasty.

I am a bit of a burger fanatic, and although I have rarely found a burger I couldn't eat, I would take a pass if I saw the cook doing this. Not that it would be inedible, but there are better burgers to be found, so why pay my money to a place which hasn't learned such a basic rule.

 

[CharlieD]

Common sense says not to press the patties so not to squeeze out the juices that will keep the hamburger moist and soft. But it doesn't mean that one cannot make a good hamburger even if he/she does press the patties during cooking.