I'm making burgers tonight

[dr morbius]

I'm planning to pan-fry some burgers tonight. I have two pounds of 80/20 ground chuck, and my plan is to mix in some BBQ sauce and fancy shredded cheddar cheese. Six 1/3 lb burgers served on standard buns, with more cheese on top of the patties, naturally.

Has anyone done this? I haven't quite decided how much BBQ sauce to use; I don't want to overpower the flavor of the beef. I just want to add a bit of moisture and a hint, more or less, of tanginess. Off the top of my head I'm thinking about 1/4 cup BBQ sauce and one cup (half a bag) of cheese.

Thoughts?

 

[thymeless]

You're likely to scorch the sugar in the bbq sauce. 80/20 shouldn't need help staying moist.

 

[dr morbius]

I have found several recipes for this online. Most people add bread crumbs or torn-up bread (a panade, so I'm told) mixed with the BBQ sauce. I see the recommendation that I abandon the notion; I'll give it thought.

 

[dragnlaw]

Actually, that was my first thought on reading this. So much sugar in BBQ sauce. If it's the flavour you want in the meat, 1/4 cup would be about right - certainly not more! As you are pan frying, scorching would be less, but that's depending on the heat level.
It's funny, I feel the cheese would cause more scorching. I might try to encase the cheese inside the burger.

I am also a big fan of using a panade. When mixed gently the meat is wonderfully "fluffy/tender/juicier - and never like chewing on a roof tile.

 

[thymeless]

I've always found the panade alterations too far in the direction of meatloaf. and a meatloaf sandwich can be good.

But let the burger be a burger.

A Juicy Lucy is a burger -- the cheese stuffed inside. But I'm good with the cheese on top. Simpler, easier.

I do like the White Castle style where you cook the first side over minced onion, covered with a lid. The juices drip down and stream back up with onion flavor as well. Then sear off the other side when you flip them.

 

[dragnlaw]

I've always found the panade alterations too far in the direction of meatloaf. and a meatloaf sandwich can be good.

But let the burger be a burger.

A Juicy Lucy is a burger -- the cheese stuffed inside. But I'm good with the cheese on top. Simpler, easier.

I do like the White Castle style where you cook the first side over minced onion, covered with a lid. The juices drip down and stream back up with onion flavor as well. Then sear off the other side when you flip them.

You're right, thymeless. It is best for meatloaf.

Wow, we don't have White Castle up here, that sounds great! Gonna have to try it!

 

[medtran49]

I don't think a 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce mixed in with 2 pounds of meat would cause a problem.

I wouldn't use a panade in burgers either, though it would keep them moister if the burgers are to be cooked well done.

If the burgers are thin, exposed cheese would become frico like in the time it would take the burgers to cook. If the burgers are thick, the exposed cheese would more than likely burn. I'd go the Juicy Lucy route if you want thick burgers because you stuff the cheese in between 2 patties anyway. Just give the cheese a little time to cool off before eating. Molten cheese in your mouth is not a good thing. Be sure to seal patties well as cheese will ooze out otherwise.

Anybody remember Lum's restaurants, Weinerwald chicken (that was about pigeon size), Lum's Weinerwald hot dogs, and last but not least Ollieburgers? I am not particularly fond of them, but Craig likes them. The Olliebugers use sugar in the ingredients, which are:

Dry Ingredients
1/4 C Sugar
2 tbsp Paprika
¼ tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Ground Coriander
½ tsp Cornstarch
1 tbsp Ground Celery Seed
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Fennel Seed
1 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 EA Crushed Beef Bouillon Cubes

Liquid Ingredients
6 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Steak Sauce (A-1)
2 tsp Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Heinz 57 Sauce
2 tsp Cider Vinegar

 

[fmw]

I've never used BBQ sauce on a burger. If that is what you like I would just suggest you not overdo it. I use worcestershire sauce all the time. I knead it into ground meat with some cheese, salt and pepper and garlic.

 

[Aunt Bea]

When I make meatloaf style burgers I bake them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350f - 375f for approx 30 minutes and flip them after the first 15 minutes.

It’s difficult to pan fry or grill these burgers because they are tender and difficult to flip. Also when the cheese begins to melt and ooze they tend to stick and burn.

Sometimes I use bread and other times I add 1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats per pound.

I usually add minced onion and minced mushrooms.

Good luck!

 

[GinnyPNW]

If I have really good beef (I like the 85/15 from the local butcher), I do nothing more than form patties and put a bit of salt and pepper ON them. Then either cook on the grill or broil them...lots of compliments! On the other paw, if I want to do something different, I will use ground chicken or turkey (preferably the dark meat)...lots of compliments on these too...I like to cook them on the panini press, such that they almost seem like meat, not ground meat. One of my favorites is: Cheddar Jalapeno Chicken Burgers - if it is a pot luck meal, I'll make them as sliders. Even the kids want seconds!

 

[Kathleen]

It sounds really good. I'd love to know how it turned out!

 

[taxlady]

We add 1/2 tsp of baking soda to 500 grams of ground beef when we make burgers. It keeps them tender and they brown a bit better too. Here's an explanation. The link will take you to the section of the video about that. There are other interesting uses for baking soda in that video. That's baking soda, not baking powder.

 

[dragnlaw]

Good link taxy, Thanks. Also thanks for the explanation of the video.

 

[dr morbius]

Well, I've been busy and that's why I haven't posted in a bit. But the results were...

Terrific! The burgers were juicy and tasty. If anything, I should have used a bigger, non-conventional bun. My wife loved them. My daughter, well... she pretty much always likes my burgers, whether I mix anything in or not. She loved them too.

It's possible that mixing some cheese in the meat was kind of a waste. I really couldn't taste the cheese, while the BBQ sauce was unmistakable. I did add cheese on top of the burger, anyway. The flavor of the burgers was wonderful, so I'm pretty sure I'll be mixing cheese in there next time just on general purposes.

My daughter and I agreed that these burgers would be even better with bacon on them, and perhaps some of those French fried onions one usually uses with green bean casserole. Yum.

 

[dr morbius]

I should note that I cooked these at a somewhat lower temperature than I usually use, and that I turned the burgers once... VERY carefully. Maybe next time I will add one egg to my meat, so it will hold together a little better.

 

[GinnyPNW]

I should note that I cooked these at a somewhat lower temperature than I usually use, and that I turned the burgers once... VERY carefully. Maybe next time I will add one egg to my meat, so it will hold together a little better.

Maybe put them in the fridge a bit before cooking...

 

[Caroburgh]

Your burger plan sounds delicious! Mixing BBQ sauce and shredded cheddar cheese into the ground chuck is a fantastic idea to add some flavor and moisture to your burgers.

 

[Caroburgh]

Your burger plan sounds delicious! Mixing BBQ sauce and shredded cheddar cheese into the ground chuck is a fantastic idea to add some flavor and moisture to your burgers.

It's all about finding that perfect balance, so your approach of 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce and half a bag of cheese sounds like a good starting point. You can always adjust the amounts based on your taste preferences. If you're ever looking for alternative binding agents for your burgers, I found a helpful resource. It offers suggestions for different options to use instead of eggs. It's great to have some options in case you want to switch things up or accommodate dietary restrictions.

 

[Andy M.]

Consider making a Juicy Lucy. Take the amount of seasoned and flavored meat you would use for one burger. Divide it into two equal halves. Form each half into a thin patty a little larger than normal. Place some cheese in the center of one thin patty and top it with the other half. Seal the edges and cook. The cheese will melt as the burger cooks creating a nice surprise for the family.