Top 10 Best Burgers Tips from Centre of Excellence
From our kitchen to yours, here’s our top 10 tips for best burgers. Also, check our new Cooking Know-how for all our tested-and-true cooking instructions for all things beef.
1. Start off with some supreme beef – we’re fan’s of using Medium ground beef for the most juicy and flavourful patties. Don’t leave unattended on the grill as they have a tendency to flare up and char. If you happen to find Ground Brisket be sure to give it a try – amazing!
2. Are eggs and breadcrumbs necessary for the burger mix? It’s really up to you, but our in-house taste-tests demonstrated that these additions were adding flavour and a texture that was preferred – they were more than just binders and extenders.
3. To salt or not to salt? Seasoning meat before grilling is a must for the best in beefy flavour. Incorporating the salt into the mix is the ideal and it doesn’t need to be much. Even just a couple of generous dashes makes a difference.
4. Try adding some diced raw bacon, grated aged Cheddar or minced fresh herbs like tarragon or rosemary for a gourmet touch.
5. Picky eaters can be annoyed with bits of diced onion or garlic in the patties so hide them by sautéing before adding to the ground beef mix or try grating the onion instead of dicing.
6. Looking for Lean? For the best lean burgers made with Lean or Extra Lean ground beef, add some minced mushrooms, finely grated carrot or zucchini or a splash of evaporated milk for more juicy and tender patties. Bump up the flavour with a dash of Worcestershire, roasted garlic cloves or a dab of miso or anchovy paste.
7. Use hands with a gentle touch to mix and form patties. Form patties that are consistent in size and depth so they all cook at about the same rate. Make a thumbprint indent in the centre of each patty to help prevent ‘patty puffing’ while grilling.
8. Mix and mingle for flavour. Once patties are made, if time allows cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to a day to allow flavours to blend and develop. Like a stew or soup, the flavours evolve with some time.
9. Non-stick grilling. Although it’s a bit cumbersome, it’s important to wipe down a preheated grill with a bit of oil on a towel before grilling burgers. Steps: Preheat grill to about 400F and scrub it down with the grill brush. Soak a thick wad of paper towel in some canola oil and gather up in long tongs to wipe down the grill.
10. First flip: Place burgers on the grill and cook with lid down until juices start to bubble up to the surface. Flip. Continue cooking with lid down, checking for flare-ups and turning several times for the most even cooking. Check doneness of each patty with a digital instant read thermometer inserted sideways into each patty. Burgers are done at 71C (160F).
You’re ready… dig in!