Best Burgers can mean a lot of different things to a person and it varies on individual tastes. These differences in preferences go not only for the burgers themselves but also the toppings and even the bun. Some things though are a standard for any tastes and will help ensure success every time.
In my opinion the most important part of a burger is, well, the burger! Or rather the meat it is being made from. If you are going for a high end gourmet burger I suggest picking out a very nice ribeye or chuck roast and have the butcher grind it for you, or even better, grind it yourself. The next choice would be ground 80/20 chuck, though typically I urge lower fat cuts of meat, the extra fat helps a burger stay good and juicy. If you are using a leaner meat, such as ground turkey breast, it becomes necessary to add a liquid to the meat to help keep it moist. Water, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce all work well for this, the latter two offer extra tenderizing from their salt content, and a good punch of flavor.
You want to start with your meat fresh from the fridge, as you work it with your hands you will begin to melt the fat in it and this can cause the burger to be tough. Mix the ingredients you are adding to the burger together separately before adding them to the burger. Then mix quickly and thoroughly, but make sure to be gentle. Then form your patties, you can make them any size you want but about 3/4 of an inch is a good average. A handy trick to keep the burgers from doming while cooking is to make a depression in the center of the burger about a quarter of an inch and to within an inch or so of the patties edge. Then place the hamburgers in the fridge and let them cool down so the fat can re-solidify while you get the pan or grill ready for cooking them. This is also a good time to get condiments ready and the hamburger buns ready to grill, also for those that are cheese fans this is a great time to get your cheese sliced and ready as well.
Burgers should be cooked over medium-high heat and turned only once. It is imperative, and this really is critical, do not squish the burgers while cooking! This releases the precious tenderizing juices from your burger. Make sure to check that the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees with a meat thermometer slid into the thickest part of the hamburger to get a well done burger.
Let the hamburgers rest for a few minutes, add cheese and melt for those cheese aficionados out there. Now, this is something that a lot of folk don’t take into consideration but after taking a lot of time to make a really great burger it is important that you have made sure to have an equally great bun for that cheeseburger to go onto. While letting your burger rest for a few minutes this is the perfect time to grill that bun. Kaiser rolls, potato rolls, and brioche buns are all excellent choices depending on your tastes. When splurging this much it only makes sense to go to the local bakery and get some equally find buns for that fantastic burger. Top your freshly grilled buns with condiments and veggies as desired and then add your masterpiece burger to the stack. Enjoy, my friends!
Guest post provided by Plan4Food.
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