How to Grill a Perfect Hamburger #BurgerWorld

How to Grill a Perfect Hamburger #BurgerWorld

A perfect hamburger is one of the greatest of culinary experiences,belying it's image as "fast food",a good burger(when made properly) can rival far more expensive cuts for succulence and overall satisfaction.

Instructions:

Things You’ll Need:

• Ground Beef(not too lean)
• Salt&Pepper
• Charcoal Grill or Grill Pan
• Hamburger Rolls

Step1
Grilling a perfect burger is not difficult.The most important step is choosing the right meat.Many people make the mistake of assuming that more expensive cuts of beef will make better burgers,when the opposite is true.While expensive cuts such as filet and sirloin make great steaks,the lowly chuck makes the best burgers.So the first step to the perfect burger is buying chuck or shoulder freshly ground.Failing that look for ground beef that is no more than 80 percent lean.

Step2
Once you have the right beef,the way you handle it is extremely important.Again contrary to popular belief it is neither necessary nor desirable to compress burgers into flat,uniform patties(ie with burger presses,forms etc.)Overhandling of burger patties lead to tough,dry "hockeypucks"

Step3
Freshly ground meat has the ideal texture. But if you are dealing with pre-ground beef,you should put it into a big bowl and gently tease the beef apart with two forks,until it is a loose mass.At this point lightly season the ground beef (salt & pepper).You may also add any other embellishments at this time,but in my opinion the simpler the burger the better.

Step4
As already mentioned, over-handling of the meat should be avoided. However it is still necessary to form patties.Prior to forming patties the meat should still be chilled.With a portion of 5-7 oz(less than 4 oz might cook too fast over 8 oz. can result in charred exteriors but raw interiors),lightly form a patty.It should be ~4" across and`~3/4" high.Some folks advocate forming the patty so the rim is slightly thicker than the center(the idea being that cooking will even them out)but I don't feel this is needed.But I do think that poking a few dimples into the surface of the patty helps to form a nicely browned crusty exterior.

Step5
Finally,in order to grill your carefully formed burgeryou want a grill that is medium-hot(flareups aren't good).It is best if your patties are still chilled(otherwise you risk losing precious juices once the patty meets the heat)Season to taste with salt and pepper.Place on grill for ~5 minutes per side(or to desired doneness).Avoid the temptation to move your burgers around too much .unles you have a flare-up,in which case it is preferable to move your burger to a cooler part of the grill than to incinerate it.

Step6
This article is about the perfect hamburger, but if you want to add any of the endless toppings that defenseless burgers have been subjected to over the years,a good time would be after the first flip.

Step7
When the burger is done, it should be placed on a roll which has been either toasted lightly or warmed.In my mind the burger is the star of the show, so whatever roll you choose it should not be so substantial as to overwhelm your perfect patty.For this reason I find so-called "gourmet"burgers with kaiser rolls or any other big. heavy type of bread(no matter how good they might be in other applications)to be a mistake

Tips & Warnings:

• One tip not mentioned above,and which is possibly more important than any other:NEVER SQUASH YOUR BURGER WITH YOUR SPATULA!.
• Cooking your burger for 4-5 minutes per side over med-high heat will probably result in burgers that are cooked to medium doneness.Food safety experts recommend cooking ground beef products until they are no longer pink inside(well-done)to avoid the possibility of bacterial contamination.
• Always use a meat thermometer to insure ground meat is cooked to a safe temperature(155 degrees F)