Burgers are the quintessential comfort food. It’s highly accessible and can be ordered anytime. But knowing how to make your own can make quite a difference.
For the average person, the idea of making a hamburger at home sounds like a hassle. But it doesn’t have to be! In fact, with these six simple tips you’ll be able to make burgers just as good as any restaurant- and for way less money! You don’t need special chef skills to create the best burger you can brag to your friends. What you need is the proper knowledge and skills from an expert like The Grilling Master, or simply continue reading this article.
Burger Making Tips
Seasoning The Meat
When it comes to cooking, seasoning means putting in the right amount of salt and pepper. However, when we’re talking about burgers, we’re not just talking about the spices you add in. If you don’t season your meat correctly, then your burger will lack taste and flavor. Therefore, when you’re making your burger, try adding in some garlic powder or soy sauce. In case you’re unsure about how much seasoning is enough, Restaurant Stella advises people to season their meat with ½ tsp of salt and pepper per pound, for example. They offer many more tips and tricks to make the perfect burger every time.
Many experts will recommend you to season while being grilled. Prepare a mixture of salt and pepper and sprinkle them on top of your patties once they sizzle on the grill. Salt can toughen the meat, so adding it to your meat mixture overnight can lead to less-than-tender burger patties.
Burger purists will tell you only to use salt and pepper and nothing more. But many others swear by the rich flavor of burger patties when marinated in a bit of Worcestershire sauce. On the one hand, some add finely chopped white onions and their choice of herbs.
When you find your perfect burger flavor preference, jot it down or memorize it so you don’t forget.
If you’re making a lot of burgers, you can’t just season the meat once and call it a day. Rather than throwing away all those whole spices that you used, save them for your next burger or steak instead! Just place the spices into an airtight container and then use them the next time you make burgers.
Making The Burger Juicy
Did you know that adding shredded cheese and egg whites to your ground beef helps to make it juicier? While many people add milk, water, or bread crumbs into their ground beef to prevent it from turning out dry, the truth is that adding these ingredients doesn’t help at all. Adding shredded cheese and egg whites, however, does make a big difference!
While many people shred cheese for burgers, they don’t always do it finely enough – if not, then it won’t melt enough. If you’re not sure about how to shred cheese finely, then there are other ways that you can add cheese to your burger. For example, if you use Gorgonzola or Parmesan, both of these cheeses taste great even when they’re crumbled!
Mix The Ground Beef Properly
You should never mix the ground beef with a fork because this will leave large lumps of meat. Instead, you want to use your hands – or a wooden spoon if you don’t have gloves – to make sure that everything is well combined without any lumps.
Remember not to overwork the mixture. You don’t need to put too much pressure on it as you would when kneading bread. Mix it gently, and you may stop once all ingredients are well-incorporated.
After all, the better the mixture of your burger, the better the taste. If the meat is too dry, it’ll be really hard to eat and will fall apart – nobody wants that!
Keeping A Constant Temperature
Using a frying pan might seem like a great idea for cooking burgers because you can adjust the temperature as needed. However, if you use your stovetop without turning down the heat when making burgers, there’s a high chance that it’ll burn.
However, if you’re not sure about how to lower down the heat when cooking burgers to keep the right temperature, then this is what you should do: use medium-low heat whenever you’re cooking beef patties – even when they’re frozen!
Adding Cheese At The Right Time
If you like to add cheese only when the burgers are almost finished cooking, then you’re doing it all wrong. If you cook the meat beforehand and then put on the cheese, there’s a high chance that it’ll burn or dissolve into nothingness. Instead, place the cheese on top of your burger right after flipping it.
The cheese will melt slightly when it comes into contact with the warm burger. If you don’t want to use cheese, then there are other ingredients that you can add at this time instead – like sautéed onions or bacon!
Using Better Buns
When you’re choosing the right type of buns for your burgers, bigger isn’t always better. If you want your burger meat to shine through more than anything else, then you’ll need to use smaller rolls or brioche buns instead. This way, you’ll get to experience all of the hidden flavors that your burger has.
In addition, just because a roll is slightly smaller doesn’t mean that it won’t make a satisfying meal in and of itself! For example, if you want to add some carbs or protein to your burgers and don’t feel like eating fries on the side, then there’s nothing wrong with eating a delicious burger roll instead!
There you have it – 6 secrets to making burgers at home like a professional! By following these tips, you’ll be able to create delicious and juicy burgers that will rival anything that you can get from a restaurant. Not only are they easy to follow, but they also don’t require any fancy ingredients or tools.
