The Perfect Burger

[Paul Bacino]

I  Think my ratio for salt is 1/4 t per pound of meat-- when added in a mix

Edited July 29, 2015 by Paul Bacino (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I'm sure my failure was my own fault.  I did not attempt to weigh or even measure the salt.  I'm guessing it was a lot more than 1/4 teaspoon.  Nor did I take into account whatever salt was in the bacon.

[paulraphael]

1/4 tsp per lb of meat is about 0.25%. That's bordering on too low to make a difference. I've settled on 0.7%, which is lower than what a lot of people use, but I find it focusses the flavors nicely without being noticeably salty.

 

It's not enough to cause any kind of firm/cured texture if you add it to the meat before grinding, IF you're cooking conventionally. It will effect the texture if you grind it with the meat and cook sous-vide—unless you sequester it by mixing with added fat (which I recommend).

[paulraphael]

There hasn't been much talk of beef cuts lately. Here's my current blend: 1/3 each chuck, brisket, and shin. Buying meat is imprecise, so sometimes it's edged more toward half chuck and 1/4 each of the others.

 

This gives a great, balanced flavor, good texture, and is relatively economical. I'm not interested in luxury burgers (which you know know you're making when a piece of meat so fine that feeding it to the grinder feels like a crime against nature).

 

Chuck gives the classic burger flavor, has excellent ground texture, and if you get good pieces, has plenty of fat. Brisket is full of acidic and grassy flavors, which can really brighten up a blend. And shin is just pure, intense, deep beef flavor. The latter two cuts are often on the lean side, which is why I add butter, and the marrow from the shin (around 5% the total weight).

 

I've used oxtail instead of shin, which tastes even better and has plenty of fat. Unfortunately, once you account for the weight of the bones, this stuff is expensive. It can be over $10/lb net, and is a lot of work to trim. I've also gotten some gristly textures from it.

 

I used to use a blend with hangar steak, but this cut has gotten expensive as well. And it can sometimes lend a livery flavor that I'm not crazy about.

 

People crow about short ribs and sirloin in burgers, but I've found the former to be uninteresting and latter a total dud, both in flavor and texture.

[scubadoo97]

Can't remember when I've purchased sirloin. Usually for kibbe neye since it's so lean

[Paul Bacino]

I personally would think the addition of some aged protein.. would be nice.

 

Maybe a bit of Rib Cap

 

But  that would be costly!!

[paulraphael]

Aged meat in a burger would be delicious, but it's usually hard to find in anything but the most expensive cuts ... which I'm not going to grind up.

 

I have a butcher who ages chuck rolls for me. The catch is, I have to buy at least half of a  subprimal. After aging losses this works out to about $9 a pound. Not outrageous, but it's usually a minimum of 7lbs of meat. You'd better be hungry.

 

Re: sirloin, I only bring it up because so many restaurants advertise this as part of their burger blend. As if it's something to brag about. It's possible that the way they butcher beef in a restaurant kitchen, they end up with a lot of sirloin trim. I don't why else it would be.

[scubadoo97]

Rib cap, spinalis is fantastic and a splurge for a burger

[Chris Hennes]

To the best of my knowledge all the advice I have ever seen for hamburgers says to shape the patties as gently as possible, preferably without touching the patties with one's hands.  I have been using two forks for this.

 

Absolutely, but remember that the vast majority of that advice is directed at your standard home burger-maker using supermarket ground beef. The reason for the advice is that mixing the meat, particularly after adding salt, causes the formation of myosin. In small quantities that myosin is what holds your burger together. In large quantities it's what turns your burger into a hockey puck. The reality is that there is a sweet spot where you have enough that your burger holds shape, but not so much that it becomes tough. In my opinion if you are grinding your own meat you can and should work it a bit if you want your burger to be a burger and not sloppy joes!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

This week I have taken up hamburgers again.  I purchased some thin sliced choice chuck steak, just perfect for going through the KichenAid grinder as is, without further butchering.  For this I paid fifty cents per pound over a piece of chuck meat, and so much nicer than the cubed chuck sold for stew.

 

My plan was to reassay Kenji's smashburgers that didn't work so well (understatement) in my Cuisinart stainless steel skillet.  Last night I did some dry runs* in my new Falk frying pan.  After a few minutes on medium over my stove's large burner I abandoned the experiment in fear of my thermometer:  550-ish and rising fast.

 

I cooked the burger on low till a nice crust formed but by that time the interior was medium well to well.  Not bad however.  Still nice and juicy.

 

Tonight I started the pan over medium heat until a film of grapeseed oil started to smoke, added the meat, and raised the heat to medium-high.  A nice crust formed within Kenji's minute and a half.  The finished burger was still tending towards medium well however, but even more juicy than the night before.

 

The problem is the pan was difficult to clean.  Actually that was one problem.  I am still hopeful that in my lifetime Steven Hawking, or someone equally clever, will come up with ketchup that behaves as a Newtonian fluid.

 

 

*This is not a gastroenterological expression.

 

[scubadoo97]

Cast iron works real well

[pbear]

Jo, as it happens I was fiddling with cooking burgers in stainless steel last week (normally use cast iron).  What I found worked for cleaning was to just cover the bottom with water (about 1/2 c) and add a splash of vinegar (about 1 tbsp); heat on low until steaming; turn off and let sit a few minutes.  Easy peasy. 

 

BTW, I didn't have any trouble getting medium burgers (pink middles), but I might be settling for less crust than you're trying to achieve.  Try medium heat and flipping every two minutes.

[AlaMoi]

high heat, oil and stainless is pretty much a sure bet for creating a clean-up problems.  fish, beef, lamb, chicken, emu, kangaroo, buffalo, beefalo, ostrich, eggs . . . no matter.  the protein will stick - and protein typically re-dissolves in water without a lot of trouble.

 

but the oil "polymerizes" at high temp and creates a light brown to yellow brown to darker brown 'coating' stuck to the stainless which is much more difficult to make disappear.  Bar Keepers Friend and elbow grease normally works.

 

to a degree one can minimize the issue by temperature control and selection of a suitable oil - ye olde Smoke Point thing.

that said, iffin' you're into screaming hot searing - maintain a stock of Bar Keepers Friend......

or, a well seasoned cast iron pan.

 

winter time I do the screaming hot sear on burgers and steaks with a 300'F oven finish.  in cast iron.  wipe out, done.

[Anna N]

I find a paste of Barkeepers Friend left alone for an hour or so eliminates the need for elbow grease ( my next can of elbow grease will not arrive until my first reincarnation ).

[AlaMoi]

that's a 'trick' I've stuffed up my sleeve!  good tip!

[paulraphael]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

I find a paste of Barkeepers Friend left alone for an hour or so eliminates the need for elbow grease ( my next can of elbow grease will not arrive until my first reincarnation ).

 

I'd be careful with that ... the oxalic acid can actually pit stainless steel if left in contact for a long time. 

[paulraphael]

19 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I am still hopeful that in my lifetime Steven Hawking, or someone equally clever, will come up with ketchup that behaves as a Newtonian fluid.

 

 

I'm no Steven hawking, but I have this crazy idea for a ketchup jar with a wide mouth that lets you use a spoon. 

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, paulraphael said:

 

I'd be careful with that ... the oxalic acid can actually pit stainless steel if left in contact for a long time. 

 Can you quantify a long time?  I am talking one or two hours.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Bar Keepers Friend was what I used but it also took about half a can of elbow grease.

 

[paulraphael]

On June 11, 2016 at 8:25 PM, Anna N said:

 Can you quantify a long time?  I am talking one or two hours.

 

Well, I think the company will tell you to rinse it off right away. One or two hours is a long enough time to do damage. Which isn't to say it will happen; just that it might. 

 

I always either deglaze pans to make a sauce, or douse them at the sink and wipe them out when they're still hot (basically the same process). When I do that there's usually just a bit of polymerized oil left on the pan. Some BKF and and a blue scrubber sponge makes short work of it. 

 

 

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, paulraphael said:

 

Well, I think the company will tell you to rinse it off right away. One or two hours is a long enough time to do damage. Which isn't to say it will happen; just that it might. 

 

I always either deglaze pans to make a sauce, or douse them at the sink and wipe them out when they're still hot (basically the same process). When I do that there's usually just a bit of polymerized oil left on the pan. Some BKF and and a blue scrubber sponge makes short work of it. 

 

 

So far I have had no issues and I carefully examined the pan I usually use. Nevertheless I shall pay  attention to your caution. Thank you 

[MelissaH]

On 6/11/2016 at 7:15 PM, paulraphael said:

 

I'm no Steven hawking, but I have this crazy idea for a ketchup jar with a wide mouth that lets you use a spoon. 

They already exist, but they aren't common.

[pbear]

What I do is transfer ketchup to canning jars, generally splitting a 12 oz bottle between two half-pints, from which it's easily spoonable.  It's a bit of a hassle, but only once per bottle.

[JohnT]

Bong! Bump . . . .

 

Cheese Burgers or Cheeseburgers

 

Okay, here is the truth. I am a great cheese lover of real cheese - but do not like it melted on a burger! I have had a few "cheeseburgers" and always found the cheese like a slab of plastic melted on a good quality beef patty (other than those produced by the fast food outlets - the quality beef part that is). What is the point? I recently read a write-up by some fella named Chris Thompson who proclaimed that chefs (burger flippers) are doing their assembly all wrong! The article is here.

 

Other than his method of assembly, the "cheese" square used in South Africa (and on two occasions in the US) appears to be a "processed cheese", in other words a slab of cheese looking, and flavoured, plastic!

 

So my question is not really about the above article, but what cheese do you eG folk use when making a cheeseburger? Grated cheddar or Gouda? Swiss? Blue? Other? Any other comment would also be appreciated as I want to bang out a couple of cheese burgers in the next day or two and do some experimenting to see if I can come up with something half- decent and edible!

[gfweb]

pepperjack or sharp cheddar here

 

in mild defense of American cheese...its "processing" makes it very melty...and it need not be tasteless