Burgers for the summer

[avernus]

Hi All,

I made some tasty hamburgers last night and I was wondering if any TFPers would share their own hamburger recipes....

I used some high quality beef mince (500g - didn't mince it myself though) and mixed in some grated onion, some chilli sauce, an egg to bind it all together and some salt and pepper. I made eight little patties with dimples in the middle and fryed them (med-high) for a few minutes on each side until just cooked through (my SO doesn't like rare meat!). Had them with buns, mayo, lettice, ketchup and chips.

The chips were easy. I chipped some potatoes leaving the skins on. Put them in a baking tray with some smashed garlic, rock salt and pepper and mixed it all up with olive oil. Cooked for 30-40 minutes - dead tasty.

I head about some guy in New York who made $50 hamburgers - they had pate de foie gras in the middle.

So, how do you make hamburgers?

[maleficent]

mmmm hamburgers...

Take some ground beef, throw in a splash of Worcesteshire sauce, some dry mustard and form into patties.
Throw on grill.

Cook medium rare, more rare than medium

Put some crumbled blue cheese on top and let cheese melt.

Serve on a Kaiser roll (no hamburger rolls please_ with a slice of red onion, a slice of beefsteak tomato, and some crumbled bacon.
Big ole Kosher Dill pickle on the side.

[avernus]

Damn. maleficent that sounds really good - I like the blue cheese idea and the crumbled bacon. No idea what Kaiser rolls are though? (Is this a US thing?)

Come to think of it I did add a good few splashes of Worcesteshire sauce.

[thatoneguy]

My main thing with hamburgers (brought up by maleficent) is that they need to be COOKED. Some people seem to like them medium-rare or rare, but that is no good to me. Hamburgers should be cooked until they are well done or close to it, not dried up and burnt or anything, just not pink. I like steak medium, but that doesn't go on a bun. I feel like if hamburgers aren't cooked enough it just kinda grosses me out, obviously just a personal preference though.

Other than that, the Worcesteshire sauce is a MUST, or else maybe a steak sauce or something mixed in to give it a different flavor, just depends on what you're going for. Man, now I'm hungry!

[maleficent]

Kaiser Roll

Crusty on the outside, light and airy on the inside...

[angeltek]

Kaiser Rolls are great Maleficent.

I personally like to mix my hamburgers up with some matzah meal, an egg, and some Bullseye. I then form the patties and coat them in Peppercorns. Throw them on the grill, untill cooked through. Thrown onto a kaiser bun.

[edmos1]

you can also try putting the blue cheese or other cheese inside the burger, it melts while it cooks

[ShaniFaye]

I used to use Worcesteshire, then I discovered Dale's....its 100 million times better

[Chingal0]

I also dislike mid-rare burgers. Medium is best, imo, but I can't handle the texture of rare hamburger for some reason. Steak on the other hand, rare - midrare please.

As far as recipes, I really don't use recipes when it comes to burgers. I just buy good burger and season with salt and pepper. Nothing fancy.

[shakran]

Originally Posted by thatoneguy

Other than that, the Worcesteshire sauce is a MUST

Agreed. I make mine with worchesteshire (No, I can't pronounce it), garlic powder and salt. Or if I'm not feeling lazy (this is very, very rare) I chop fresh garlic instead of the powder.

A slice of homegrown Big Boy tomato, a lettuce leaf, and some mayo and mustard top the burger.

[xSauronx]

give me some ground sirloin and some chili flakes and im set. lettuce, tomato, onion are all good, but if im lazy i just throw on some american cheese and some ketchup.

[avernus]

Cheese in the middle?!? Thats just about crazy enough to work!

One of the nicest steak sandwiches I had was cooked by my mum from a Jamie Oliver recipe. Warm chiabata (flat Italian export bread), wholegrain mustard and rocket. Freaking tasty.

[dtheriault]

okay you know how melted butter on top of steak is insanely good?

take soft butter and combine with blue cheese. Then put that on top of patty and let it melt all over. Then put one or two onion rings about 4 slices of bacon and enjoy.

[little_tippler]

Really you shouldn't have burgers rare...you can get food poisoning quite easily. this is because the meat in a burger is a piece of meat that was minced, so the outside surface of that piece has been minced and is now not only on the outside of the burger but on the inside...and if uncooked can lead to food poisoning. Taht's why rare steak is ok...germs are on the outside only and you cook those away.

My burgers are similar to everyone else's:

minced meat, mixed with some mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, then fried in a little butter. place inside roll of choice and add a slice of tomato, onion, and some cheese, melt under grill, eat!

[avernus]

Hmm, hadn't considered that Tippler, more surface area to get infected? Makes sense.

I know that I did once get food poisoning from a dodgy burger, woke up in the middle of the night and something wasn't right. Thought it was booze (end of semester) but no I won't go into anymore details or I'll put everyone off cooking and eating....

[dX927]

I think I personally like a cheese sauce ontop of my burger rather than a slice of cheese. Just something about it makes it sooo good.

I personally don't like this but my dad loves to take a package of french onion soup and add that to his patty before he fries it.

I got bored one day and ended up making Bacon Cheeseburgers in Pitas instead of on a bun. It was good but make sure you drain most of the grease because it'll cause your Pita to fall apart very easily.

And yes, burgers should always be medium-well to well done.

Except that is if you're using buffalo meat. It tastes just like beef except there is much less fat. The experts recommend when cooking buffalo that you should always serve it medium rare.

[0energy0]

what about big mac sauce? it's good (and it's not thousand island dressing)

[snowy]

I used to work as a line cook at a brew pub so I know about 50 ways to make a burger. First off, having good beef is really important. If I'm making burgers I usually buy the grain-fed 100% Angus ground beef. I use a bit of egg as a binding agent and a dash of Johnny's Seasoning Salt in addition to tossing in some fresh ground pepper. From this point you can do 1 of 2 things: you can form normal patties, or you can form 2 smaller patties, place something in between them and seal them together to make stuffed burgers.

Stuffed burger suggestions:
green chile and pepper jack cheese
grilled onions and barbeque sauce
blue cheese and bacon crumbles
extra-sharp cheddar and grilled onions

(Or use lamb instead of beef and stuff the patties with feta)

A regular burger can be topped off several ways:
blue cheese dressing
bacon
blue cheese crumbles melted (we called this Krypton-style)
canadian bacon
fried egg
grill mix (peppers, onions)
sauteed mushrooms
pepperoni
mozzarella
extra-sharp white cheddar cheese crumbles
sauteed onions
cheddar cheese

My preferred burger? A cheeseburger topped off with a slice of Tillamook cheddar cheese on a fancy hamburger bun with secret sauce--no burger set.

Secret sauce recipe:
1 part mayonaise to 1 part Gulden's Brown Mustard. Add horseradish to taste. (Proportions vary by preference, experiment until you discover the proportions you like best)

[RolandGilead]

My favorite Burger served at a Burger Restaurant in my town is the so called "El morte del Toro":
Guacamole
Tacochips
Jalapenos
Salsa Sauce
added to a normal Cheeseburger

[fatbob]

Tippler not too sure that logic is correct because it would not explain steak tartar.
however i do like my burger cooked through simply on the grounds of texture.

i like to chop fresh herbs through the mince, and like many of the above salt, lots of pepper, egg...
i love lamb burgers, especially done with a moroccan theme...chopoed dried apricots, corriander and cumin. mmmmmm....served of course with some tzatziki on a herby bun.

[Yakk]

For the lazy, take 2 lbs of beef, add in one or two eggs, and a package or two of lipton onion soup mix.

It's about as easy as buying pre-made burgers, you get the fun of mooshing it around between your fingers, and it tastes way better.

(oh, and add garlic, pepper and mustard, because this is beef we are talking about)

As for toppings, I've fallen in love with using a good steak sauce (HP, for example) on my hamburgers.

To repeat everyone above, do not eat uncooked, rare, or even medium hamburgers.

Rare meat inside a steak is inside the steak. Surface bacteria on a steak are killed by the cooking process.

In hamburger meat, the bacteria is spread all the way through the hamburger. Cooking on the outside doesn't kill the bacteria in the middle. And thus you get sick.

[Grasshopper Green]

Wow, I just use plain old beef and some salt and pepper. I'm going to have to try some of these "exotic" suggestions!!

[maleficent]

Originally Posted by Yakk

o repeat everyone above, do not eat uncooked, rare, or even medium hamburgers.

If I want a welldone burger, I'd go to McDonalds -- ick ptooey...

Buy fresh ground beef from the butcher and eat beef the way it is intended... (I've never gotten sick from a rare burger...) If a place won't serve me a rare burger (ie those "casual" dining places) I don't want anything there because it means they're not all that sanitary...

[Bratwurst]

I am definitely a HUGE fan of the green chili and jack cheese burger.

Also, pepperoncini and mozzarella is a good one.

One more - sliced tomato, raw diced onions, cheese, and crystal hot sauce.

[FloydianOne]

My favorite is getting some Jack Cheese ( or whatever they use for Queso Dip) and putting that inside the burger mixed with some jalepenos while you are making the patties. Generally I make a little pocket inside the burger of cheese/jalepeno goodness, but I have mixed it throughout before. Incredible spicy burger.

[ironmaiden7o7]

I could go on a hunt for the hamburger recipe at Burger King if you'd like. I never really made a hamburger. :-) Though, I would give you the recipe to a fish sandwich!

[snowy]

Originally Posted by ironmaiden7o7

I could go on a hunt for the hamburger recipe at Burger King if you'd like. I never really made a hamburger. :-) Though, I would give you the recipe to a fish sandwich!

Oh boy. How have you managed to never make a hamburger? Homecooked hamburgers are far superior to anything you would ever get at Burger King. The only place I trust around here to make a decent cheeseburger is my old brewpub because I know exactly how they make it...and it's yummy.

Making hamburgers is easy--you can even skip a step and buy preformed patties if you like (around where I live, you can even find good quality beef in preformed patties) and just season the outside of those. If you've got a George Foreman grill, you're ahead of the game.

My preferred method is over charcoal, but you do what you can with what you have.

[Hedgehog]

I like to mix together teriyaki sauce and some tabasco (chipotle flavor!) and then shake that over the ground burger before making patties. Also add kosher salt to the meat.

[doodlebird]

tippler's logic on why to not eat ground beef rare is sound. that being said, i looooove rare hamburgers. and since most restaurants won't serve you one, i have to make them myself.

here's how i do thanks to alton brown (good eats tv show on the food network in the US)

8 oz. chuck steak
8 oz. sirloin steak
splurge for the good stuff,
go to your favorite (highest quality) butcher

cut each portion of steak into approx. 1 inch cubes.
place 4 oz. each type into food processor and pulse 10 times.
repeat with remaining 4 oz of each.
combine two batches, mixing minimally with salt and fresh ground pepper.
makes 3 patties.

cook in butter for about 2 min each side in a very hot iron skillet
(on my gas flame, that's about medium high, not exactly NASA hot, but just plain ol' very hot)

place on a toasted bun (i like something lighter) with a spread of homemade mayonaise.

rare and delicious.

it's ok to eat rare meat if you can trust your butcher 100%. this is why steak tartar is OK. you won't find it at mcdonalds. you'll only find it a place that can stand behind the quality (and sanitation) of the food they serve.

yeah yeah, but for 99 cents, you can't beat mcdonalds double cheese burger that is ready for you as fast as you can drive your little car around the building.

[Yakk]

If you want to make safe rare hamburger at home, do the following:

Get a trusted butcher, who knows you will be eating some of the meat rare. Have them cut you some steaks.

Cook the steaks 'blue' -- sear the outside (all sides), killing any surface bacterea, but leave the insides raw. The thicker the cut, the more rare meat.

Now, using a clean meat grinder, grind the meat. You can choose to cut off the seared outside of the meat before grinding, in order to make the meat even rarer, or you can just grind the seared meat with the raw insides.

Make hamburgers, cook rare. (see above)

There is a high-end restaurant that does rare hamburgers like this back in my old home town.

The only danger here is that the meat was penetrated/pierced during butchering. Hence the trusted butcher.

Admittedly, human beings are pretty good at defeating invading organisms, so avoiding this level of care isn't as dangerous as say, high blood pressure, or a 40"+ waistline. =)

[Hedgehog]

Restaurants can cook burgers rare if they grind their own meat on-site. That's the only way other than doing your own at home to get it rare.

[magnum_xxxl]

My hamburger motto is always simple is better.

Meat - I like ground sorloin mixed with ground bacon at about a 4:1 ratio,
& they have to be done on the grill

Seasoning - about a table spoon of garlic butter(recipe below) in the middle of the patty, and only salt and pepper(crushed black & cayanne) on the outside.

Condements - either Stone ground mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, green chiles & enough cheddar that sticks to the plate, or mayo, sauteed mushrooms & onions with swiss.

Homemade garlic butter recipe:
2 sticks REAL butter at room temp
6-10 cloves garlic (to taste)
either cilantro or Basil depending on your preference to taste.

1. mix all ingredients in a bowl
2. then using saran wrap make (2) 1.5" diameter cylinders of butter.
keeps about 2-3 weks in fridge & a couple months in the freezer.

[doodlebird]

yakk's suggestion is a good one, i've actually done that a few times using different cuts with differing results. the more fat in your steak, the better. a leaner steak doesn't have quite enough "glue" to hold the ground meat together after it's been cooked a bit. (or maybe i cooked it too much in step one?)

also, magnum's suggestion about the bacon is a good one. there's a grocery near me that sells a "cowboy burger" - it has bacon and cheese mixed into the meat. now that i think of it, some kind of blue cheese would be excellent in with the bacon!

i gotta go out for burgers....

[P-Naughty]

I usually mix in some onion and garlic powders with mine, then top them off with a little salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Sometimes, if I'm not expecting anyone other than myself to be eating them, I add ground cayeene pepper to the beef (usually ground sirloin) for an added kick. this is only for those who can handle the heat though. Ground cayenne pepper has become my hotsauce replacement. It's also a good recipe if you wanna catch your roommate stealing some of your food. No one ever expects a hamburger to be really spicy, so they just take a big ol' bite without thinking... as my ex-roommate did. And am I the only person who likes their burgers medium to medium well?

[IanSturgill]

Hi guys,
My favorite burgers consist of a few ingredients.

Ground Sirloin
Red Onions(diced, decent chunks)
Dales(a.k.a. awesome sauce)
If you don't use dales, use hidden valley ranch mix
Bread Crumbs
Grated Parmesean
Eggs
Fresh Ground Pepper(or smashed pepper corns)
Sea Salt
Bacon
Mustard(yellow or spicy)
German white Gouda slices

Pan Fry Bacon. I use like a whole pack for ten burgers. It makes the sirloin happy. After fried crumble. Mix Sirloin, onions, dales, parmesean, eggs, pepper, salt, and mustard. Once mixed, fold in bread crumbs and bacon. Use the stuffing method by making two thin patties, and put the sliced gouda in the middle with extra bacon. once formed, marinate in a 50/50 mix of Dales and Jack Daniels over night, then grill. Serve with spicy mayonaise(mayonaise and cayenne) and lettuce. Got to have at leat two or three dill pickle spears on the side.
I like to serve mine with onion rings and shells n' cheese(I think kraft puts crack in there or something).
I obviosly don't make these every weekend, but they are pretty awesome for planned cookouts and the like. Have fun Trying Them!

[Giant Hamburger]

Hail Hamburger Aficionados!

Whenever I am feeling down I come and look at this thread.
It fills me with pleasure. I have eaten every one of these recipes in theory.
They are more delicious than words can describe.
Many thanks,
-GH

[asaris]

I just experimented with using Leek inside my hamburger, instead of onion. I think it works a whole lot better -- it's not as chunky as onion, and the taste is milder and a bit more garlicky.

[paj]

when i make my burgers, i use:

a 6 pack
lean ground beef
teriyaki sauce
soy sauce
worcestershire sauce
onion salt
seasoned salt
black pepper
onion soup mix
original diana's sauce
frank's red hot sauce
some sesame seeds

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

open first beer
consume
wash hands
mix all together and form patties, with a concave in the middle of each.
cover with saran wrap and put in fridge for 10-20 minutes
wash hands
start the grill (med-high)
open second beer
remove patties from fridge and allow to revert to room temperature
when grill is hot, place patties on grill
wash hands
open third beer
cook 4-6 mins/side, turning only once
open fourth beer (you know, the one to drink while your hauling the fruits of your labour back inside)

a slice of cheese can be added when about 30 secs or so remains in cooking time.
top with preferred condiments (ketchup, mustard & relish for me please!)
let burger sit for 1 minute before enjoying.
use this time to open fifth beer.
plate, and consume, whilst enjoying sixth beer.

repeat as needed

[absorbentishe]

I've got a few to add...

1.5 lbs ground sirloin (I only use this, always have, but can be made with whatever)
1 cup Shredded Monteray Jack Cheese
Kosher Salt (or any course salt)
Fresh ground pepper
4 slices bacon
Kaiser rolls

Cook bacon to desire, I cook it till it's just done. Cut and add to cheese, mix well. I think I add more bacon just because.

In a seperate bowl, add the meat, salt, pepper and mix well.

Form a patty, mine are usually 1/3 pound or more, and make it as flat as you can. Scoop some of the bacon/chees mix, form into a nugget, add to center of patty. Now take the sides of the patty up over the cheese and press down, so no cheese is showing.

Cook 6 - 8 minutes a side without burning them! Grill the Kaiser roll for a minute or so. Add condiments and burger. We had a spicy pepper salsa that we added and it was great (I don't have that receipe though).

Enjoy with your favorite beverage/sides.

[maleficent]

i really looooove hamburgers...

This was a new twist on a burger...

Greek Burgers

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (paper towels are your friend)
1 handful or so of crumbled feta cheese (my local grocery store sells it precrumbled so it's easy - you can also get it flavored with basil and other stuff if you want to
1 package ground chicken breast orground turkey breast
1 tbs of seasoning (i've been watching rachel ray too long, but like the varied seasoning in the burgers, since i'm trying to cut back on salt, I use mrs. dash's hamburger or chicken seasoning and it does the job.

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil
2. After onion has softened, remove from pan and allow to cool
3. Add cooled onion mixture to meat and seasonings along with the feta and spinach
4. Form meat into patties
5. Cook over medium/high heat til cooked (about 7 minutes on each side)

(serve with some tdaziki sauce on burger, in a pita bread with lettuce and tomato)

this also makes an awesome meatball as well- as an hors dourve thingie...