How to make beef taste better? (specifically, ground beef for hamburgers)

[JulesMaximus]

I just pour a little worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper on the beef before cooking it. Use 80/20 ground beef.

 

[Kaido]

You could try a hand grinder for under $30. I hear oxtail does wonders too.

Found a small one for $23:

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Grinder...dp/B0002I5QHW/

Basic Kitchenaid attachment for $46:

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FGA...dp/B00004SGFH/

I'll have to do a bit of research on this. My in-laws save a ton of cash by buying half a cow every year and storing it in a deep freezer, so if I went that route, investing in a quality grinder would be a Good Thing :thumbsup:

 

[feralkid]

What cut(s) do you use?

I've done short ribs, sirloin, brisket and shanks. I've never tried oxtail or neck bones, but they are often recommended.

 

[MrSquished]

if you are grinding your own burgers one of the best blends is short rib, brisket second cut, and chuck or sirloin. used to get a blend of this from a butcher for 4.99 a pound.

the spotted pig recipe book used 1/3 of each of these in her burger. i suspect if you made 50% the short rib and split the remainder between the other 2 it might be even better.

you should put no seasoning in the meat you grind. just a bit of salt before cooking.

best way to cook a burger is on a flat top or frying pan not on a grill. roll it into a ball and smash it within the first 30 seconds or so.

i've used the kitchen aid attachment and it's awesome. used a meat grinder when i was in the food business. even better. but for home use if you have a kitchen aid blender, the attachment is great. comes with 2 different sized grinder.

shake shack uses a blend, i suspect with those 3 meats. that burger is so goddamn tasty its insane. blends are the way to go.

 

[Kaido]

shake shack uses a blend, i suspect with those 3 meats. that burger is so tasty its insane. blends are the way to go.

Hmm, reading time:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives...ake-shack-how-to-make-shake-shack-burger.html

According to Adam's sources, the meat is a 50:25:25 blend of sirloin, chuck, and brisket. On the other hand, according to Ozersky, the mixture is actually mostly brisket, with chuck and short rib mixed in.

That's exactly what I'm talking about - there are these little boutique places like Shake Shack, BurgerFi, etc. that make a pretty mean burger and somehow make them taste freakin' amazing.

This question came up in a comment recently, but it's worth breaking out into a separate post. I have it on good authority that the essential mixture of the Shake Shack's burger meat is a 50:25:25 ratio of sirloin:chuck:brisket. All 80:20 meat-to-fat.

I'll try ground chuck to start out with, and I found a butcher about 20 minutes from me that has a good reputation, so I'll also try fresh 80/20 ground beef. No pink slime!

 

[Kaido]

i've used the kitchen aid attachment and it's awesome. used a meat grinder when i was in the food business. even better. but for home use if you have a kitchen aid blender, the attachment is great. comes with 2 different sized grinder.

Was the $46 plastic model the one you got for your Kitchenaid?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SGFH

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Try picking up "beef base", it's generally used as a soup starter, but it should be suitable for what you want. Sprinkle it through the beef with salt and pepper, it will really enhance the flavor.

 

[gotsmack]

Knorr beef stock cube - Marco Pierre White

Laugh all you want, but it works.

Also get gras fed beef, maybe mix in some wild game or lamb fat for a little gamey taste.

 

[Meghan54]

bacon.

There's a Mennonite shop, very small grocery with an excellent butcher, in the center of town where I live. They grind bacon into ground beef.....damned tasty!

 

[effowe]

Grind it yourself using various cuts, like brisket, short ribs, sirloin, etc.

This is what I do. I used to use chuck for most everything, but have recently switched to short ribs and that turns out really great. If you want some more fat in there put some bacon into the grind and it will be even more delicious.

 

[dbk]

Goddamn, I'm so hungry now.

 

[MrSquished]

Was the $46 plastic model the one you got for your Kitchenaid?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SGFH

yep. it's plastic save for the metal tube inside that moves the meat towards the grinder plate, and the grinder plate is clearly metal

 

[MrSquished]

Hmm, reading time:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives...ake-shack-how-to-make-shake-shack-burger.html

According to Adam's sources, the meat is a 50:25:25 blend of sirloin, chuck, and brisket. On the other hand, according to Ozersky, the mixture is actually mostly brisket, with chuck and short rib mixed in.

That's exactly what I'm talking about - there are these little boutique places like Shake Shack, BurgerFi, etc. that make a pretty mean burger and somehow make them taste freakin' amazing.



I'll try ground chuck to start out with, and I found a butcher about 20 minutes from me that has a good reputation, so I'll also try fresh 80/20 ground beef. No pink slime!

http://aht.seriouseats.com/ is seriously a great website. the guy breaks it down to a science why this way or method is better than this. why smashing a ball of meant is better. it's a great resource. thanks for that link though, never read that article.

anybody here who wants to make a better burger, bookmark that blog and read it.

 

[MrSquished]

I have a gluten allergy, so I usually don't get to enjoy a bun on a burger when I go out to eat because I do a lettuce wrap instead.

TL;DR: Goal = find or make ground beef with more beefy flavor

why don't you buy gluten free buns and ask them if they would make your burger with them? there are plenty of gluten free buns

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

why don't you buy gluten free buns and ask them if they would make your burger with them? there are plenty of gluten free buns

You don't bring your own food to a restaurant. Seems pretty straightforward but I keep having to explain it to the military.

 

[Kaido]

why don't you buy gluten free buns and ask them if they would make your burger with them? there are plenty of gluten free buns

Unfortunately, most gluten-free buns taste terrible and also crumble apart. The ones that do stay together are pretty flavorless. It's usually a better experience eating it on a lettuce wrap

 

[MrSquished]

Unfortunately, most gluten-free buns taste terrible and also crumble apart. The ones that do stay together are pretty flavorless. It's usually a better experience eating it on a lettuce wrap

hmmmm. interesting. i suspect though that there is that one or two bakers that have figured it out.

usually when i eat meat substitutes they suck, but then i found a few places that did it right to the point where i couldn't wait to eat another.

i'll ask my health-nut friend if he has found a good gluten free bun. if anybody has it's him.

 

[Ken g6]

No pink slime!

Why not? Some people seem to prefer it that way.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

OP, you might try taking it in a different direction. Try making gyro meat with the ground beef and eating with tomatoes, kalamata olives and, Tzatziki sauce.

1 lb ground beef 80/20
1 onion diced
1 t. Garlic
1 t. Cumin
1 t. Oregano
1 t. Marjoram
1 t. Thyme
1 t. Rosemary
1 t. Mint
I like to grind allnthe herbs together and toast them a bit before adding to the beef and onion.
Don't forget the S & P.

 

[Xonim]

Hmm, reading time:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives...ake-shack-how-to-make-shake-shack-burger.html

Thaaaaaank you!

Ate here when my wife and I visited NYC (and that day, the Museum of Natural History) this past year. Burgers were pretty darn good, fries were excellent, and the root beer custard was incredible.

Going to have to find a meat grinder, then hit up our local meat place. If I remember, I'll report back :biggrin:

My normal burgers are cooked on charcoal, 80/20 hamburger. We use a spice called Tex-Joy that we "import" from my brother-in-law in Texas. I've been trying but haven't yet perfected cooking a Juicy Lucy. There's a place here called The Nook that makes a few different ones. I've personally had Guy's Big Bite and would recommend it to anyone, that was even better than the Shake Shack burger, and their fries were the best of any restaurant I've ever been to.

 

[Tsavo]

Unfortunately, most gluten-free buns taste terrible and also crumble apart. The ones that do stay together are pretty flavorless. It's usually a better experience eating it on a lettuce wrap

Add (Diamond Crystal kosher) salt, black pepper, egg, some diced onion and garlic...and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce to the beef prior to cooking.

Make some quick mashed potatoes (use some milk, Tillamook butter, and Philadelphia Cream Cheese to the bowl while mixing).

Add some gravy and maybe some broccoli, or Bush's baked beans in place of gravy.

Boil up your green veg in water with a decent bit of kosher salt in there to make them green and tasty.

Cheap, quick, easy, impossible to f-up, and....tasty.

 

[DestinyKnight]

fresh ground chuck from the local butcher is hard to beat.

 

[MrSquished]

i'm a purist. i don't think adding seasonings of any kind is for a burger besides salt. at that point it is more like a meatloaf on a bun.

a burger is unadulterated meat. putting all that crap in a burger is burger rape.

 

[Imported]

http://aht.seriouseats.com/ is seriously a great website. the guy breaks it down to a science why this way or method is better than this. why smashing a ball of meant is better. it's a great resource. thanks for that link though, never read that article.

anybody here who wants to make a better burger, bookmark that blog and read it.

I love aht. Here's their recreation of the In-n-Out double double animal style http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives...ut-double-double-animal-style.html?ref=search .. luckily I can just drive down the road and get it without having to go through the hassle.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

i'm a purist. i don't think adding seasonings of any kind is for a burger besides salt. at that point it is more like a meatloaf on a bun.

a burger is unadulterated meat. putting all that crap in a burger is burger rape.

Gastronomic coward!