Making a juicy, yummy burger?

[slackerinabox]

So I've been enjoying these incredible burgers at this NYC joint for the past few weeks... They're thick, juicy and full of flavor... How come the burgers I make at home are flavorless and dry? What's the trick? What's the best way to cook it (my george foreman seems to dry them out), and what seasoning (if any) should I add?

I know everyone will say that I'm over cooking my burgers - I'm not... I cook them medium rare but the burgers are bloody, not really juicy... It's hard to explain but the burger I get in the city are medium well (no blood) but still so damn delicious!

Oh yeah, I'm using regular ground beef (chuck or sirloin) and occassionally buffalo meat... 100% pure and not the preformed stuff with additives.

 

[BatmanNate]

Maybe they're using a different kind of ground beef? Perhaps its grain fed and not grass fed? Is it a different fat content? Aged maybe? They also might be cooking at a higher temp.

 

[KLin]

try mixing some worcestershire sauce with your ground beef. Maybe that'll make it a little more juicy.

 

[Jzero]

Don't pack them too thin.
Don't add anything to the meat.
Press a small dimple in the middle of the patty so that it won't get too fat in the middle as it fills with juice.
Don't poke the burger or press on them - you will let the juice out. The weight of the foreman grill lid probably squeezes the juice out. Try cooking them with the lid up.
Try to only flip once.

 

[3chordcharlie]

well the george won't help too much... they aren't bad, but they aren't designed to leave your burger juicy, either. Turn down the heat, and don't squeeze the lid of the grill at all.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: KLin
try mixing some worcestershire sauce with your ground beef. Maybe that'll make it a little more juicy.

That works sometimes. Another classic trick is to mix in Molasses. I use the modern version: Mr. Yoshida's Teriyaki Marinade.

Flame-grilled gets the juciest burgers. Pan-fried gets the oliest and sometimes tastiest. If you fry it in butter. Mmmmmm... butter.

 

[slackerinabox]

Interesting ideas guys! As far as actually cooking them - I don't own an outdoor grill (live in an apartment) - should I pan fry them or use the broiler? Also, would using the george foreman with the lid up (flipping half way) help?

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
So I've been enjoying these incredible burgers at this NYC joint for the past few weeks... They're thick, juicy and full of flavor... How come the burgers I make at home are flavorless and dry? What's the trick? What's the best way to cook it (my george foreman seems to dry them out), and what seasoning (if any) should I add?

I know everyone will say that I'm over cooking my burgers - I'm not... I cook them medium rare but the burgers are bloody, not really juicy... It's hard to explain but the burger I get in the city are medium well (no blood) but still so damn delicious!

Oh yeah, I'm using regular ground beef (chuck or sirloin) and occassionally buffalo meat... 100% pure and not the preformed stuff with additives.

OK, I honestly don't know how you're drying the meat out with the Foreman grill. I've been using mine for 3 years and counting with no problems. I cook hamburgers all the time on it and don't have a problem with drying the meat out, and I cook mine completely. How much fat is in the meat to begin with? I've cooked with 30%, 17% and 15% and they all come out great.

All I do is let it get nice and brown on the outside, then poke it with a knife until it stops bleeding and starts dribbling fat and water instead. ::shrug::

Anything without a lot of fat like chicken or turkey burgers does tend to get dry faster, so that may be your problem if the beef doesn't have a lot of fat.

I'd cook them all the way anyway, simply because ground beef isn't as safe as steak to not cook all the way through. I'm told this is because grinding the beef spreads bacteria throughout the meat and not just the surface, like a steak.

 

[glen]

Just buy Angus Bubba Burgers

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: yukichigai

Originally posted by: KLin
try mixing some worcestershire sauce with your ground beef. Maybe that'll make it a little more juicy.

That works sometimes. Another classic trick is to mix in Molasses. I use the modern version: Mr. Yoshida's Teriyaki Marinade.

Flame-grilled gets the juciest burgers. Pan-fried gets the oliest and sometimes tastiest. If you fry it in butter. Mmmmmm... butter.

I'll pick some worcestershire sauce (sp?) soon but I have some molasses in the fridge... How much should I add per 1/4 pound burger?

Thanks!

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: Jzero
Don't pack them too thin.
Don't add anything to the meat.
Press a small dimple in the middle of the patty so that it won't get too fat in the middle as it fills with juice.
Don't poke the burger or press on them - you will let the juice out. The weight of the foreman grill lid probably squeezes the juice out. Try cooking them with the lid up.
Try to only flip once.

actually the more you flip the juicer they are

 

[Platypus]

aren't cows sacred to you?

 

[cHeeZeFacTory]

I saw an episode on foodtv where they use a combination of sirloin, chuck, and some other cut of beef...

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
aren't cows sacred to you?

That was very ignorant of you....

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: cHeeZeFacTory
I saw an episode on foodtv where they use a combination of sirloin, chuck, and some other cut of beef...

I'm going to try mixing some sirloin and chuck - maybe that will help.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Jzero
Don't pack them too thin.
Don't add anything to the meat.
Press a small dimple in the middle of the patty so that it won't get too fat in the middle as it fills with juice.
Don't poke the burger or press on them - you will let the juice out. The weight of the foreman grill lid probably squeezes the juice out. Try cooking them with the lid up.
Try to only flip once.

All good advice but multiple flipping (in order to get a quick early sear) is fine. In fact, you should sear 30 seconds a side initially. Adding worcestershire sauce helps a lot IMO too.
The foreman is the likely culprit. It's designed to drain the juices. Use a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop at medium-high heat.

And a bad cook can ruin good meat, but the best cook in the world can't make bad meat good.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
aren't cows sacred to you?

That was very ignorant of you....

Where is your family from originally?

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
aren't cows sacred to you?

That was very ignorant of you....

Where is your family from originally?

A region of South India that was mostly Christian... We're protestant and eat whatever the hell we want to eat.

 

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
aren't cows sacred to you?

That was very ignorant of you....

Where is your family from originally?

A region of South India that was mostly Christian... We're protestant and eat whatever the hell we want to eat.

Don't lie, you got kicked out for eating cow.

 

[Jgtdragon]

This thread is making me hungry.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
aren't cows sacred to you?

That was very ignorant of you....

Where is your family from originally?

A region of South India that was mostly Christian... We're protestant and eat whatever the hell we want to eat.

Oh yeah? What part?

 

[ColdFusion718]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
aren't cows sacred to you?

That was very ignorant of you....

Where is your family from originally?

A region of South India that was mostly Christian... We're protestant and eat whatever the hell we want to eat.

Don't lie, you got kicked out for eating cow.

LOLOL

 

[JoeKing]

the trick is the heat. You gotta get the grill as hot as you can. Then you quickly sear both sides to seal the juices in, then reduce temp and finish cooking. Don't sqeeze the patties or even move them around that much.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: yukichigai

Originally posted by: KLin
If you fry it in butter. Mmmmmm... butter.

Looks like I have another butter friend here

 

[spidey07]

buy beef with the highest fat content you can find - 25-30%.

don't press/form or much else...just take out of the package and shape for 10 seconds.

sprinkle pentiful salt/pepper.

place on grill or grill pan for on medium/medium high heat.

don't press at all and turn only once.

boom! good burger.

you're not making meatloaf...you're making a burger.