What are some simple ways to make a good burger?

Moses144

Moses144

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What are some easy modifications to make to the processes of burger making to end up with a tastier burger? I have a few methods that are probably common place, perhaps there are better ways out there you guys can share?

- I always take my ground beef and put Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper into the mix, heavily.

- I make a premeditated small batch of ketchup + mayo, about equal portions, probably heavier on mayo if anything.

- Grill onion slices, grill bun for a small amount of time.

- Generally, and since I'm not formally trained, I have to assume this is the standard way to grill a burger, I sear the meat on high flames, flipping once, then I close the grill lid and essentially bake my meat. Do true grill men use pure searing to get their meats done?

Also, for any of you wildly interested in burgers, check this out:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives...-cheeseburger-styles-and-cooking-methods.html


This makes me hungry.

20090917-onion-burgers-perlow.jpg
 
I throw in some garlic salt and bbq sause and then grill. Easy and tasty

But I will definatley have to give your style a go...sounds good
 
minced onions and italian bread crumbs and parmaesean cheese mixed inside the meat. for spice or heat add in louisiana hotsauce if you like. actually add any cheese you want i like feta and or blue cheese myself.
 
I like just salt and pepper on my burgers. Kind of over season them, then cook to medium doneness. A little pink is good for everyone. Cheese is optional, I like a sharp cheddar. Then I mix mayo and ketchup and put a decent amount on the buns. When you eat it, the salty, beefy juices run out of the meat and mix with the mayo to make the best sauce ever.
 
Alcohol. I've made burgers with both JD and Captain Morgan mixed in, and they were quite tasty. They add subtle sweet hints since most of the alcohol is burned off. Also, mix shredded cheese into the meat before cooking.
 
Get La Choy soy sauce - it's kind of a thick marinade and sweet. Get some regular soy sauce to dillute it with. Get some pineapple juice and pineapple.

Marinade with all the above juices for a few hours. Dice up the pineapple. Cook burger. Lightly grill pineapple bits and put on burger. Super fly.

You can also try mixing in other meats. Ground pork should work well. Ground turkey dries out very quickly so don't use too much.
 
Generic season salt, fresh ground peppercorn from a peppermill (I particularly like a combo of black, red, and white peppercorn), and some onion powder. Buy some gourmet hamburger buns and vary the cheeses.

For a generic restaurant style American burger, I put thousand island dressing on the bun with cheddar cheese on the meat, and lettuce.

For a BBQ style burger, I use BBQ sauce on the bun and put some onion rings on it, and pepperjack cheese on the meat.

And the best burgers, IMHO, aren't made from ground beef. They come from ground buffalo. Mmmmm....
 
meh, I'm a plain jane with just some 70/30 and sea salt and fresh ground pepper cooked to medium. With some Wisconsin Cheddar, lettuce and a slice of Cherokee Purple Tomato on fresh Kaiser rolls. With the Purple Tomato, no need for ketchup, mustard or any sauce at all.
 
Mix in chopped onions and chopped garlic into the meat, not garlic powder chopped garlic. (you'll taste the difference)
 
What the fuck is wrong with you people? I'd make a youtube video but nobody would watch it.

I like how you all do such fucked up shit to your hamburgers and act like it's the way it should really be done.

I mean what the fuck are you doing? That pic in the OP looks like Jesus on the cross but those onions will never rise again. Are you wearing a glove? Why do you have those at your house? Why are you wearing one to make burgers? What the fuck? I am legit blown away.
 
[quote name='WhipSmartBanky']Ground meat of your choice + packet of Lipton soup mix. Beefy onion or onion mushroom. Win.[/QUOTE]

Me too!
 
I use (about per pound, but not exact since I do not use measuring devices.)
1/2 T. Worcestershire
1 T. -2 T. A.1. sauce
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. seasoning salt
1 t. Hungarian Paprika
1 dash of onion powder
1/2 t. fresh ground peppercorn melange

Mix well with hands, make 1/4 pound patties one day before cooking. Store in zip baggie separated by wax paper. These also freeze well, just take out of freezer to refrigerator two days before grilling.

Sometimes I use the same recipe but with egg and fresh bread crumbs. The fresh bread crumbs soaks up the grease while cooking and makes a very tasty burger for the well done crowd.

Top with a slice of non-processed cheese of your choice but if you must use processed cheese use smoked cheddar or smoked cheddar & swiss.
 
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A burger with some seasonings and some vegetables mixed in is good once in a while for a change of pace, but those are just novelty burgers for me.

My favorite burgers are just good ground beef (maybe mix chuck with ground sirloin, if I feel fancy) formed into patties (about 3-4" diameter and 3/4" thick with a depression in the middle), and then season with salt and pepper. I prefer grilled, but I will settle for pan-fried also. Only cook once per side (don't flip too much) and don't squeeze out the juices.

Toppings are nothing special, just some combination of lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, cheese, and a sauce (mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue, mustard, Thousand Island). Nice toasted bun, and that's it.

I think that a classic burger is pretty close to perfect as it is, so I don't usually mess with the recipe too much.
 
preface: Just saw how long this post was and apologize, but I know what I'm talking about so please read and maybe be informed. Been waiting fo a food related thread on CAG!!!

I suggest patty melt style with the bun, buttered bread a la grilled cheese. Convenient if your grill has a side burner. Also saute your onions about 50% doneness then deglaze the pan with good balsamic vinegar and reduce (cook all the vinegar out leaving a nice balsamic reduction).

Never understood seasoning the inside of meat with spices. The cooking process is too short for favors to fully develop. Grilling is a direct heat cooking method. Season the outside of the meat as this is what will be coming in contact with the grill and better bring out flavor. No need to salt the inside of your meat as this with draw out too much moisture during the cooking process.

Along with worchestershire put a little italian dressing in the mix. Not too much as the moisture content of the meat may be too much and cause the meat the crumble (all the more reason for patty melt style!!). Also some liquid smoke is always nice in there when cooking over gas or propane. Be careful with the stuff, it is VERY concentrated and potent. As noted by another, add bread crumbs [or better yet, smashed seasoned croutons] and parmesan or pre-shredded cheese [
 
If I want something fancy, I'll go out for it, but at home I'm more than happy with just some chopped up onions and pepper mixed in before cooking. And fuck anyone who uses american cheese, chedder or bust.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']What the fuck is wrong with you people? I'd make a youtube video but nobody would watch it.

I like how you all do such fucked up shit to your hamburgers and act like it's the way it should really be done.

I mean what the fuck are you doing? That pic in the OP looks like Jesus on the cross but those onions will never rise again. Are you wearing a glove? Why do you have those at your house? Why are you wearing one to make burgers? What the fuck? I am legit blown away.[/QUOTE]

I'd watch it. Post one on how to make a burger.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']What the fuck is wrong with you people? I'd make a youtube video but nobody would watch it.

I like how you all do such fucked up shit to your hamburgers and act like it's the way it should really be done.

I mean what the fuck are you doing? That pic in the OP looks like Jesus on the cross but those onions will never rise again. Are you wearing a glove? Why do you have those at your house? Why are you wearing one to make burgers? What the fuck? I am legit blown away.[/QUOTE]

http://www.apa.org/topics/controlanger.html
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']What the fuck is wrong with you people? I'd make a youtube video but nobody would watch it.

I like how you all do such fucked up shit to your hamburgers and act like it's the way it should really be done.

I mean what the fuck are you doing? That pic in the OP looks like Jesus on the cross but those onions will never rise again. Are you wearing a glove? Why do you have those at your house? Why are you wearing one to make burgers? What the fuck? I am legit blown away.[/QUOTE]

The picture is from the link in my OP. We know you're a really good chef, so I think a lot of us would watch your youtube video if you'd be willing.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, these are all pretty good. A lot of these I'm definitely going to incorporate immediately (garlic instead of garlic powder, no salt inside burger mix, a little BBQ sauce and bread crumbs, and more) and many I'll be trying soon once I hit the store (too many to list, but definitely pineapple burgers).
 
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[quote name='JimmieMac']What the fuck is wrong with you people? I'd make a youtube video but nobody would watch it.

I like how you all do such fucked up shit to your hamburgers and act like it's the way it should really be done.

I mean what the fuck are you doing? That pic in the OP looks like Jesus on the cross but those onions will never rise again. Are you wearing a glove? Why do you have those at your house? Why are you wearing one to make burgers? What the fuck? I am legit blown away.[/QUOTE]

not with that attitude i wouldnt watch it. besides the op just asked for suggestions on hwta others do when cooking burgers everyone has their own tastes and preferences and nobody said theirs was the end all be all. thats the magic of meat you can do whatever you want as long as you use your imagination. you dont have to be a chef to know how to make good food.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']What the fuck is wrong with you people? I'd make a youtube video but nobody would watch it.

I like how you all do such fucked up shit to your hamburgers and act like it's the way it should really be done.

I mean what the fuck are you doing? That pic in the OP looks like Jesus on the cross but those onions will never rise again. Are you wearing a glove? Why do you have those at your house? Why are you wearing one to make burgers? What the fuck? I am legit blown away.[/QUOTE]

Dude, calm down, its just a burger recipe.

And after a post like that, I'll bet if you made a Youtube burger cooking video, I'm pretty sure some of us CAGers would want to see it. But only if you say fuck fuck fuck fuck multiple times in it. MAKE IT!
 
I'd definetly watch JimmieMac cook anything on yodtube! He might not be very "passionate" but damn can that boy cook!

So come on Jimmie, POST THAT VIDEO! (PS - You should have won Hell's Kitchen)
 
[quote name='Canadian_Man']Flip often and never press the burger.[/QUOTE]

Every source I've seen says to flip once, and only once, or at most, flip once, then flip near the end the finish it off. Do you notice flipping often helps your burgers out?
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']What the fuck is wrong with you people? I'd make a youtube video but nobody would watch it.

I like how you all do such fucked up shit to your hamburgers and act like it's the way it should really be done.

I mean what the fuck are you doing? That pic in the OP looks like Jesus on the cross but those onions will never rise again. Are you wearing a glove? Why do you have those at your house? Why are you wearing one to make burgers? What the fuck? I am legit blown away.[/QUOTE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj5ms9PJDNY
 
oh that's jimmiemac from fuck hell's kitchen...fuck got it. Guess we better fuckin listen to the man!!!!

***think the tv show got to his fuckin head. Make me an ego burger please jimmie***
 
Nah. I don't think the tv show got to him. Wasn't he like a CAG villain of year for 2007? I never paid attention before, but he sure seems to be angry a lot or something.

BTW. I'm just grind my own beef, usually some chuck and sirloin and just salt and pepper it, and make a standard burger.
 
[quote name='shadowkast']oh that's jimmiemac from fuck hell's kitchen...fuck got it. Guess we better fuckin listen to the man!!!!

***think the tv show got to his fuckin head. Make me an ego burger please jimmie***[/QUOTE]


Obviously you haven't been around along enough, he has always been like this, for good or for bad. He knows cooking, so when he gives advice about food listen, though if it looks like ass but you like how it taste, obviously do it your way.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']What the fuck is wrong with you people? I'd make a youtube video but nobody would watch it.

I like how you all do such fucked up shit to your hamburgers and act like it's the way it should really be done.

I mean what the fuck are you doing? That pic in the OP looks like Jesus on the cross but those onions will never rise again. Are you wearing a glove? Why do you have those at your house? Why are you wearing one to make burgers? What the fuck? I am legit blown away.[/QUOTE]
Hey JimmieMac, we know you were on Hells Kitchen and got kicked out, but why don't you give some advice? We'd love to hear advice from a real professional chef!
 
[quote name='Moses144']Every source I've seen says to flip once, and only once, or at most, flip once, then flip near the end the finish it off. Do you notice flipping often helps your burgers out?[/QUOTE]
Yes, I do. Aside from having a more evenly cooked burger, flipping often helps to prevent burning them.

Cooking half then half is the lazy way and it shows in the results, however you choose to marinate.
 
Mix 1 lb of Ground chuck with 1 pkg of Bob Evans Sausage(pepper to taste)
-make patties and GRILL-
after "flip", top with Mushrooms and Gorgonzola until cheese melts
place on grilled onion roll and a touch of grey poupon
 
Sometimes the best recipies are the simplest:

Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Sprinkle it on top of your burger as you cook it. Thats it.
 
[quote name='Moses144']Every source I've seen says to flip once, and only once, or at most, flip once, then flip near the end the finish it off. Do you notice flipping often helps your burgers out?[/QUOTE]
no, it makes my burgers more dry.

as far as the actual burger, salt, pepper + grill is the best.

for toppings i play with it. one time i used dijon mustard, hawaiian heirloom tomato, and radichhio with ezekiel bread; really unique but still good.
 
These days I don't eat beef very much but I still make turkey burgers. I generally don't add anything to the meat. I just serve it on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, ketchup and cheese. Obviously you can top it with whatever you want, I tend to enjoy chipotle mayo.
 
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