The Burger Thread

[la szum]

Can't claim ownership of this, I stole it from somewhere, but this is how I make burger sauce and it's delicious.

Ingredients:

• Mayo (Kewpie)
• Ketchup or Sriracha (half as much as the mayo)
• Mustard (⅓ as much as the ketchup)
• Diced pickle as desired
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Mix it all together

That traditional Ketchup, Mustard, and/or Mayo combo for Burgers is great. That said, I sure do enjoy
experimenting with different sauces. Great way to change up the entire taste profile of a Burger.

I am going to try that one you shared. Pretty close to the Comeback Sauce from what I can tell.

 

[marsonic]

I have tried various methods and I am not sold on the cure and dry brining for Burgers that long.
My experience, and this is maybe reflective of me doing something wrong, is that it leaves a jerky
burger that is both too dry and tougher than I prefer. Same with steaks. Sucking all the moisture
out is not what I want in a Burger. I sometimes don't even salt the meat and salt/season the pan
instead.

Interesting to see the different methods and perspectives on what makes a great burger. As with
most things in life, there isn't a lot of consensus, it seems.

I have literally never dried out a piece of meat by salting it the day beforehand. I'm really not sure how you would do that, but dry is not at all how I would describe it....except on the surface, which is what you want for any kind of char without just burning it (and over-cooking in the process).

That being said....I don't think I'd bother if I wasn't going to reverse sear (at a very low heat...just enough to evaporate surface moisture). You also just can't do a reverse sear if it's like Five Guys burger thin....the probe thermometer doesn't work right if it's not over 1/2" or so. An inch works better.

IME, If you try to cook meat all at once, that usually ruins it. It can work for very blue rare (as in, actually still raw in the middle, not warm, raw). But, I don't like that mix of textures. If I'm going to eat tartare, I'll just eat tartare.

If you like medium or more cooked...I'm honestly not sure what to suggest. It's been years since I cooked meat that much.

 

[marsonic]

Also, am I alone in getting older and being unable to eat an entire Burger? Eating that
much in one sitting and I feel like I need a 3 hour nap afterwards.

So, I have graduated to Sliders more often than not in the past year. That's what I
ended up making last evening.

That's part of why I quit carbs. It just does not happen if I eat mostly meat & fat.

 

[Joe Bfstplk]

That's part of why I quit carbs. It just does not happen if I eat mostly meat & fat.

I know this tune....


Many places will do the lettuce-wrapped burger thing for those of us trying to get off our buns....

 

[∞Fractals]

I got them new hamburger pick ups for my PRS…

 

[marsonic]

I know this tune....
View attachment 93200

Many places will do the lettuce-wrapped burger thing for those of us trying to get off our buns....

Yup.

I'm pretty sure I can't say I cured it due to a whole bunch of policies. But....no medications, 60lbs down, blood sugar tracks according to the "ideal", a1c has been normal for ~2 years, and the rest of my bloodwork is consistently better than when I was a kid.

I'm not going back to eating poison.

That being said, I find lettuce wraps hard to eat. I just prefer a fork.

 

[la szum]

Yup.

I'm pretty sure I can't say I cured it due to a whole bunch of policies. But....no medications, 60lbs down, blood sugar tracks according to the "ideal", a1c has been normal for ~2 years, and the rest of my bloodwork is consistently better than when I was a kid.

I'm not going back to eating poison.

That being said, I find lettuce wraps hard to eat. I just prefer a fork.

Wow. Congrats on the discipline, hard work, and best payoff of all.

 

[Joe Bfstplk]

Yup.

I'm pretty sure I can't say I cured it due to a whole bunch of policies. But....no medications, 60lbs down, blood sugar tracks according to the "ideal", a1c has been normal for ~2 years, and the rest of my bloodwork is consistently better than when I was a kid.

I did it through diet for a while, but is impossible to maintain without support and cooperation from those around you....

 

[bleujazz3]

I've never met a hambuger I didn't like, and I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for one today.

We see you, "Alan." You can't hide forever.

 

[bleujazz3]

Unless I'm making lamb burgers, in which case I make tzatziki like the following (also stolen from somewhere).

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated cucumber (no need to peel or seed, use large holes on grater)
• 1½ cups plain greek yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint and/or dill
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or mined
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Method

1. Strain the grated cucumber over a sink to remove excess moisture, transfer to serving bowl
2. Add remaining ingredients, stir and let rest for 5 minutes
3. Taste test, adding additional herbs, lemon juice or salt if necessary
4. Serve immediately, or chill for later; keeps well chilled for up to 4 days

Tzatziki is like the answer to traditional mayo/ketchup. And leg of lamb is on sale this week. So is prime rib.

I'd love to try lamb burgers, but most of our lamb is local, not good New Zealand lamb. I thought about this a while...and realized...it's a whole different kind of animal...

 

[la szum]

I have literally never dried out a piece of meat by salting it the day beforehand. I'm really not sure how you would do that, but dry is not at all how I would describe it....except on the surface, which is what you want for any kind of char without just burning it (and over-cooking in the process).

That being said....I don't think I'd bother if I wasn't going to reverse sear (at a very low heat...just enough to evaporate surface moisture). You also just can't do a reverse sear if it's like Five Guys burger thin....the probe thermometer doesn't work right if it's not over 1/2" or so. An inch works better.

IME, If you try to cook meat all at once, that usually ruins it. It can work for very blue rare (as in, actually still raw in the middle, not warm, raw). But, I don't like that mix of textures. If I'm going to eat tartare, I'll just eat tartare.

If you like medium or more cooked...I'm honestly not sure what to suggest. It's been years since I cooked meat that much.

Like I said, maybe it is just me and error of my ways and knowledge.

My understanding is that the nicer a cut of meat is the less salt you need, and the shorter the
cure time needed. Perhaps that is not correct. For me, and in the case of a burger salt is not being
used to preserve the meat, or to try and tenderize a tough cut of meat. That is why I find light
salt and seasoning a pan works better for me.

If it were something like Short Ribs then I would definitely be salting heavily and curing for 24
hours or more to soften and add flavour to all that connective tissue.

 

[levipeto]

Just curious. With the cost of ground beef increasing, do many of you still enjoy a good burger? How do you make it? How do you like it cooked? What do you add to it?

80% ground beef was on sale last week, so I purchased a package and divided it into 1 lb. weights and popped these in the freezer. Defrosted a lb. last night and will try to put together a ½ lb. on a brioche bun, with American cheese, mayo, ketchup and B&B pickles.

I really might prefer Swiss with a slice of tomato, but Swiss is more costly and tomatoes seldom last long in the fridge.

How do enjoy your burgers?

I hear you, but FYI American cheese is not really cheese.

"What is American cheese? Well, as you might have guessed, it's not actually cheese—at least, not legally. The FDA calls it “pasteurized processed American cheese product.” In order for a food product to be a true “cheese,” it has to be more than half cheese, which is technically pressed curds of milk."

 

[bleujazz3]

I hear you, but FYI American cheese is not really cheese.

"What is American cheese? Well, as you might have guessed, it's not actually cheese—at least, not legally. The FDA calls it “pasteurized processed American cheese product.” In order for a food product to be a true “cheese,” it has to be more than half cheese, which is technically pressed curds of milk."

You are correct. Most American cheese is now a "cheese product." Case in point, my local grocer has a deli counter which provides sliced cheese of many kinds, as well as a specialty cheese section where you can find "real" cheese.

At home, I prefer sliced "cheese product" because it melts evenly compared to some like block-sliced cheddar or some other cheese types.

You point is valid. Most American cheese nowadays is "cheese product," and for reasons of wishing to save money, it's easier on the wallet.

There are times when quality can't be found cheap, and for that reason, we pay extra for good things, because that is how businesses view their workmanship and product.

 

[Gonwild]

Non frozen burger on a coal BBQ with mostly standard toppings and differnt sauces for variety is perhaps my first choice when I think of a great burger.

And to add to the debate... yes I think we should eat less beef for enviromental and animal welfare reasons.
And; plant based alternatives are getting really good. And other styles of plant burgers that are not trying to imitate meat are great as well. I often make vegetarian burgers. Different but still good.

 

[marsonic]

Wow. Congrats on the discipline, hard work, and best payoff of all.

Thank you. I'll say that I do think it's simple to do those things, but that doesn't make it easy.

I did it through diet for a while, but is impossible to maintain without support and cooperation from those around you....

Yeah. My wife is a saint. It's rare we eat the same meal.

Like I said, maybe it is just me and error of my ways and knowledge.

My understanding is that the nicer a cut of meat is the less salt you need, and the shorter the
cure time needed. Perhaps that is not correct. For me, and in the case of a burger salt is not being
used to preserve the meat, or to try and tenderize a tough cut of meat. That is why I find light
salt and seasoning a pan works better for me.

If it were something like Short Ribs then I would definitely be salting heavily and curing for 24
hours or more to soften and add flavour to all that connective tissue.

That's not really true. And, that's kind of the point of pre-salting, or what you call a dry brine (though it doesn't seem that extreme). It mostly brings out more of the rich, savory flavors. Other spices can easily be added in the pan or right before cooking. But, using salt like that will mostly just make the outside taste oddly different from the rest of it. Doing it early is just different.

Seriously, give the full thing a try one day. It's great.

ETA:

And to add to the debate... yes I think we should eat less beef for enviromental and animal welfare reasons.
And; plant based alternatives are getting really good. And other styles of plant burgers that are not trying to imitate meat are great as well. I often make vegetarian burgers. Different but still good.

I'll just say I respectfully disagree about part of that. I will never eat a plant substitute. That being said, animal welfare is one of the reasons I started buying from local farms as much as I can. They're hands-down better in every way than factory farms. It's a lot harder to find a good one if you're in a huge metro area. I'm lucky enough that I have several to choose from. But, there's really not much of a difference in environmental impact between factory farms for plants and factory farms for meat. The factory part is the problem, not that they're farming meat.

 

[∞Fractals]

FYI “plant-based” doesn’t mean there isn’t mammalian cellular tissue in the product.

They grow “the meat” and then add vegetable material to it. Never eating that crap.

I try to stay away from factory foods. Even Doritos don’t taste like they did in the 1970s. It’s something different. Not food.

 

[bleujazz3]

Non frozen burger on a coal BBQ with mostly standard toppings and differnt sauces for variety is perhaps my first choice when I think of a great burger.

And to add to the debate... yes I think we should eat less beef for enviromental and animal welfare reasons.
And; plant based alternatives are getting really good. And other styles of plant burgers that are not trying to imitate meat are great as well. I often make vegetarian burgers. Different but still good.

I appreciate your choice to help improve our environment. We should all strive to cultivate a better world, but many don't have a clue to know how to proceed.

What type of plant-based burger do you prefer? Something whole grain-based? Your preference of brand name might be helpful in my making decisions as to whether it might be possible to switch from beef to plant-based.

 

[Rock Chalk]

My current favorite burger joint is Freddy's Steakburger. The name is a bit misleading, because their burgers are cooked smash-style with thin crispy edges. They also have my favorite fries (thin shoestrings) and their frozen custard is the bomb. My wife doesn't eat much meat, but she's always down for a Freddy's burger.

At home I used to cook fairly thick patties on the gas grill, but I bought a flat griddle for the grill so now I usually cook them smash-style.

But back OT, yeah, meat prices are higher just like everything else.

Yep, another vote for Freddy’s here….love ‘em.

 

[la szum]

That's not really true. And, that's kind of the point of pre-salting, or what you call a dry brine (though it doesn't seem that extreme). It mostly brings out more of the rich, savory flavors. Other spices can easily be added in the pan or right before cooking. But, using salt like that will mostly just make the outside taste oddly different from the rest of it. Doing it early is just different.

Seriously, give the full thing a try one day. It's great.

I already have.

I don't know much, but I do trust my own experience, and will often go against conventional
wisdom and thinking if that is what I believe to be better. For me. Not for everyone, though.

My logic is that I am leery of drawing out too much moisture on tender steaks, ground beef, and anything
else that cooks relatively quickly. My understanding is that the flavour of the Beef is in the Hemoglobin,
and that is that pool of red juice in the bottom of a pan where a heavily salted piece of Beef is resting.

I want to retain all of that (or as much as feasible) in Ground Beef or a choice Ribeye.

I do have 8lbs of Prime Rib right now and I will be salting it heavily and letting it cure for AT LEAST 24 hours
before I cook it in a couple of days.

Thanks for the friendly convo.

 

[Freds55]

Yep I got a 6lb prime rib I’ll be cooking also can’t wait yum