http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x52085Syrinx (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 05:43 AM
Original message
what's the best internal temp for a burger?
I want to make a burger that is juicy, but not bloody. What is the correct temperature to take it off the grill?
Tab (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 08:14 AM
Response to Original message
1. First, for juicy...
use 80% meat, 85% at very most. 90% is too dry, 70% will just flame out.
I like to mix mine with salt and pepper. If you really want to get into it, make the burger, then make a slit and shove in a pat of butter and reclose.
Never, never, NEVER squish the burger to get it to hurry up and cook.
I like mine medium rare; I don't measure temps anymore, but if I was, I'd be going for about 130 to 135, then take it off and let it sit for a few minutes. The temp will rise to 135 to 140 (it continues to cook after you remove it) - also the juices will redistribute.
No no no no no no no no.
No, not at all.
And the diet soda primitive should know this stuff, given all the ailments that afflict the diet soda primitive.
One
must squish the burgers, so as to get all that grease and calories and fat drained out of it.
I have no idea why the primitives are calling grease "juice."
It's grease, and one wants to get as much of it out as possible.
It's grease.
Grease kills; grease kills the heart, the arteries, the kidneys, the slim waistline.
wildflower (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 07:59 PM
Response to Reply #1
6. Guilty of squishing here
I stand over it and squish it to death, in fact. Thank you for the tip!
I would forget the tip, and continue to squish to death.
Grease kills.
One wants those suckers dry.
hippywife (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
2. I would just make sure to follow the cooking temp instructions recommended for ground beef. Not sure what it is at the moment, but I think low and slow would get you a well done burger without a pink middle, and as long as you don't squish it, as Tab mentioned, the juices shouldn't be lost.
I would never follow his example of eating a burger anything but well done if it's from a commercial source. That's a good way to get sick or worse.
Tab (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 02:11 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. No burgers for you!!!
You're absolutely correct, though, that 160 (or 155 if pulled and let to rest) is the magic temp for killing bad stuff. The OP didn't specify how the burger should be cooked. Personally, I like mine medium rare and properly flavored.
Although you probably know this, not all do - the difference between cooking ground meat to 160 and solid (unground) meat to 140 is this - sickness is caused by unwanted material (specifically fecal matter) on the outside of the cut. On a steak, it doesn't matter, because you burn it off anyway. On ground meat, though, it gets ground, before cooking, thus you can have unwanted material on the INSIDE of the burger (sausage, hot dog, whatever), forcing you to bring the temp to 160 to kill it off.
I tend to buy meat from relatively clean vendors, and haven't had a problem, but if your source of meat is ever suspect, go to 160. I personally like medium rare, and will go out of my way to get meat that I can cook the way that I want.
And because the diet soda primitive likes grease in his burgers, it's no wonder the diet soda primitive's afflicted with a world of woes, all those afflictions.
hippywife (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 07:04 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. Nice post, burger nazi!
And yes that is what the problem is. Burger is almost always contaminated so if it's from the grocery or sourced to one of the large corporate meatpackers, just always assume that it has to be cooked well done. But then I don't care to eat well done fecal matter, either.
Kali (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 01:08 PM
Response to Original message
3. 160 for most meat
I think it is a tad highter for ground beef
Juicy is more easily attained by higher fat content.
I've seen self-posted photographs allegedly of the Kali primitive--not to be confused with the bitter old woman in Vermont, the 0bamaite cali primitive---and the Kali primitive doesn't look like a little bit of grease would hurt her, but given the "average" health and condition of the primitives in general, even a little bit of grease is too much for them.
flamin lib (1000+ posts) Tue Dec-30-08 11:08 AM
Response to Original message
7. If you want a safe medium rare burger buy chuck roast and have the butcher grind it for you. The contamination in ground meat comes from the processing plant where everything left over from the large cuts goes into the grinder. It's not possible to keep extraneous "stuff" (as in stuff happens) out of the mix.
Chuck is 80-85% lean, 'bout perfect for burgers.
By the way, does anybody by any chance remember when "grease" was replaced by the politically-correct "juice"?
