primitives discuss cooking hamburger

[chitownchica]

Dude, you need french fries:


4-5 Russets unpeeled and cut into 1/4" wedges. Put the potatoes wedges in a bowl of ice water for 30 min.
Fill a large, deep frying pan half way with veg oil. Pat the potatoes dry, and put into the COLD oil. Turn on the heat to high and when the 'taters start to fry, turn down to med- med high. Fry until they are golden brown. Take out, put on a rack with paper towels to drain, add salt to taste while hot.

You may thank me later.   

I'm going to thank you now
I've never made real fries.  I always buy oreida extra crispy, and while they are ok, I want to try the real thing. I keep reading these recipes that suggest frying twice.  That sounds like too much trouble. I'm going to try it your way.

Thanks!

[chitownchica]

The DUmmie's burgers sound disgusting.
I usually buy 93% lean when it's on sale.  Freeze it (doesn't change the taste in my opinion).
I put the meat in the bowl and add garlic salt and powder, lots of black pepper, and sometimes Tony Chachere's cajun spice.  Mix that all together and then form the patties.
I turn the grill on high and throw them on when the temp hits 650 - 700 degrees.  It sears the outside but keeps the inside juicy.  Turn the grill down and then take them off when there's still a bit of pink in the center.  I do steak the same way. Oh, and I go against conventional wisdom and flip the crap out of the meat. 

[BattleHymn]

There is only one way to cook a burger right proper if you are a primitive.  Quick, easy, and you can do it from your car.  Or car-home.   

[BEG]

Begging your pardon Frank.  But I do.  I also eat my hamburger medium rare. 

Me too, why not eat a soy burger if you aren't going to at least have a little pink in the middle. Oh and use 80/20 fat content if you are making burgers.  Alton Brown told me that and he knows everything.

He also said not to press the burgers while grilling/frying.

[franksolich]

He also said not to press the burgers while grilling/frying.

I know, I know, madam.

But it's in me to do my own thing, and so I press the hell out of them, press them hard, press them flat.

Until there's no more leakage coming from them.

I of course accede to the tastes of the majority--and what an overwhelming majority it is, too--but at the same time feel compelled to follow my own drummer.

[BEG]

Fries with gravy are good.

In-N-Out fries "Animal Style" are the bomb.

Sparky, can I tell you that I'm not too impressed with In-N-Out burger?!?   

[BEG]

I know, I know, madam.

But it's in me to do my own thing, and so I press the hell out of them, press them hard, press them flat.

Until there's no more leakage coming from them.

I of course accede to the tastes of the majority--and what an overwhelming majority it is, too--but at the same time feel compelled to follow my own drummer.

Your post made me laugh.  My mom likes her steak like shoe leather and her burgers cooked just like you do. My saving grace was that my dad liked his beef still mooing and my step dad liked his medium rare. It is the only attribute I didn't get directly from her. 

[PatriotGame]

Sorry folks, do not mean to be rude here butt...never, never, never smash a `burger' patty after it hits the grill. The 'fat' is what gives beef its flavor. Why would you squish all of those flavorful juices out of a burger?

Marbling in steaks anyone?

If you do not want the fat, then why are you eating beef? God made chicken and tofu for a reason.

If you want loooow fat burgers, buy loooow fat hamburger.

Make your patties with 1/2 of the spices mixed in, slap on a HOT grill/cast iron skillet so as to initially sear and SEAL the meat. TURN ONLY ONCE!!!
Season patty AFTER first (only) turn since spice flavors are neutralized after exposure to heat. You want the spices added to meat during last 5 minutes or less of cooking time to have the greatest effect.

Personally, I buy hamburger that is no LESS than 50% fat, not that 85% reduced fat shit, mix in about 8 Oz. of softened Philly cream cheese to a pound of burger. Add coarse ground pepper, a little crushed garlic, little Costco seasoned salt, maybe a little red cooking wine. Slap that bad-boy burger patty on the grill and hit it with 4-5 good drops of Worcester sauce, grill for 5 minutes, flip, season again, grill for 3, then done!!!!

PERIOD!

[BEG]

Sorry folks, do not mean to be rude here butt...never, never, never smash a `burger' patty after it hits the grill. The 'fat' is what gives beef its flavor. Why would you squish all of those flavorful juices out of a burger?

Marbling in steaks anyone?

If you do not want the fat, then why are you eating beef? God made chicken and tofu for a reason.

If you want loooow fat burgers, buy loooow fat hamburger.

Make your patties with 1/2 of the spices mixed in, slap on a HOT grill/cast iron skillet so as to initially sear and SEAL the meat. TURN ONLY ONCE!!!
Season patty AFTER first (only) turn since spice flavors are neutralized after exposure to heat. You want the spices added to meat during last 5 minutes or less of cooking time to have the greatest effect.

Personally, I buy hamburger that is no LESS than 50% fat, not that 85% reduced fat shit, mix in about 8 Oz. of softened Philly cream cheese to a pound of burger. Add coarse ground pepper, a little crushed garlic, little Costco seasoned salt, maybe a little red cooking wine. Slap that bad-boy burger patty on the grill and hit it with 4-5 good drops of Worcester sauce, grill for 5 minutes, flip, season again, grill for 3, then done!!!!

PERIOD!

where in the heck do you buy 50/50 ground beef?  I have never seen it.

[PatriotGame]

Sparky, can I tell you that I'm not too impressed with In-N-Out burger?!?   

Sorry lady but it is NOT about In-N-Out Burgers!

It's about fries with gravy!!!111 

Let's try to stay focused. K?

[franksolich]

Your post made me laugh.  My mom likes her steak like shoe leather and her burgers cooked just like you do. My saving grace was that my dad liked his beef still mooing and my step dad liked his medium rare. It is the only attribute I didn't get directly from her. 

There seems a lot here who like their hamburger rare.

It's my impression--correct or incorrect--that while that used to be okay, it's not so okay any more.

It used to be that ground beef was made at local, or at least regional, butcheries, which limited contagion.

But now that most ground beef is made at large national packinghouses, the peril of contagion is greater.

And so I've always operated under the assumption that it used to be okay to dine on pink hamburger, but that's not such a good idea any more.

[PatriotGame]

where in the heck do you buy 50/50 ground beef?  I have never seen it.

Just buy regular ground beef - if not labeled otherwise, most of it is like that.
At least it is at the local Costco.
Talk to your local Albertson's/Safeway/Fred Meyer/Kroger butcher too.

[soleil]

where in the heck do you buy 50/50 ground beef?  I have never seen it.

50% would be a bit too fatty for me. I always buy the leanest ground beef I can unless I am making burgers. Then I get the 85/15 ratio.

[soleil]

There seems a lot here who like their hamburger rare.

It's my impression--correct or incorrect--that while that used to be okay, it's not so okay any more.

It used to be that ground beef was made at local, or at least regional, butcheries, which limited contagion.

But now that most ground beef is made at large national packinghouses, the peril of contagion is greater.

And so I've always operated under the assumption that it used to be okay to dine on pink hamburger, but that's not such a good idea any more.

I don't like a raw burger. The meat has to be completely brown, or I am not eating it. But then again, I am not a rare meat fan. My steaks need to be medium well. I hate the texture of a rare-ish steak. It is mushy to me. Plus I can't get past the blood.

[franksolich]

Plus I can't get past the blood.

<<can't get past the fat.

I have a strong, sturdy, reliable stomach, but even just the mere odor of cooking fat makes me upchuck.

Really.

That's why when at outdoor cookouts, I always sit upwind of the grill.

I have no idea why that is, but it is.

[PatriotGame]

I don't like a raw burger. The meat has to be completely brown, or I am not eating it. But then again, I am not a rare meat fan. My steaks need to be medium well. I hate the texture of a rare-ish steak. It is mushy to me. Plus I can't get past the blood.

Soleil my friend - there is NOTHING wrong with enjoying your beef well done. There is a reason that ANYONE that understands cooking beef understands all gradients of beef meat doneness. Well done is just as valid as "cut from the hoof, blood still running" rare.
The key is cooking the cut of beef correctly.

I would really like to cook you one of my steaks sometime. Of course I can only do this 3-4 times a month and have to cover the smoke detectors while doing so but it is worth it.

This is how its done. I have followed this a hundred times and have the method dialed-in:

[youtube=425,350]3yX1Q3x9Cs4[/youtube]

[soleil]

Soleil my friend - there is NOTHING wrong with enjoying your beef well done. There is a reason that ANYONE that understands cooking beef understands all gradients of beef meat doneness. Well done is just as valid as "cut from the hoof, blood still running" rare.
The key is cooking the cut of beef correctly.

I would really like to cook you one of my steaks sometime. Of course I can only do this 3-4 times a month and have to cover the smoke detectors while doing so but it is worth it.

This is how its done. I have followed this a hundred times and have the method dialed-in:

[youtube=425,350]3yX1Q3x9Cs4[/youtube]

There is a steakhouse here that cooks their steaks that way. I do love it, but I have to ask for my meat to be well done there. They like their meat  still mooing, and a medium well steak really will be a medium rare steak. But yeah, that is a some good eating!

[Boudicca]

I'm in the Tots/Wineslob camp on this one.  Let me join you.   

All those DUmmies adding junk to the hamburger up there are simply making meatloaf.  Big difference.

I agree about the meatloaf.  Mine has tons of ingredients except the damn crushed ice.  Crushed ICE?  WTF!!  As for burgers, keep the grease in.

[Ballygrl]

I don't like a raw burger. The meat has to be completely brown, or I am not eating it. But then again, I am not a rare meat fan. My steaks need to be medium well. I hate the texture of a rare-ish steak. It is mushy to me. Plus I can't get past the blood.

My husband gets so mad at me because I like all beef well done, he's very particular with steaks and he thinks I totally ruin my steak by burning it.

[franksolich]

My husband gets so mad at me because I like all beef well done, he's very particular with steaks and he thinks I totally ruin my steak by burning it.

You know, madam, that is a problem.

With all due respect to all our esteemed colleagues here who like raw meat--and the overwhelming majority seem to--while those of us who like things well-done, burnt to a crisp, are happy and content to let others (in the real world) who like raw meat dine on raw meat in peace and quiet, we don't enjoy the same "tolerance" from them.

I can't tell you how many times I've been preached at (in real life), about what I'm missing, by not dining on raw meat.

I do know what I'm missing, and I would just as soon miss it.

[Ballygrl]

You know, madam, that is a problem.

With all due respect to all our esteemed colleagues here who like raw meat--and the overwhelming majority seem to--while those of us who like things well-done, burnt to a crisp, are happy and content to let others (in the real world) who like raw meat dine on raw meat in peace and quiet, we don't enjoy the same "tolerance" from them.

I can't tell you how many times I've been preached at (in real life), about what I'm missing, by not dining on raw meat.

I do know what I'm missing, and I would just as soon miss it.

I like burnt bacon too.

[JLO]

<<can't get past the fat.

I have a strong, sturdy, reliable stomach, but even just the mere odor of cooking fat makes me upchuck.

Really.

That's why when at outdoor cookouts, I always sit upwind of the grill.

I have no idea why that is, but it is.

Oh I am with you about fat - but I know where mine comes from.  My Mom was a waitress back in the 1950's and she taught me table and restaurant manners.  So, when as a kid and I ate steak at my girlfriend's house, I did not know how to deal with the round steak's fat and gristle, so I choked it down.  OMG, I could still upchuck at the thought of that memory.

Luckily, I had another girlfriend whose parents treated me to a fancy restaurant's fillet Mignon and I never looked back.

Still, I cut off all meat fat...I have that gag reflex.  

[franksolich]

Still, I cut off all meat fat...I have that gag reflex.

It's really lousy, isn't it, that gag reflex.

I can't tell you how many dinners, formal and informal, I almost ruined by catching a whiff of cooked fat, and almost spewing all over the table and on those around me.

Actually, such a thing has happened a few times.

Damn.

[NHSparky]

Sparky, can I tell you that I'm not too impressed with In-N-Out burger?!?   

Then I suggest you go to The Hat.  In-N-Out isn't THE best, but for fast food drive through, it beats the chain burgers.  Farmer Boys is pretty good too.  Then of course you have the hit-or-miss mom-and-pop burger stands every other block.

And I'm still waiting for you to sing my praises for sending you down to Wingnuts in Costa Mesa (IIRC, they also have one in Aliso Viejo as well.)  Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wrap or Far East Nachos.  Trust me, it's worth a trip down for lunch one afternoon.

You'll thank me later.

[NHSparky]

Just buy regular ground beef - if not labeled otherwise, most of it is like that.
At least it is at the local Costco.
Talk to your local Albertson's/Safeway/Fred Meyer/Kroger butcher too.

The "regular" stuff is 73/27 or 70/30 at worst.