Basic Burger Question

Day Dreamer said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

All you need to make great burgers is to use higher fat content beef and
a grind or two of pepper.

"Day Dreamer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

1. You are using a mixture that is too lean - try it with at least 10 to 12%
fat.
2. You're not making a hamburger. With all the breadcrumbs, other stuff &
sauce you've got a mini meatloaf.
3. Start using just the beef maybe a little S & P - you'd be surprised just
how good it can taste.
4. Sticking? spray the patty with a shot of PAM.

Dimitri

Day Dreamer said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

DH does the most amazing burgers and he does use breadcrumbs. I know he
adds eggs but he's pretty secretive about anything else. They are on
the heavy side of 1/2 lb each. I've watched how he does it. He has a
huge heavy metal flipper. First he oils the grill then heats the grill.
Once hot he puts each burger on and flips only once using that
flipper. He never tries to flatten the patties. He uses a meat probe
on one burger to check the inside temp then serves when ready. Cheese
is melted on top and the buns get toasted. I'm in charge of the
condiments that include fried onion, chopped onion, tomato slices, dill
pickle slices, ketchup, mustard, relish and sometimes sauteed mushrooms
& bacon.

When I do burgers I add things like just a little shredded zucchini or
carrot, bbq sauce or Heinz 57 sauce, breadcrumbs, milk or eggs, a little
mustard then mix and form into patties. Mine are good but DH's are
better. I cook mine the same way DH does. Only flip once and *never*
try to flatten them otherwise all the great juices are lost.

Day Dreamer said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

Your burgers sound ok. I only add breadcrumbs if I accidentally add to
much liquid to keep the burger together on the grill if they're falling
apart. I seldom have to do that any more.
I don't know if I've ever done burgers the same way twice, at least not
since I've learned how to cook. I usually put in the 80% meat some
combination of onion (raw or sauteed), Worsteshire Sauce, soy sauce,
chopped garlic, powdered onion (if I don't have time to chop an onion),
powdered garlic (see onion comment), catsup, bbq sauce, salt, and
pepper. Then I top them with some combination of melted cheese (various
kinds), sliced onions, lettuce, catsup, mustard, peppers, pineapple,
tomato, bacon and an occasional stray elk. (A little Colorado humor
there...)
I know others like them plain. To each his own. I make very few things
plain, probably to compensate for my plain personality. 🙂

"Day Dreamer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

A lot depends on personal taste, but here's my take.

1) Use pure ground beef - do not add anything! Salt and pepper on the
surface is OK.
2) Use ground chuck. If possible grind it yourself.
3) Do not use low-fat meat. It's the fat that makes a burger juicy. Better
to have 1 great burger a week than 2 mediocre ones. 20% fat is good.
4) Don't overcook. Good beef can be eaten rare or medium rare. Cooking it
beyond this stage makes it tougher and drier.
5) When forming the patties, press as little as possible. If you really mash
the meat together the result will be tougher than if you were gentle.
6) If cooking on a charcoal grill, form the patties to be a bit thinner in
the middle than at the edges. When they cook it will even out.

Enjoy!

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

1/2 lb of about 80% lean ground chuck, ~loosely~ rolled into a ball and
pressed down with a saucer or "side" plate. Should be about 3/8" thick
and 5" wide.

Start indirect, not directly over burners or charcoal, turn in about 5
minutes after you've seasoned the raw side. Whatever you lke in the
way of salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. nothing wet.

As others have said - NO "squeezing". Burgers are meant to be big and
juicy (aka: greasy) and that's where the taste comes from. Expect
"slightly burned" on the outside and "just done" on the inside, such is
the natural order of these things!

Enjoy

Tom

"Day Dreamer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers

sticking

Quoted message said:

to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some

chopped

Quoted message said:

onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a

few

Quoted message said:

spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale

to

Quoted message said:

try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press

them

Quoted message said:

into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little

burger

Quoted message said:

press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out

nicely

Quoted message said:

but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion

charcoal

Quoted message said:

grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as

to

Quoted message said:

what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ

depending

Quoted message said:

on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the

other

Quoted message said:

group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to

nix

Quoted message said:

the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but

done

Quoted message said:

right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

I agree with the others who suggested using ground beef with a higher
fat content. A lot of the fat will cook out of the burger but you
should wind up with a juicier, more flavorful burger. I would try
experimenting with different fat contents until you are satisfied.

In the early days of Mc Donald's, they used meat with 19% fat.

Desert Rainbow said:

I agree with the others who suggested using ground beef with a higher
fat content. A lot of the fat will cook out of the burger but you
should wind up with a juicier, more flavorful burger. I would try
experimenting with different fat contents until you are satisfied.

In the early days of Mc Donald's, they used meat with 19% fat.

What percentage beef?

-bwg

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 12:27:24 -0400, [email hidden] (Day

Dreamer) said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

The Red Robin Restaurant makes cheeseburgers to die for! My Gawd they
are wonderful! Try grillin some pineapple slices, put the cheese on
your burgers about a minute before they are done...when it's time to
take them off the grill lay the grilled pineapple slices on top of the
burgers...also have a large bowl of fried vidalia onions to top off
the pineapple...then just put whatever other condiments you usually
like to top of your burger with...if you haven't ever been to the Red
Robin Restaurant it's a real special treat! When I got my first one I
told my wife I should order one for takeout and carry it down the
street to the McDonald's so I could let the manager taste a
"magnificent cheeseburger" for the first time in his life!

Check this out...double click..."The Banzai Burger"...
http://html.redrobin.com/Menu-GourmetBurgers.html

Regards,
Bill
(taster of fine burgers!)

On Mon 22 Aug 2005 09:27:24a, Day Dreamer wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

No offense intended, but what you're making is more like meatloaf than a
hamburger. Skip all the additives.

Use meat with more fat content. I generally use 73-80% lean. If you're
cooking on a charcoal or gas grill, most of the fat will cook out, but
higher fat to start with makes a tastier burger.

Don't use a hamburger press, as it typically compresses the meat far too
much. Shape the patties by hand, just enough to hold together well.

Having said all that, I do often sprinkle on some granulated garlic or
Cavender's Greek Seasoning just at the time of grilling.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

---
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On Mon 22 Aug 2005 10:12:31a, ~patches~ wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Day Dreamer said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

DH does the most amazing burgers and he does use breadcrumbs. I know he
adds eggs but he's pretty secretive about anything else. They are on
the heavy side of 1/2 lb each. I've watched how he does it. He has a
huge heavy metal flipper. First he oils the grill then heats the grill.
Once hot he puts each burger on and flips only once using that
flipper. He never tries to flatten the patties. He uses a meat probe
on one burger to check the inside temp then serves when ready. Cheese
is melted on top and the buns get toasted. I'm in charge of the
condiments that include fried onion, chopped onion, tomato slices, dill
pickle slices, ketchup, mustard, relish and sometimes sauteed mushrooms
& bacon.

When I do burgers I add things like just a little shredded zucchini or
carrot, bbq sauce or Heinz 57 sauce, breadcrumbs, milk or eggs, a little
mustard then mix and form into patties. Mine are good but DH's are
better. I cook mine the same way DH does. Only flip once and *never*
try to flatten them otherwise all the great juices are lost.

Meatloaf, "patches", meatloaf! :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

---
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Virus Database (VPS): 0534-0, 08/22/2005
Tested on: 8/22/2005 6:10:13 PM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Day Dreamer) said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.

First thing, stop using that burger press. There is no law that says
each burger needs to be perfectly equal in size. Pressing the ground
meat together makes for a heavier texture and dryer burger.

Bill wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

The Red Robin Restaurant makes cheeseburgers to die for! My Gawd they
are wonderful!

<snip>

I went to a Red Robin once and thought it was awful. When my son was 4
or 5, he liked to go to Fuddrucker's - I think mostly so he could play
the games. He said he liked his hamburger. I thought it was utterly
without any flavor above and beyond whatever condiments you might add.
What Fuddrucker's most reminded of was Red Robin.

Bill said:

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 12:27:24 -0400, [email hidden] (Day

Dreamer) said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

The Red Robin Restaurant makes cheeseburgers to die for! My Gawd they
are wonderful! Try grillin some pineapple slices, put the cheese on
your burgers about a minute before they are done...when it's time to
take them off the grill lay the grilled pineapple slices on top of the
burgers...also have a large bowl of fried vidalia onions to top off
the pineapple...then just put whatever other condiments you usually
like to top of your burger with...if you haven't ever been to the Red
Robin Restaurant it's a real special treat! When I got my first one I
told my wife I should order one for takeout and carry it down the
street to the McDonald's so I could let the manager taste a
"magnificent cheeseburger" for the first time in his life!

Check this out...double click..."The Banzai Burger"...
http://html.redrobin.com/Menu-GourmetBurgers.html

I guess they need to smother em with all those condiments because
they're made of 100% mystery meat... hey, bury a Gaines burger under
all that heavy duty dress-up it'll taste great too.

Sheldon

"Day Dreamer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I recently posted a question in the BBQ neswgroup about burgers sticking
to the grill and received some interesting responses about the way
people make their burgers.

What I usually do, is use lean ground beef (maybe 93%), add some chopped
onion, some breadcrumbs, some A-1 sauce or BBQ sauce or ketchup, a few
spices, maybe some garlic, too. I weigh each one on the food scale to
try and make them all uniform in size (around 5 oz or so) and press them
into perfect little hockey puck looking patties with this little burger
press tupperware do-dad. Cook on George Forman (which come out nicely
but makes a terrible mess) or stovetop in pan, on rare occasion charcoal
grill.

I like mine a little on the pink or rare side, BF lkes his more well
done.

I`m getting a decent burger - but I want a great burger! Curious as to
what advice you fine folks have about burger making. What do you add
INTO your burgers when you`re making them? And does it differ depending
on which cooking method you are going to use - i.e, outdoor grill,
stovetop, George Forman type thing, etc? (I was suprised in the other
group that so many add nothing). The concensus also seemed to be to nix
the breadcrumbs.

I know it`s a pretty basic thing - just making a hamburger - but done
right - it can be fantastic.
Looking forward to any recipes, tips, etc.
Thank you!

A recipe for a truly great burger:

1) Make your bar-b-cue sauce. I have found that an easy, quick way to make
an
amazingly good sauce is get a bottle of cheap bar-b-que sauce for a base and
add the following ingredients to taste:

A squirt of yellow mustard
some Worsteshire sauce (I just shake the bottle a couple of times)
freshly crushed garlic (I usually use 4 or 5 big cloves)
freshly minced onion (around a quarter cup)
Cajun Seasoning or seasoned salt (I don't use much salt so I am light with
this stuff, but
once again, season to taste)
black pepper (I like lots of it)
Tabasco sauce (I use fair amount because I like it hot)
a squeeze of orange juice (if you O.D. on the O.J. it gets to be real tangy
so I usually only use half and orange, hand squeezed)

Make up 2 and a half cups or so and after you have it tasting great, add 1/2
of a cup of Bourbon and a 1/2 of a cup of peach preserves

2) Use 80% to 85% lean beef from a trusted, quality oriented butcher
3) Grab a handful of 1/3 pound or so of meat into your hand and make an
impression into it so you can add stuff to it
4) Add a tablespoon of steak sauce to the burger and sprinkle some
Worsteshire and a drop or 2 of Tabasco sauce into it and mix it up
5) Make patties of your desired thickness gently by hand
6) Lightly dust the patties with a touch of garlic powder, onion powder,
black pepper and seasoned salt
7) Grill until done on a high medium heat, well ashed charcoal fire down
close to the coals. Flip them fairly often because they will burn easily
next to the coals.
8) Add the bar-b-cue sauce to each side at the very end so it doesn't
caramelize or burn

Sometimes I use fresh onion and garlic and mix it in but it tends to
gravitate towards the mini-meatloaf thing when I do that which doesn't
bother me because it still makes a very tasty sandwich. If you only use one
thing for this make sure it's the black pepper. I actually prefer to use a
mortar and pestle to crush up a combination of red, green, white, and black
pepper corns for the best flavor and recommend doing so if you are really
after the greatness but bottom line, pepper is essential for the great
burger. The cooking temp is critical for a good burger and whether you
prefer gas or charcoal, a grill has been the only choice in my experience
simply because of the way it cooks food.

A

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What Peter said. He got it right!

Charlie

I-zheet M'drurz said:

1/2 lb of about 80% lean ground chuck, ~loosely~ rolled into a ball and
pressed down with a saucer or "side" plate. Should be about 3/8" thick
and 5" wide.

I guess I should have guessed. There's even an exact, correct size for
a hamburger! I used to (yes, used to) have a friend like this. One of
the reasons our friendship ended after about 15 yrs was when we got
together for a barbecue, it had to be at his house because I made the
burgers wrong. They weren't the exact size that he made his burgers to!
I got tired of having to do everything his way. I make my burgers in
varying sizes because.... I might be hungrier one time than the next
and some people there might want a larger burger than others! Wow! But
I keep my eye out for the Burger Police and my ex-friend...

"salgud" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I guess I should have guessed. There's even an exact, correct size for
a hamburger! I used to (yes, used to) have a friend like this. One of
the reasons our friendship ended after about 15 yrs was when we got
together for a barbecue, it had to be at his house because I made the
burgers wrong. They weren't the exact size that he made his burgers to!
I got tired of having to do everything his way. I make my burgers in
varying sizes because.... I might be hungrier one time than the next
and some people there might want a larger burger than others! Wow! But
I keep my eye out for the Burger Police and my ex-friend...

Wait ... is his name Monk, by any chance?

nancy

Quoted message said:

4) Don't overcook. Good beef can be eaten rare or medium rare. Cooking it
beyond this stage makes it tougher and drier

Only if in step 2 you grind it yourself. Consuming rare GB puts you at
risk of food poisoning otherwise.