DIY burger meat - drift from another thread

In message Melba's Jammin said:

In article Don Gray said:

In message Melba's Jammin said:

Whatever floats your boat, Don, but for grinding my own meat for a
burger, I'd be buying a cut of meat that was less tender and more
flavorful. Cheaper, too. :-) I like my burgers relatively plain --
maybe with some finely chopped onion mixed into the meat with some
s&p.
Grilled and accompanied by ketchup and mustard and maybe a pickle.

Thanks for the advice M J - it's taken on board. I did consider a
cheaper cut, for I'm used to making do and adapting what I've got to
produce diffeent dishes eg casseroles - but I just thought 'treat' and
it just stuck in the old brain cells ;-) Don

I love treats -- to me, a treat would be having that swell slab of prime
meat prepared in such a way as to properly enhance and show off its
treatly attributes, and grinding it for a burger wouldn't do it for me.
Not trying to be contentious, sir, just continuing a friendly
conversation.

Sorry for delay ia answering. We took off for a couple of days. I couldn't
agree more with the your view about the 'prime meat'. I'll mention 2 points
which may clarify the situation.

1. My dear wife had already bought burger-sized bread rolls which have been
in the freezer, wasting space for longer than I care to remember. I wanted
shut of them as I do most of our cooking and freezing.

2. I have never, ever eaten a burger, as either child or adult, but advice I
seemed to recall on TV advised 'prime meat. So much for cooks!

3. I just love to try cooking something different to ring in the changes and
she specified an interest in trying home-made burgers.

Simplistic I know, but that's me. Thanks again.

Don

--
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

In article <[email hidden]>, Don Gray

Quoted message said:

In message Melba's Jammin said:

In article Don Gray wrote:

(snippage)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I love treats -- to me, a treat would be having that swell slab of
prime meat prepared in such a way as to properly enhance and show
off its treatly attributes, and grinding it for a burger wouldn't
do it for me.

(snip)

Quoted message said:

1. My dear wife had already bought burger-sized bread rolls
2. I have never, ever eaten a burger, as either child or adult,
3. I just love to try cooking something different

Simplistic I know, but that's me. Thanks again.
Don

Nothng bad about being simplistic -- keeps things uncomplicated. :-)
so, how were they?
--
-Barb
<www.jamlady.eboard.com>; Tater Tot Hotdish and Jam Class pics added 2-2-05
"I got the motive, which is money; and the body, which is dead!" - Rod
Steiger as Sheriff Gillespie, "In the Heat of the Night," 1967.

In message Melba's Jammin said:

In article said:

In message Melba's Jammin said:

In article Don Gray wrote:

(snippage)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I love treats -- to me, a treat would be having that swell slab of
prime meat prepared in such a way as to properly enhance and show
off its treatly attributes, and grinding it for a burger wouldn't
do it for me.

(snip)

Quoted message said:

1. My dear wife had already bought burger-sized bread rolls
2. I have never, ever eaten a burger, as either child or adult,
3. I just love to try cooking something different

Simplistic I know, but that's me. Thanks again.
Don

Nothng bad about being simplistic -- keeps things uncomplicated. :-)
so, how were they?

I just hate to say this, in a mainly American group, but they were just like
a common or garden, thick, beef sandwich, much over-rated, and to be honest -
not worth the effort, but SWMBO thought they were great - so who am I to
complain?? She also defiled them by using tomato sauce as a dressing. It may
be contentious, but over here we tend to use brown sauces with meat. I don't
mind but there's no accounting for taste, is there ;-)

Just to stir it up I'd say - for a snack, "Give me a pork pie any day of the
week". Does any butcher over there make and sell pork pies - or are they not
part of the 'daily grind?' I know that lamb's not popular, but maybe pork has
got its own place. I like to keep an open mind on foods but I think that
we're all dogged by the way we were brought up. I, for example, love fish &
chips and the very smell, when passing a Fish & Chip shop sets me
'drooling'. Am I simply one of Pavlov's dogs?

Don

--
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

On Fri 04 Feb 2005 11:59:05a, Don Gray wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

In message Melba's Jammin said:

In article said:

In message Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> In article Don Gray wrote: (snippage)
> I love treats -- to me, a treat would be having that swell slab of
> prime meat prepared in such a way as to properly enhance and show
> off its treatly attributes, and grinding it for a burger wouldn't
> do it for me.

(snip)

Quoted message said:

1. My dear wife had already bought burger-sized bread rolls
2. I have never, ever eaten a burger, as either child or adult, 3. I
just love to try cooking something different

Simplistic I know, but that's me. Thanks again.
Don

Nothng bad about being simplistic -- keeps things uncomplicated. :-)
so, how were they?

I just hate to say this, in a mainly American group, but they were just
like a common or garden, thick, beef sandwich, much over-rated, and to
be honest - not worth the effort, but SWMBO thought they were great - so
who am I to complain?? She also defiled them by using tomato sauce as a
dressing. It may be contentious, but over here we tend to use brown
sauces with meat. I don't mind but there's no accounting for taste, is
there ;-)

I would expect a non-USian to think hamburgers are overrated, but they are
ubiquitous here, and really good burgers can't be beat. Having said that,
and having gone down this road before, a really great burger needs to be
made from a less tender cut of beef with higher fat content. For best
flavor and juiciness, there should be 20-27% fat (a ratio that is commonly
available in our markets). IMHO, they are also best cooked over an open
flame, be it gas or charcoal. What you fixed for your wife is a burger I
would not care to eat.

Quoted message said:

Just to stir it up I'd say - for a snack, "Give me a pork pie any day of
the week". Does any butcher over there make and sell pork pies - or are
they not part of the 'daily grind?' I know that lamb's not popular, but
maybe pork has got its own place. I like to keep an open mind on foods
but I think that we're all dogged by the way we were brought up. I, for
example, love fish & chips and the very smell, when passing a Fish &
Chip shop sets me 'drooling'. Am I simply one of Pavlov's dogs?

Pork pies are virtually none existent in our US shops. I've had them and I
love them, but I can't say that for the general populace who, for the most
part have neither heard of them nor eaten them. I also love lamb, and some
of its favored forms in the US are roasted leg, braised shanks, or grilled
chops. As you suggest, however, it's not nearly as popular as beef and
pork. Pork is very popular here, as barbeque, roasted cuts, grilled chops,
and sausage. Fish and Chip shops exist in their own form here in the US,
and have their own devotees, but they are no competition for our burger
joints. Fish tacos have a certain popularity in the southerwestern US.

I would agree it is a cultural thing. Neither your nor our popular foods
would find that level of popularity in, say, India or China.

Cheers!
Wayne

In message Wayne Boatwright said:

Don Gray wrote

Quoted message said:

I just hate to say this, in a mainly American group, but they were just
like a common or garden, thick, beef sandwich, much over-rated, and to be
honest - not worth the effort I don't mind but there's no accounting for
taste, is there ;-)

I would expect a non-USian to think hamburgers are overrated, but they are
ubiquitous here, and really good burgers can't be beat. Having said that,
and having gone down this road before, a really great burger needs to be
made from a less tender cut of beef with higher fat content. For best
flavor and juiciness, there should be 20-27% fat (a ratio that is commonly
available in our markets). IMHO, they are also best cooked over an open
flame, be it gas or charcoal. What you fixed for your wife is a burger I
would not care to eat.

Correct! and neither did I ;-) That's why I originally asked here for help. I
love beef in most of its forms - but more importantly I love to experiment
with and extend my cooking experience. Its a hobby with me since I retired.
MJ helpfully suggested cheaper cuts of meat for flavour. I've now taken that
onboard. I do make and enjoy many meals using minced meat, particularly
casseroles and pies eg. cottage. An essential feature of many is the gravy or
sauce. I use my own stocks. With the burger concept I was sort of stuck. I'll
get the hang of it with practice. I'll just work on it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Just to stir it up I'd say - for a snack, "Give me a pork pie any day of
the week". Does any butcher over there make and sell pork pies - or are
they not part of the 'daily grind?' I know that lamb's not popular, but
maybe pork has got its own place. I like to keep an open mind on foods
but I think that we're all dogged by the way we were brought up.

Pork pies are virtually none existent in our US shops. I've had them and I
love them, but I can't say that for the general populace who, for the most
part have neither heard of them nor eaten them. I also love lamb, and some
of its favored forms in the US are roasted leg, braised shanks, or grilled
chops. As you suggest, however, it's not nearly as popular as beef and
pork. Pork is very popular here, as barbeque, roasted cuts, grilled chops,
and sausage.

I would agree it is a cultural thing. Neither your nor our popular foods
would find that level of popularity in, say, India or China.

I think that you would get a shock if you visited our burger joints - but
they are popular with the undescerning youth. They also tend to use neferious
practices to keep wages unrealistically low. One underhand one was to clock
the young workers off at certain times of the day, when trade is slack. They
stay on the premises till trade picks up. Sheer exploitation. Indian, Thai
and Chinese take-aways are gradually taking over. Thanks for the advice.

Cheers, Don

--
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 18:59:05 GMT, Don Gray <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I just hate to say this, in a mainly American group, but they were just like
a common or garden, thick, beef sandwich, much over-rated, and to be honest -
not worth the effort, but SWMBO thought they were great - so who am I to
complain?? She also defiled them by using tomato sauce as a dressing. It may
be contentious, but over here we tend to use brown sauces with meat. I don't
mind but there's no accounting for taste, is there ;-)

Don

if by 'tomato sauce' you mean what americans call ketchup, this is
entirely proper. i like ketchup, coarse-grained mustard, and a slice
of raw onion. make sure to toast the buns.

your pal,
blake