The Best Beef for Stovetop Burgers
After messing around adding this and that to ground beef in my quest to make a better burger, I finally realized that it really is all about the meat. Buy good meat and you will have a great hamburger. It’s that simple. (Also, keep an eye out for good quality ground beef offerings – you can stock up and freeze the formed burgers for later meals.
The ideal ground beef for burgers should be 80% lean and 20% lean, but often 85% lean and I think that still makes great burgers.Avoid anything with less than 90% fat – these burgers can easily get dry and crumbly.
If possible, buy fresh ground beef from the butcher. Not only does it tend to be a bit fresher than corned beef, but it’s also less compressed. A light hand results in a tender burger. Don’t worry if you only have frozen beef you can still make a decent burger this way.We have some tips and tricks for defrosting ground beef.
How to Form and Shape Patties Perhaps more than the fat content or quality of the meat, I’ve found that a light touch can make the real difference between a burger I enjoy eating and one that comes out chewy. Puree the meat while forming the patties, the more compressed and chewy the finished patty will be.
Instead, try to handle the meat as little as possible when forming the patties. Break off large, fist-sized pieces from the minced meat and press them with the palm of your hand on the work surface into coarse patties .Gently tap the edges to give them an even round shape. Don’t worry if the edges look a little lumpy or cracked; Resist the urge to keep the burgers looking clean and tidy. These blemishes are all in the name of an overly tender burger.
Kitchen Food Managing Editor, Christine Gallery, taught us the whole dimple trick and I haven’t looked back since. Making a shallow indentation in the center of the burger will prevent the burger from shrinking in size and turning brown. in the middle of .After years of small, round burgers, this feels like magic. To make an indentation in your burger, simply use your fingertips to dab the center of the burger patties slightly thinner than the outside edge, maybe half an inch flatter max. .Always think of finished patties as looking like small ones look like frisbees.