burger me please...

i am looking for a simple recipe, how to season the hamburger, toppings are easy and endless, the mind is your own limit, however, the meat taste blah , so i would like a little variety in one of my favourite meals .... i ve been surfing thru all of these forums, you guys all have great advice, and have a good sense of humour, who new food could be fun(ny)

[Kimmie]

Sautee chopped onion or shallots. Once cooled, mix into to your hamburger meat!

[logose]

I don't usually eat hamburger but on those My secret with hamburger which by itself has always lacked in enough taste for me, is make your patties sprinkle pepper, soy sauce or tamari sauce, garlic granules and a little mirin(Japanese rice wine) to temper the strong soy taste. Cook in the desired way and I like to cook some vadalia onion slices along with the burger. Some members of my family likes cheese burgers so I place a slice of nice colby or monterey jack for a taste difference.
Now for a real difference you can either put a little marinara sauce on top and use mozzerella cheese to top it. Or sprinkle the top with chili powder and minced garlic and finish it off with monterey jack and salsa or pico de gallo.
Let your imagination run.

[nancya]

Some may consider it cheating - but those Grill Mate spice blends intended for steaks work really well with hamburgers!

[lynne]

feta, spinach, onion and oregano...

[Mezzaluna]

I mix in garlic, pepper, oregano or basil and onion powder sometimes. I find a hot pan to sear a nice crust on the outside is my favorite. Guiltily, I prefer them medium rare in the center, but don't trust the supermarket to do it safely. I've sometimes chopped my own beef for hamburgers, and find the flavor better if I make sure there's a decent amount of fat in it. If the meat's too lean, it's tasteless.

mezzaluna, could i use tenderloin to grind into burgermeat? -- i just had tenderloin steak for the first time when i went camping this weekend, and wwhoaa, they were tasty meat and the texture was great, however they had been marinated over nite in medateranian sauce. but when u said about enough fat, do i have to add fat to ground meat?....
...
that soy sauce and japanese wine mix, my friend had made simular, i must admit i did enjoy that recipe, now i know how to do it, thanks.

[capechef]

Hi aspeedemom.

I would not use tenderlion for burger meat.You would be wasting the high quility nature of that cut of beef. I use equel parts knuckle face and shoulder clod. (look for bottom round)You need to have a % of fat so the meat stays tender. Try crumbling in some gorganzola,sliced sundried tomatoes and roast garlic.Kosher salt and fresh milled pepper.Grill as desired and top with pancetta and grilled portibella.lagose idea with the asian influence is great, I would recommend if useing soy or tamari to be sure to cook your burgers soon after you add the condiments,only because it can effect the color of your beef and detract from the red/pink color one likes in the burger.
cc

[Mezzaluna]

CC is, of course right: tenderloin is much too nice for burgers, and too lean. I like chuck myself, with a fat content of around 8% (5 is too lean, 10 too fatty for my taste). We used to poke bits of fresh basil into the meat, then season with garlic and pepper. I also like the stuffed burgers, where you take two rather thin patties and make a sandwich with some favorite ingredients: blue cheese, sauteed onion, etc. Personally, I like the crunch of a raw, sweet onion better than the sauteed. Pass the Vidalias!