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Burger recipes?

10K views 39 replies 21 participants last post by  hotchef 
#1 ·
Anyone have secrets to making a great burger? I know some- you should always ground your burgers fresh, don't overdoce on seasoning, the seasonings inside should go with the flavor of the toppings (eg. salt tastes good with pretty much anything), but is there more? Any good recipes that I could try out? Or what's your favorite burger recipe? Thanks. :D
 
#3 ·
I think you have pretty much got it there. Good meat, not too lean, fresh ground, some S&P and that's it. I'm a purist when it comes to red meat. The meat is the star of the show and that's what I am looking to taste in my burger. Sure, you can add all kinds of stuff to tart it up but then you can't taste the meat.

Jock
 
#4 ·
personally i find that grated onions (not too finely grated - or finely chopped works too) in the hamburger doesn't detract from the taste of the meat and is a nice addition.
I always like them, once cooked, with homemade ketchup, homemade bread and butter pickles, and home made green tomato picallilly.
(I have to make these at home because commercial ketchup doesn't taste good, and they don't sell that kind of pickle or picallilli (how do you spell that?) where i live, even in specialty shops with imported foods.

Ketchup- boil tomatoes (fresh in summer, canned in winter) with a couple of tbsp dark brown sugar, couple of tbsp good vinegar, a garlic clove or two, thyme, dry mustard, basil (fresh if possible), black pepper and a couple of pinches of ground clove. (I throw things in as the mood takes me - red onion, shallot, i imagine mushrooms or other stuff would also be good. When garlic is soft, and there isn;t much liquid left, run through a blender or use a food mill. It keeps well in the frige for a couple of weeks. Once you try it, i doubt you can stand the bottled stuff.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for all the info. Homeade Ketchup sounds pretty awesome, and same as blue cheese on a burger. And yes, I've tried grated onions in burgers and I could still taste the beef.
 
#6 ·
I personally use onion salt, white pepper, peppercorn medly (in the grinder), hint of garlic and then top with cheese... i then let some onions camelize (i prefer red onion), and top with bacon...real mayo, tomato (vine ripe or organic...), and romaine lettuce....

oh ya... i sometimes add a bit of red pepper to spice it up a bit.. (or try adding a bit of chili oil to the meat)

Instead of mayo... i would try reducing down jack daniels and adding some brown sugar and chili oil... this makes a very sweet but spicy sauce that is great on top of just about everything.
 
#8 ·
Austin, do a search here on Cheftalk and you will come up with a number of great threads about burgers and how people here like to top them. I have a variety of ways I like to top my burger though I am very partial to the standard ketchup, mustard, onion and pickle. Also really like caramelized onions and blue cheese, together on my burger. As for as the burger itself, I like 25% fat, 75% lean mix. Not only is it cheaper, I find it makes the best burger, keeping it nice and moist and just the right texture, especially if you are cooking them past MR.
 
#10 ·
I like ground chuck, 80/20 meat to fat. I season the outside with salt and pepper and put it in a nice, hot pan or on the cast iron griddle. My favorite toppings are extra sharp cheddar, raw onion (when my tummy is up to it) and grainy mustard. Sometimes a dash of steak sauce is called for. None of that frilly lettuce or even a tomato for me! :lips:
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the tips. :) I now have lots of good ideas for making hamburgers at home. I personally like using any good-quality steak, grounding it fresh, a little bit of salt and pepper, and then heading straight for the grill. Favorite toppings? Ketchup, Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato, Slices of Sweet Onion, and putting it on toasted and lightly buttered Kaiser rolls. But who knows? Maybe your guy's recipes will be my all-time faves. Okay Pete, I think I'll search for other burger forums now. Thanks guys! You're a lot of help! ;)
 
#13 ·
Austin check out Sutter Home Winery for burgers since they hold the build a better burger contest. Not my cup of tea personally, I'm pretty low key when it comes to burgers, but if you want different they got it!

http://buildabetterburger.com/
 
#15 ·
I've heard of the 50,000 dollar burger cookoff, and watch it every time it comes on. :) Too bad I'm not over 21 years of age to enter the site. :D Would it be a bad idea to ground fillet mignon fresh and use it in a burger? Of course i'm going to try it no matter what- just wondering if it sounds like a good idea.
 
#16 ·
Austin,
The fillet will not have enough fat. But you can add some.
As far as I'm concerned, hamburgers are all about the fat. I do a pretty good squeeler. When grinding your meat you add in any type of bacon.
I play with different types of bacons and sometimes fruit. I have a nice one with honey cured bacon and apples . I make kind of a Schlotzkis type bun. Vidalia onion slice and some melted gruyere. Bun has a thin layer of mustard of choice. Gosh, goin to have to make em today.
pan
 
#17 ·
Boy, that does sound good. :lips: I am just a huge fan of the flavor and tenderness of a fillet mingon steak but I guess during cooking it would dry out. Maybe I could add some pork fat, salt, ground black pepper, and grill it until medium, put on a lightly toasted buttered Kaiser roll, with sweet onion, tomato, lettuce, applewood bacon, Fontina cheese, Mustard, Steak Sauce, and Ketchup with a sprinkle of chile flakes for spice. :D I just like to know people's opinion before I try out a recipe.
 
#18 ·
All that I add to my beef (no more than 80% lean) burger: kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and a couple of shakes of Worcestershire sauce. Mix very lightly.

Then add anything you like in (e.g., gorgonzola tucked inside) or on top (carmelized onions, tomato jam are two faves).
 
#19 ·
Why would you want to add filet to your burger? Filet is one of the most tasteless cuts out there. The only reason people love it (or think they do) is because it is so tender and since burger is ground that is not really a requirement. Use more flavorful cuts for the best burgers.
 
#21 ·
Ribeye would be a better choice than filet, but again why use a "steak" cut? They are way more expensive than other cuts. The reason for these cuts being used as steaks is that they are a the most tender parts of a cow, not necessarily the the tastiest. These cuts don't need long cooking times to break down tough flesh and connective tissue, but the grinding process does this for you so you can use cheaper cuts like roasts and chucks and still cook them MR. That said, if I am grinding meat for burgers myself, I often choose something out of the sirloin. I find it has the best overall texture and taste, that is after adding additional fat to get it up to 25% ratio that I like. Of course, this is personal preference, but I just don't see the need to waste money on high-end steaks for burger meat, when you can get as good or better results with more inexpensive cuts.
 
#23 ·
being from austria we have of course 'our' style of burgers..
and living now many years in russia i added a very specail recipe to my collection ( from my mother in law..)
in austria/ germany we use at least 20-30 % pork when making burgers.( we are talking of course about non kosher / halal), than add some finely chopped,panfried, onions, a touch of fresh chopped garlic and parsley (sauteed together with the onions), a touch of majoram and thyme. besides salt and pepper of course.
and in russia we add a raw potatoe to the meat when mincing.my mother in law (and my wife) NEVER buys mince, we make it fresh at home.and the rest of the spices, onions, a touch of garlic, chopped parsley.
this has nothing to do with being 'economic' on the meat, but makes the burgers nice and jucy!as 'garnish / side' fresh dillpickles, pickled toamtoes, pickled garlic and a the pickled stems from young garlic called 'tsirimsha'
no french fries, no ketchup....
the meat used: definitely no tenderloin, sirloin or ribeye..
topside, shoulder or silverside from beef and shoulder from pork.
 
#25 ·
My Russian grandmother put moistened bits of bread, egg, chopped onion and garlic in her burgers. She called them something that sounded like "cutlets". They were more like meatloaf patties. We loved them- they were moist and unlike the usual fast-food hamburgers.
 
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