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Cooking A Burger

post #1 of 15
7/24/07 at 7:24pm
Thread Starter 
I'm sorry for this really novice question. I would like to know how long you should cook a burger on each side. I did the mistake of flipping it every 10 seconds but it was stuck to the grill.
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post #2 of 15
7/24/07 at 8:10pm
The rule of thumb is flip/move it only as many times as you want grill marks on a particular angle.

So in my usual case, I would flip/move it three times to get double-hatch grill marks on each side.

You know a burger is ready to be flipped when you can lift it easily off the grill without having to scrape it off. On a home grill it will be approximately a couple of minutes before moving it, depending on the thickness and the doneness you desire.

If you have good grill marks and the inside isn't as done as you would like, simply place it above the grill and allow the inside to go up to temperature.
"If it's chicken, chicken a la king. If it's fish, fish a la king. If it's turkey, fish a la king." -Bender
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post #3 of 15
7/24/07 at 8:38pm
Also, procedure is affected by the size of the burger and the desired doneness.

As mentioned before, give it some time (3mins or so) on each side. Do not forget the salt & pepper also!!!
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post #4 of 15
7/24/07 at 11:43pm
Resist the temptation to play with your meat while grilling. (You can take that either way. Both are good advice. ;))

Excessive movement causes sticking. Your meat needs to sear properly before it's moved. A good sear won't stick.

Also, while you want those beautiful cross-hatched grill marks on your steak, I don't think that they're necessary (or desirable) on burgers.

So. Cook them on side A to the desired state of doneness and then flip, ONCE, onto to side B to finish off cooking.
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post #5 of 15
7/25/07 at 3:56am
I'm with CastIron on this one, 100%. There is no particular reason to have grill marks on a hamburger; especially a home-cooked one.

Drop 'em on a heated grill, turn once, and be done. A typical hand-formed burger, with roughly a quarter pound of meat, should be cooked about three minutes per side for rare.

But there are so many variablers: thickness of meat, fat content, distance from heat source, etc. Try one or two, then adjust cooking time/distance of coals as necessary.
They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling
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post #6 of 15
7/25/07 at 5:11am
Some 40 years ago or so, the Federal Government (or somebody official) determined that the best way to cook a burger was to turn up the heat, cook the burger (unsalted, unpeppered) on one side until the brown extended up about 1/2 of the thickness of the burger.

Then flip the burger over, turn down the heat significantly, S&P the browned side of the burger and let it basically like "simmer" until done.

Also, the dill pickles and catsup should go on the underside of the top part of the bun, and the mustard and onions should be on the lower bun.

A tavern near where I grew up, followed this technique on their flat top and they were remarkable burgers, although they did add an extra touch by putting sweet relish on top with the dill pickle slices, and used coarse German mustard instead of yellow mustard. At $0.25 each, we kids bought plenty of them, sometimes bags full for our family's dinner.

doc
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post #7 of 15
7/25/07 at 5:17am
I know for most people here what I do is blasphemous but it works for me and the family.

I like to season my burgers so I mix my seasoning and meat together. I weigh each patty to 125g (1/4lb), shape them to identical thickness and freeze them individually. (1/2 inch thick, 4-5 inches across).

When burger time arrives! I place the frozen patties directly on a hot grill and wait until it unsticks (approx 4 - 5 min). I flip it and wait until the juice (blood) percolates out from the top and coagulate (3 -4 min). I press the center of the patty with the corner of my spatula to make sure the center has firmed up (well done) and take off the grill.

I also believe grill marks are not very important. (for steaks, of course)

I don't know if that really helps...

Luc H
I eat science everyday, do you?
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post #8 of 15
7/25/07 at 6:15am
All good advice (even the contradictory stuff ;) ). In addition: make sure the grill rack is HOT before you put the burgers on. Then follow the Beatles method of cooking: Let it be.

As for timing: I use a cast-iron skillet or grill pan, make my burgers about 3/4-inch thick, and cook them 2 to 3 minutes per side (we like them very rare) after heating the pan a good 10 minutes. And I always season them before cooking, salt and pepper.

When I was growing up, my mother pan-fried them thus: heavy skillet (not cast iron, heavy aluminum); sprinkle a thin layer of kosher salt evenly over the pan; heat the pan and salt; lay in the burgers, cook until a nice crust forms; flip, cook, serve. (She used pretty lean ground beef.) Note again: flip just once, and NO MASHING DOWN!!!!!
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
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post #9 of 15
7/25/07 at 6:57am
Suzanne, were your mom and mine separated at birth? That's exactly how my mom cooked burgers when we didn't grill them. Again, let them sit so they develop a crust (caramelization) before you flip them. It doesn't seal in juices (a myth) but does develop flavor.

LeChef, while you perfect your visual identification for when your burgers are the desired doneness, try using an instant-read thermometer to help you identify the desired degree (sorry- pun) of doneness.
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post #10 of 15
7/25/07 at 7:41am
I wholly agree with your advice here, at least it keeps together!

Br.
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post #11 of 15
7/25/07 at 7:42am
One thing to consider is that in some situations a burger will "puff up" in the center, giving a somewhat football-shaped patty. If that happens to your burgers, make a small indentation with your thumb before putting the meat on the grill or into the pan. That'll help keep the burgers flat. Most important when adding condiments and toppings after the meat is cooked.

Question: why, as some suggest, is it important to have grill marks on steak? It seems to me that's just decorative restaurant business. We'd have great barbecues, with superb meat cooked over outdoor fires and no one gave a rat's aptoot about grill marks. That seems to be something relatively new.

Shel
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post #12 of 15
7/25/07 at 8:46am
Man, everybody's so against grill marks :), which I sorta do right now just out of habit. However, in my opinion I enjoy a little bit of charred meat on the burger as it gives it a smokiness that is desirable.
"If it's chicken, chicken a la king. If it's fish, fish a la king. If it's turkey, fish a la king." -Bender
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post #13 of 15
7/25/07 at 9:31am
Thread Starter 
Thank you everyone!! Alot of nice tips for my next dinner.
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post #14 of 15
7/25/07 at 10:00am
Grill marks on a burger are nice, but 80% of the ones I serve get cheese on them, so the purpose is kinda defeated.
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post #15 of 15
7/25/07 at 10:17am
Grill marks on the burger only means the part that doesn't have grill marks isn't properly charbroiled. ;)
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