Avoid flare ups by keeping the lid
more on the Burger...
closed on the grill. The oxygen will be
cut off reducing the flare up. You can
At all costs avoid the frozen hockey pucks.
There is no way of telling what kind of meat it is.
even cook burgers on an indirect heat.
It may be labeled 100% beef patties, but they
Keep one section of the grill with no heat.
are probably old dairy cows and not steers that
After searing the burgers on a very high
are raised for meat consumption. The hockey
heat, before the fat runs onto the flames,
pucks will not cook properly if frozen and are
guaranteed to flare up your grill with the
move the burgers to the side with no heat
excessive fat. It is well worth the time to pre-
directly under.
make your patties from scratch. It’s easy and
they’ll look gourmet, even if they look more
Ding, the bell has rang, but you can’t possibly
rectangle than round. Allow time to chill in the
tell how well they are cooked by setting a clock.
refrigerator at least one hour before cooking,
Chefs may have a clock in their heads, but you
after making the patties. A well-chilled burger will
will need to rely on experience and the many
prevent the patty from breaking up.
conditions that face your outdoor kitchen such as
outdoor temperature, wind to the heat of your
To make the burger patty, check the weight of
coals or gas grill. As a guide four to five minutes
the package of chop meat you purchased. For
on each side for a five ounce burger will give you
every pound divide the package into 4 for four
a medium done burger. Everyone likes their
ounce servings, 3 for 5 ounce, 2 for 8 ounce and
burger prepared different, so as long as you
so on. Lightly shape each serving into a round,
know the risks of serving a burger not fully
then press and rotate the meat in your hands
cooked consider this. Lightly touch the patty with
until they become patty like. Don’t over work the
the back of the grill fork, the more the meat
patty or you will warm up the meat. This will
springs back the more done the meat is cooked.
reduce then binding and they are more likely to
If you use a meat thermometer it will read 160
fall apart and be dense.
degrees for a well-done burger. But try not to let
anyone see you using a meat thermometer for a
Serving the perfect burger is all about getting
grilling a burger, it just looks silly.
your condiments ready before you even fire up
the grill. Slice your tomatoes, onion, lettuce,
The time to serve the burgers is immediately
cheese, pickles. Ready the mustard, ketchup
after they come off the grill, not 10 minutes, 20,
and mayo if you prefer. The time to run for the
or an hour later. Think of what a soufflé looks like
condiments is not when the burgers are oozing
when perfectly prepared. What would happen if it
out their juices all over the platter.
just sat there for ten minutes; resulting in a cold,
dense dessert. The same results would affect a
Preheat your grill to high heat. On a
burger. So ready your fixins and get ready to
clean grill, place burgers on high heat for
serve the food that is the most sought after of all
cuisine. The American Hamburger!
3-4 minutes. Do not flip, but move them
to another hot spot to continue to cook at
Other helpful tips
a high temperature so they do not steam.
Don’t overcrowd. Your grill is only so big. The
Once you begin to see the juices rising to
more crowed the surface of the cooking area is
the more likely you will steam your food or cause
the top you can flip the burgers over to
a flare up.
the original cooking spot, which has now
become a new hot spot.
If I happen to be invited to your backyard BBQ, I
like my hamburger well done with lots of
Next, grab a soda or a beer. This is the most
ketchup, sliced pickles on the bottom of an un-
important step, because it will give you
toasted soft potato bun, more ketchup on the
something to do. Otherwise you will begin to
topside with a slice of tomato.
press the burgers, or worse flip them over and
Now go ahead, feel free to wear that fancy
over. The burgers get flipped once, period. And
apron, you’ve earned it! George
please for the sake of making a juicy 5 star
burger, DO NOT PRESS THE MEAT.
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