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While
this is a good place to start, many people
also use ground chicken, turkey, pork or
lamb for great results. A mixture will produce
excellent results - and as a matter of fact,
we have some pretty good burger recipes
for those cuts on the site as well.
To
get back on track, the patty is the heart
of the burger, which in turn is often the
heart of the barbecue. When you select your
meat, remember that lean meat will usually
make dry burgers, as the grilling process
tends to drain the fat. Another fact you
should take into account, is the more fat
in the burger, the more it will shrink while
grilling, for the same reason – so
even if you start off with 30% fat beef,
you can loose as much as 20% or even more
– leaving you with a very small patty.
For
the perfect patty, the beef should be coarsely
ground. Finely ground beef tends to fall
apart on the grill. Additions to the patty,
such as whole cloves of garlic, large pieces
of onion will also make the burger unstable.
For this reason, you should chop these ingredients
as finely as possible, and the cloves should
be minced.
I have found that ground turkey can be difficult
to work with, so I often add breadcrumbs
to strengthen the patties. This works well
if you’re mixing sauces into the meat.
Another good trick I’ve picked up is
to mix different meats with the turkey for
excellent results. Try mixing equal parts
of turkey and beef, for instance, or beef
and lamb, my personal favorite. Remember
though, that the meat-mixing process will
likely make it softer – so mix as gently
and as little as possible.
Once
I have my ground meat mixture ready, I form
the patties and refrigerate them for a couple
of hours. This allows them to set so they
have less of a tendency to break on the
grill.
You’re
ready to grill when the grill is very hot.
(If you're looking for a new grill, by the
way, I've found that Barbecue.com
is the ultimate website to buy grills.
From a $30 portable to a $10,400 luxury
grill - Barbecues.com has it all).  At
this point, I like to stick half an onion
on a barbecue fork, dip it in olive oil
and wipe down the grill. This serves the
dual purpose of cleaning the grill and lightly
coating it with oil. Now, place the patties
on the grill. When you do this, the raw
meat will take a grip on the grill and hold
on for all it’s worth. Your job is
to flip them the second the burger releases
the grill. This happens because the fat
from the burger drains onto the grill forms
a non-stick surface, allowing you to flip
with no fear. Do it too early, however,
and you risk breaking the burger. The first
flip should be around a minute from start,
and you should repeat the process with the
second side as well. Total grill time depends
on the size of the burger and the degree
you like it done. Usually, 2-3 minutes on
the second side will be fine. When you’re
done, remove the burger patty, and leave
to sit for a couple of minutes before serving.
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