5 Ideas for Preparing Outstanding Burgers (By Otis A Garzaten)

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The weather is definitely improving every day and my ideas are now beginning to turn in the direction of getting outside and firing up the barbecue. Barbequed food is an entire topic in its own right but for me right now there's nothing preferable on the barbecue than a juicy, tasty hamburger on a soft bun.
I always create my own burgers. I never plan to think about precisely what is actually in the store bought burgers and when I make them by hand I can control what goes inside them (and what doesn't!). Also it only requires around 5 mins to put them together-- and the final outcome is really worth each and every second.
I've compiled my selection of the main 5 ideas for creating your own burgers. This article only covers burgers made from beef and doesn't go into the garnishes or the bun. I'll write another post dealing with those subjects!

1. The quality of the meat is crucial so be sure to buy high quality ground beef. There's no need to go overboard and buy an expensive cut, but make certain that the meat you get is the very best you can buy.

2. When picking your meat, choose meat that has about 15 % fat. The fat is important as it prevents the hamburger drying out and increases flavor. Low fat burgers are actually a disaster-- completely
 dry and flavorless. If you're concerned about the fat content then enjoy burgers as an occasional treat.

3. Refrain from adding things such as eggs, cornmeal and breadcrumbs. All you need to have is a bit of simple flavoring and a tablespoon of water for each pound of beef Nothing more, nothing less. When I say simple flavoring I mean pepper and nothing more within the hamburger. Leave the salt until you're just about to place the hamburger on the barbecue as it will remove water from the meat and dehydrate the hamburger.

4. Meat shrinks and the patties will get thicker during the grilling so shape thin patties or you'll end up with more of a meatball than a burger. Prepare the patties a little larger than the size of your buns to take into account shrinking. Push a hollow in the center of each pattie and this will help it maintain its shape when barbecuing.

5. Barbecue above a medium to medium-high heat and cover the barbecue while the burgers are barbecuing. Timings are down to individual taste. I like my burgers grilled medium (provided I've used high quality meat... ) and 5 minutes per side works out wonderfully for this.

 By Otis A Garzaten