# How to make the perfect burger... Looking for help



## Godslayer (Feb 2, 2017)

So super bowl Sunday is upon us and being the number one cook in my circle of friends I've always made the food, usual stuff, meat tray, boneless wings, wings and sliders. I'm looking to upgrade my burgers to next level carnivore delights. I've always just kept it simple, ground chuck with pepper formed into patties seasoned like a steak, little duck fat in the pan, sear 4 minutes flip 2 minutes oven until I think it's done. In Canada we don't ever serve medium burgers for some reason. I'm contemplating adding a small proportion of ground bison to the mix to add a gamey flavour but keep the beef the star and introducing an additional fat source, geletinized beef fat most likely or ask the butchur for some prime rib fat scraps.


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## bkultra (Feb 2, 2017)

Keep it simple with burgers, less is more IMO. I'm a fan of smash/diner burgers, extra crispy and delicious.

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/hamburgers/diner_burgers.html

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/03/the-food-lab-maximize-flavor-by-ultra-smashin.html


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## Evilsports (Feb 2, 2017)

I like a burger that stands on it's own two feet without needing condiments. the best burger I've made was called a blue label burger and it consisted of:

6 ounces beef sirloin, trimmed of gristle
5 ounces beef brisket, trimmed of gristle
12 ounces bone-in oxtail, fat and meat carefully removed from bone and trimmed of silverskin, bones discarded or reserved for another use (about 5 ounces of combined meat and fat)

I ran it through a coarse plate on my grinder. The oxtail is a PITA to dissect, but worth it for the flavor it brings.

One key thing I adhere to is handling and mixing the ground meat extremely gently. I want the meat to be very loosely packed and the final burger to just barely hold itself together. This one's good with just some mustard and super thin tomato slices.

I have another recipe that my neighbors (Serbian couple) use all the time and gave to me. It's more of a seasoned meat, but it has a really nice flavor profile that was a bit foreign to my palate. I don't have the recipe on hand, but if you're interested this recipe seems to be close to the same, by memory:

http://cookingtheglobe.com/pljeskavica-serbian-burger-recipe/

The Serbian burgers are great with fried cabbage and hot Ajvar (roasted pepper spread) on them.


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## Godslayer (Feb 2, 2017)

Thank you, my method is pretty close to the diner burger except I add pickle and sub sweet onion for red onion. Ox tail in a burger intrigues me to no end, that would be amazing. The Serbian recipe is interesting, I have put ajvar on a burger before albeit it was a pre packaged ajvar from the grocers


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## Evilsports (Feb 2, 2017)

The texture of the Serb-Burger is quite "spongy", by design. (Just a heads up if you don't like that type of mouth feel.)


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## cheflivengood (Feb 2, 2017)

My best friend is the chef at "The Loyalist" ,here in Chicago, who's burger was just named better than Au Cheval which was the best burger in the country last year. I wont divulge too much info but if you read the articles and reviews and have questions ill answer sparingly haha. I have made every ingredient on the burger with him and plated and built hundreds to help him out. 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/restaurants/ct-loyalist-review-food-1019-20161014-story.html


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## ThEoRy (Feb 2, 2017)

Short Rib 40 brisket 40 and 20 fat. You win.


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## Bill13 (Feb 2, 2017)

ThEoRy said:


> Short Rib 40 brisket 40 and 20 fat. You win.



That 20% fat is non-negotiable if you want a great burger. I've never used brisket before, sound interesting, shame it's getting so damn expensive, for that matter short rib is too.


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## ThEoRy (Feb 3, 2017)

You can use Chuck flat too it's much cheaper and very close to short Rib without the bones.


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## panda (Feb 3, 2017)

what theory said but also add in some hand chopped steak (i like to use strip), make em thick and slowly cook it in a heavy pan until outside is super crispy (fry in its own rendered fat)

top it with fried egg, or roasted bone marrow for even more rich goodness
generous helping of onions (any style, i like pickled red)
grain mustard
crisp lettuce, super thin sliced tomato
extra sour pickles

for the bun, steam it first and then toast the insides with butter.


But it's a lot of effort and expensive. Usually i just mix half chuck and sirloin and a packet of French onion soup powder, cheap buns call it a day.


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## Cashn (Feb 3, 2017)

80/20 with salt and pepper. I like garlic but it will change the way it tastes in a big way if you want to add it. You can stuff it with cheese if you want to do something over the top. One topping I really like is a bacon onion "jam". Million different recipes for it but I like reducing red onions, crispy bacon pieces, cranberry juice and some sugar for a spreadable topping at the most basic level. Adding garlic, red pepper or anything else that sounds good would not be out of the question. Just use bacon and onion as your base and go from there. Don't forget a good bun/bread. I'm a gluten lover and bunny bread has its place at 4am when you just need a grease pill but otherwise something a bit better will make a big difference.


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 3, 2017)

i like skirt and rib meat..50-50. 

but the real trick is not overwork the meat. i barely get them into a loose patty. the cheese plays a big part in holding the thing together, but it is pretty stable cheese-less.

if you wanna cheat..freeze some butter and grate it into the meat..jus sayin. and patties take more salt than you think.


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## spoiledbroth (Feb 4, 2017)

It's forbidden in Canada to serve ground chuck at less than 160f. The stated reason is because with commercially produced mince there is some chance bacteria will be transferred from the outtermost layer of a whole cut, by way of the mechanical mincing, and mixed throughout the mince. So, unlike the interior of a steak which, if it has not been butterflied, will remain sterile, you have no way to verify the interior of your m.r. Burger is safe to consume. I'm not sure why this can't be mitigated using the food safe tartare method... But... Apropos of nothing really.


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## jessf (Feb 4, 2017)

Look no further than Matty

https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=scowDE6mZrg

I more or less do the same but make many thin patties so i get crunch on both sides of many thin patties.


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## panda (Feb 4, 2017)

a dull knife means you're a loser, lmao


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## jessf (Feb 4, 2017)

A fucing loser i believe he said. His restaurant is good just in an awkward part of the city for me to get to.


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## Jovidah (Feb 4, 2017)

Try to find these: Kettyle Dry Aged Burgers








They're Irish burgers with 10% dry aged meat mixed in. Though the dry aged part is probably just for marketing... they really are the best burgers around. We have a local hamburger place that tries to make a quality burger from organic yadda yadda fancy pants beef...and these burgers beat theirs hands down. Also leaps and bounds above all the other Wagyu burger, Iberico burger and all the other pretentious hipster crap that has been showing up in the wholesaler freezer as of late.
Honestly... since I've discovered these I've stopped bothering to try and find or create proper mince meat to make my own. Fry in loads of butter with some thyme and garlic until pink inside... best burger you'll ever have.  

On toppings, I like the cheese, bacon & pineapple combination.


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## Chef_ (Feb 5, 2017)

the burger we make at our restaurant are the best ive ever had in my opinion. 

Blend of Short rib, chuck, brisket. 
Brioche bun
2 slices of pepper jack cheese
Bacon jam- ill give you the recipe if youd like
pulled pork
Chipotle Aioli
Cooked on the flat top.


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## alterwisser (Feb 5, 2017)

Chef_ said:


> the burger we make at our restaurant are the best ive ever had in my opinion.
> 
> Blend of Short rib, chuck, brisket.
> Brioche bun
> ...



Damn, I want that burger NOW! Where's that restaurant again????


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## Chef_ (Feb 5, 2017)

alterwisser said:


> Damn, I want that burger NOW! Where's that restaurant again????



Fort lauderdale.


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## Godslayer (Feb 5, 2017)

Well I made standard chuck today as a baseline as I try everyones ideas. Bacon jam was also made.


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## YLQDave (Feb 5, 2017)

ThEoRy said:


> Short Rib 40 brisket 40 and 20 fat. You win.



This mix is amazing I've used multiple times...
I always add a touch of Worcestershire and fresh garlic to my burgers.


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## mr drinky (Feb 22, 2017)

Evilsports said:


> I like a burger that stands on it's own two feet without needing condiments. the best burger I've made was called a blue label burger and it consisted of:
> 
> 6 ounces beef sirloin, trimmed of gristle
> 5 ounces beef brisket, trimmed of gristle
> ...



After living in the Balkans for some time, these style of burgers never really did it for me. The grind tends to be more fine and mushy, and a Serbian grilled meat plate (while good) will send you to the hospital if eaten too much. I just find the Balkan style of burgers more of a play on Turkish kabob or kofta. I like Balkan and Turkish variants, but American burgers need a coarser grind and simpler spice application. 

With that said, after all those years living in the middle east and the balkans, I do mix lamb 50/50 into my burgers now because I like the hint of Middle Eastern flavors, but in the simplest of ways -- changing the meat. I also mix in some goat cheese crumbles to keep things a bit more moist. 

k.


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## benito (Feb 22, 2017)

favorite burger toppings:

kim chi 

marinated poblano peppers (roast/peel, then macerate in your favorite vinegar/oil)

mushrooms cooked in foie fat


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## bkultra (Feb 23, 2017)

Welcome to the forums benito


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## Godslayer (Feb 23, 2017)

benito said:


> favorite burger toppings:
> 
> kim chi
> 
> ...



You and me sir, we could be friends


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## paulraphael (Mar 1, 2017)

I spent a couple of months experimenting with burgers a few years ago and concluded a couple of things.

-by far the most important factor is using freshly ground meat. Ideally, grind it yourself shortly before cooking. If you can't do that, instead of buying it ground have the butcher grind while you wait. This makes a bigger difference than everything else put together.

-the next most important thing is the cuts of meat.

For a while, my favorite blend was 2/3 chuck and 1/3 hangar steak. But then people caught on to hangar, and it got expensive. So I tried various combinations of chuck, brisket, short rib, shin, sirloin, and oxtail.

My favorite current blend is equal parts chuck, brisket, and shin. I incorporate the marrow from the shin, and sometimes also a bit of butter, in order to get the total fat content to around 20%. If it's available and not too expensive (or too lean) I try to get grass-fed brisket, for the brighter flavors. The chuck offers a background of the flavor and texture that defines burger for most people. The shin has an intensely beefy, dark flavor.

Unlike a lot of people, I didn't get great flavor from either short rib or sirloin. I loved the flavor of oxtail, but found it too big a pain in the ass to prep. And after you discard the bones, the actual cost per pound for the meat is high for burgers, IMO.


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## Jovidah (Mar 1, 2017)

paulraphael said:


> For a while, my favorite blend was 2/3 chuck and 1/3 hangar steak. But then people caught on to hangar, and it got expensive. So I tried various combinations of chuck, brisket, short rib, shin, sirloin, and oxtail.


I'm really praying people don't catch on to hanger steak here. Right now it's just 10 euro's a kilo if you buy the whole thing whole. Ridiculously underpriced, but I'd rather keep it that way. Great for making a beef wellington on the cheap as well, as long as you don't slice it too thick.


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## fujiyama (Mar 6, 2017)

Lots of great ideas here. 

I like to grind bacon into fresh chuck or sirloin. Nice flavor and fat content. I also combine my seasonings before adding them.. some favorites being salt, pepper, worcestershire, minced garlic, minched onion, onion powder, dijon mustard, bread crumbs, egg, etc. I don't use all of these at once. 

I like to butter the burger while cooking, as one would with a steak. Sometimes I'll use a ciabatta bun as they pair very well. Some of my favorite toppings include Jalapeño Havarti or Jack, chipotle mayo, BBQ sauce, crispy onions, pickled red onions, banana peppers, romaine leaves, etc


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