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Better burgers are about the blend

Good-quality cuts of meat make all the difference

By ELIZABETH KARMEL, Associated Press
Published: September 23, 2020, 6:02am
2 Photos
This June 2020 photo shows a cheeseburger topped with pickles in Alexandria, Va. To get the best tasting burger, try making your own  blend with better quality cuts of beef.
This June 2020 photo shows a cheeseburger topped with pickles in Alexandria, Va. To get the best tasting burger, try making your own blend with better quality cuts of beef. (Elizabeth Karmel via AP) Photo Gallery

There was a time when I liked burgers based mostly on their toppings. I might order a Swiss cheese and bacon burger, or one topped with blue cheese and caramelized onions, and that, I thought, was where the flavor was.

Then I realized I could make my own burger blend with better-quality cuts of beef. This changed the way I make and eat burgers.

When I am making my own blend, I choose bits of short rib, brisket, hanger steak and ribeye. All the rich cuts. Add a bit of aged beef too, and you get a swoon-worthy, slightly funky, slightly nutty aroma and flavor.

Today, you can buy these specialty burger blends already made and conveniently packaged in 1-pound “bricks” or pre-made burgers. When you are shopping, follow the advice of meat scientist Diana Clark from Certified Angus Beef: For a thick, gourmetlike burger, look for a blend of 80 percent lean, 20 percent fat. “The extra fat is going to melt and make a juicy, tasty burger.”

There are many butchers who sell burger blends online and at grocery stores. My favorites include Pat LaFrieda and Schweid and Sons. I have purchased the pre-made burgers, but I prefer the bricks because I can make my signature square burgers from them easily.

The meat is vacuum-sealed, which means it is as close to fresh as you can buy without grinding it yourself. With vacuum-sealed meat, the oxygen is almost eliminated, so the rate of deterioration is much slower. Fresh meat wrapped in brown butcher paper will last a maximum of three days refrigerated, while vacuum-sealed meat will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator and much longer in a freezer.

To make square burgers from the bricks, carefully remove the meat from the packaging and, using a fine serrated knife, cut it into four equal, quarter-pound shares. I round the sharp edges of each square in my hands, as I would soften a lump of clay, being careful not to make it too round. I want to keep the thick square shape. After it is smooth and even, I make a depression in the center so the burger will cook evenly and not puff up like a meatball.

Because you are buying premium ground beef blends, you don’t need to add anything to make it taste great. A generous sprinkle of fresh-ground black pepper and coarse kosher salt is all you need. My ratio is 1 teaspoon Morton Kosher salt to 1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Mix the salt and pepper together and season both sides of the burger.

I like to place my burgers on the grill for about 3-4 minutes per side for a thick patty like this one. You will get great grill marks, and the middle will still be medium-rare to medium. If you buy the pre-made patties, cook them a little less because they are not as thick as my homemade square burgers.

If you don’t have a grill, or you run out of gas, these are equally good made in a cast-iron pan. Preheat the pan on your stovetop over medium-high heat, and the oven to 400 degrees. Don’t put anything in the pan — no butter, no oil. Once it is hot enough for a drop of water to dance across the surface, place the four patties on the hot cast-iron skillet and let cook for 2 minutes or until the burgers develop a good crust. Flip them and let cook on the stovetop for 2 more minutes. Then place the skillet with burgers in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.

If you’re making cheeseburgers, add the cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Remove the burgers to a platter and let them rest for five minutes.

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