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L
Nice or not, make sure it has
enough fat in it — at least 20 percent. Ultra-lean beef is great for
other stuff (we suppose), but a
burger needs fat because fat makes
juice, and we’re all after a juicy
burger. If you want to get really
advanced, do like Meat Wizard Pat
LaFrieda does and grind your own
blend (or ask your butcher to do it
for you! They will!).
2. Over-working your
burgers/adding a bunch of
other stuff into the mix.
“But,” you might be thinking, “my
burgers are the best because I add
onions, parsley, worcestershire
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sauce and an egg to the meat.” You
are wrong. That is a meatloaf, not
a burger. At best it is a meatball.
Here are the things you need
to form a great burger: good meat
with plenty of fat, salt and the
occasional onion/garlic powder if you must. When you mix a
bunch of stuff into burger meat,
or handle it too much as you form
the patties, you warm up the fat
in the burger, which then emulsifies and makes your meat rubbery.
Pack your burgers lightly, minimally, season the outside generously right before you cook them,
and then leave them alone.
PRO TIP #3:
If you want
to be able to
add toppings
later, don’t
forget to add
divots to your
round patties
beforehand.