Tips to grill a juicier burger
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Summer weekends wouldn ’ t be the same without backyard barbecues . And no backyard barbecue is complete without hamburgers .
• Avoid extra-lean meat . Extra-lean meat might be healthier than the alternatives , but 93 percent lean ground beef is unlikely to produce juicy burgers . When making burgers from scratch , opt for 80 percent lean . WebMD notes that fat helps to hold burgers together while searing and cooking the meat . The result is a more juicy interior than cooks are likely to get when using lean meats .
• Swap beef for lamb . Cookbook author John Holl notes in his book , “ The American Craft Beer Cookbook ” ( Storey ), that substituting ground beef with ground lamb makes for a juicier burger . Lamb is moist , so unlike lean beef , it can be grilled as well-done without drying out . Lamb also offers a different taste than beef , adding a little variety to a backyard barbecue .
• Saddle your spatula . Flipping the burgers too much or pressing them against the grill as they cook can dry them out .
• Be conscious of carryover cooking time . Carryover cooking time refers to the length of time temperature in a food continues to rise even after it ’ s been removed from a cooking area . Beef is among the many foods that continue to cook after being removed from a heat source , so beef burgers can be removed from the grill before they reach the desired cooking temperature . This prevents drying out and ensures that once they ’ re served , the burgers will be juicy and safe to eat .
Grilling a juicy burger is easily accomplished with a few simple and time-tested strategies .
SPRING 2023 | ILLIANA MAGAZINE
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