Grilling ?

[xrated]

so I finally got a grill about a month ago. Been a damn grilling fool but I have one question.

In the past when I was baching it, I always just bought frozen patties and vidalia patties for quickness.

Now that I have a wife who hates onions, I have to make patties and add my flavors. Problem is, no matter how thin and big I seem to make the patty, by the time I'm done cooking it's half as big and 3 times as thick. Really starting to piss me off!! So what can I do to avoid this?

 

[rmkboxer]

by better burgers

 

[snow_knight]

try slown your cook temp down.. and try indirect heat.. ..

Are you using 90% or what?.. On a grill always use a fatter burger due to the lose of moisture.. try 80-85%

If that doesnt work.. try buying some burger from an actual butcher shop.. it will come with 0% water (unlike the store bought).. this could be cause'n the shrinkage.. and tastes way better

 

[captjacksparrow]

Leaner beef does seem to help alot but just make them even thinner and bigger.

 

[bonz50]

never use 90% lean beef, it'll dry out to much.... 80-85% is best for burgers on the grill... I've always tended to make them a touch thinner in the middle so they don't ball up while cooking... i usally shoot for 1/2-3/4" thick uncooked and about the diameter of a 12" softball, maybe a touch bigger...

 

[khaddon2110]

We mix everything up in a bowl and get it just the right combo of seasoning. Then I use a burger press that I picked up from a place that went out of business. You put your ball of ground beef in and it will make uniform patties, and they stay in shape pretty good while cooking.

I let the kids run the press.. while i do the grilling.

You end up with patties that are about 1/2" thk,, and about 6" Dia... maybe a little bigger as I've never really measured.

 

[xrated]

Well I'm using 80 percent right now, the kind that comes in a plastic tube since it's easy to store.

I do have the grill set as low as she goes, if my temp guague is on, it reads around 400.

I'll try goign thinner in the middle next time, or bigger and thinner. Damn but a 12 inch softball is gonna be big.

I've also noted that the burger getting fatter equals out to the middle stayin raw. so my timing is off, I guess if i don't get them thinner I'll just have to drink another beer while they cook.

 

[bonz50]

Well I'm using 80 percent right now, the kind that comes in a plastic tube since it's easy to store.

I do have the grill set as low as she goes, if my temp guague is on, it reads around 400.

I'll try goign thinner in the middle next time, or bigger and thinner. Damn but a 12 inch softball is gonna be big.

I've also noted that the burger getting fatter equals out to the middle stayin raw. so my timing is off, I guess if i don't get them thinner I'll just have to drink another beer while they cook.

that 12" softball size isn't as big as you think and you'll get some shrinkage during the cook, its about the same diameter as a whopper/quarter pounder patty... you're just gonna go a touch thicker...

now, as for your meat... I've used that 'sausage tube' style before, that stuff is typically crap... you should upgrade the quality of your meat in a big way... even the grocery store stuff on the white foam will be better... butcher will be better still...

 

[summitone]

Personally, I think the grill, itself, makes a difference. I had a $149 walmart grill forever and bought a $450 Weber last year. My Weber cooks EVERYTHING better. Could it be the way the heat is distributed or the grill itself? Anyway, it cooks more even and steak/burgers/chicken/ribs all taste better.

And 80% burger out of the tube? I buy 96/4 burger and still have a juicy burger w/o the greasy/fat. Put the burner on between low and medium and I only flip them once. (why flip 'em 12 times, cook one side, then the other)

 

[Meatman]

85% ground chuck is gonna get you the best tasting burger imo, when you form the burger dont compress it too much. This is what causes it to ball up. What I do is mix the burger with a bunch of stuff, chopped cooked bacon, havarti cheese, some soy sauce and a little bit of seasoning. Lay it all flat on a cutting board and use a 6in diameter piece of PVC to make the burger.

You mentioned the tube, is it the little store bought tubes? or is it a 10lb tube? another suggestion is to go to a meat dept and buy it in the 10lb tube, throw it in the freezer and get a good frost in it then cut it into burgers with a very sharp knife. perfectly round burgers and they dont shrink and swell up

 

[bonz50]

Personally, I think the grill, itself, makes a difference. I had a $149 walmart grill forever and bought a $450 Weber last year. My Weber cooks EVERYTHING better. Could it be the way the heat is distributed or the grill itself? Anyway, it cooks more even and steak/burgers/chicken/ribs all taste better.

yes, my weber made me a better cook as well... I'll never own another brand of grill, in fact, I now own 4 webers, Genesis Gold B gasser, One Touch Gold kettle, Smokey Joe, and Weber Smokey Mount Cooker (the WSM is the best investment i've made in outdoor cooking)

And 80% burger out of the tube? I buy 96/4 burger and still have a juicy burger w/o the greasy/fat. Put the burner on between low and medium and I only flip them once. (why flip 'em 12 times, cook one side, then the other)

+1 on the flip once philosophy... I'm the same way with my steaks and everything else...

 

[xrated]

all ready a die hard one time flipper. Haven't had any troubles with uneven cooking or hot spots on the grill as of yet...

Yes it is the little tubes, I'll look into either the 10 pound or I will but the meat counter type. I get all my other meat from a small shop that is mainly meat so I will see what they have for burger meat.

I can't go 90% though, I need the fat for extra flavor, plus I only weigh 140.

I'll also work on not compressing to much as I have been pushing them down pretty hard to get them thin(hoping for a thinner finished burger). I kinda like the PVC idea as well. When you mix stuff up how are you doing it? hand mixing or what?

 

[justadude]

What he said!!!

never use 90% lean beef, it'll dry out to much.... 80-85% is best for burgers on the grill... I've always tended to make them a touch thinner in the middle so they don't ball up while cooking... i usally shoot for 1/2-3/4" thick uncooked and about the diameter of a 12" softball, maybe a touch bigger...

 

[Meatman]

yup mix'er all up by hand

 

[Sturgis Sledder]

85% ground chuck is gonna get you the best tasting burger imo, when you form the burger dont compress it too much. This is what causes it to ball up. What I do is mix the burger with a bunch of stuff, chopped cooked bacon, havarti cheese, some soy sauce and a little bit of seasoning. Lay it all flat on a cutting board and use a 6in diameter piece of PVC to make the burger.

You mentioned the tube, is it the little store bought tubes? or is it a 10lb tube? another suggestion is to go to a meat dept and buy it in the 10lb tube, throw it in the freezer and get a good frost in it then cut it into burgers with a very sharp knife. perfectly round burgers and they dont shrink and swell up

Mix some ranch dressing mix and Hormel soft bacon bits (I also add Blue Cheese crumbles or shredded cheddar cheese) INTO the burger and pat them out as stated and cook as normal.

 

[EricW]

Just for kicks, buy a cheap pork roast (.89/lb) last I looked. Have the meat dept. grind it for you. The pork will make a very tasty burger and it BBQ's better too. I bought a meat grinder from Cabelas that had a gizmo on the end that you slide back and fourth as it fills with meat. Makes a perfect patty in a hurry. I have ground everything under the sun. I like the pork meat the best. I buy whats on sale or close out and grind it. Easy cleanup and great food.

I just fired up a Treager (wood pellet fired grill) today, 5 steaks and Italian suasage so far, I think this grill is gonna be the bomb. I'm trying a couple prime ribs on Saturday, can't wait.

 

[Blu Du]

take a slice of onion pop the center out of it and form your patty around the slice of onion. good stuff

 

[mysledblows]

I like to use 73% for burgers. Start out making the patties about 1/3 to 1/2 pound. Press it out to about 1 - 1 1/2 inch thick. Press your thumb into the middle of them to make a little divot. This will help keep them from swelling up. Throw them on a hot grill, medium heat. Let sit for a a couple minutes and then rotate 1/4 turn (makes nice grill marks). Couple more min and flip. Then rotate like first side. For those that like them cooked a little more I turn down one burner, slide them over there and indirect heat so that they don't flare up and burn. Season however you want/whenever you want. Works for me and my clan

 

[CADman]

Like EricW, I have a Traeger grill also. Awesome for grilling, BBQ and smoking. Over Memorial day, smoked 8 full racks for 8 hours. DELICIOUS! We grilled out some blue cheese burgers, very good also. Also, I'd do some searching for different receipes.

I also have a Weber charcoal grill. Haven't used it since I purchased my Traeger.

Now, if you own a gas grill, thats just sad.

 

[Bubba700]

I use as lean as I can get usually 93% and what ever I season or mix into it I makes sure I add white/brown sugar. A chef I used to elk hunt with got me doing it, what it does is sorta caramelize a thin layer on the outside that helps to keep all of the moisture in the burger. This works on steaks too. You end up with really juicy food to grub on.