I know some of you must grill burgers every now and then, as do I with some buddies. My basic question is what leanness of the meat do you use and what do you think is best? Generally we will use something like 80/20; but I just got some 90/10 the other day (thought I would try it out cus it is a little healthier) and am gonna give those a shot this evening. I know that more fat = jucier/flavorful and less prone to fall apart on the grill, but anyone ever cooked with 90/10? Any tips I should know, other than that fact that from what I've heard, it is generally drier, unless of course I can make it moister somehow

 

For ground beef for burgers, you want a bit more fat...it makes the burger more tasty and less "dry".

90/10 not good for burger IMHO.

BTW....when you form the burger patty, push your thumb into the top center of the patty (make a divot).....when you put it on the grille....the burger always likes to "expand" a bit....with the "divot", the burger will expand less into a ball and stay more like a patty shape........I never believed this to be true until I tried it...and it works.

 

what would you consider 'a bit more fat'? 75/25? 80/20?

 

90/10 is gonna give you a very dried out burger. Unless you eat them rare, you gotta go 80/20.

And to the divot in the burger. I learned that on tv and it definitely makes a difference if you have thick burgers.

 

Ahhh, and I thought I knew it all when it came to grilling. Good Tip!

If you're gonna use 90/10 I might suggest a thin coating of olive oil around the patty.

 

Some other tips:

Don't overmix or overhandle the meat. It makes the meat tougher.

Storing them in the fridge after forming the patties (like an hour) helps keep them from falling apart.

I prefer salt and pepper on the outside of the patties rather than spicing the meat and than forming the patties. It creates a nice crust.

Flip the patties ONLY ONCE! AND DO NOT SQUEEZE THE PATTIES WITH THE SPATULA. I cry a little on the inside when I see this done.

 

you can always add some liquid into your ground beef mixture... like water or beer.

Then tent your meats after grilling..

 

good points. maybe pour a little beer on it when its on the grill?

also yea we usually put salt/pepper on it, but that is never my job. will be today though, how much do you put on them?

 

I think it's better if it's mixed in.. you don't need that much few tablespoons per pound.

If you pour some on while it's on the grill.. it'll just evaporate once it hits the hot surface.

 

80/20 maybe 85/15 but don't overcook. When you make your patties press in the center on both sides. This should help them not ball up as you cook them, let them sit out about 20-30 minutes before you cook them. I forget this part sometimes, you don't cold meat from the fridge on the grill. Season both sides with salt and pepper, you can also put a little oil on both sides to get a little crust if you like.

 

I try to stick to around 80/20...I've used a 75/25 Kobe burger before and it was the best thing I've tasted.

Takes a little while to get used to your grill and how long to cook each side.

 

We grilled 90/10 yesterday. Seasoned them with salt/pepper/some hamburger seasoning. They honestly came out really good. Did not fall apart on the grill, did not ball up (and I even forgot about the divot in the middle), and they actually were decently juicy; not dried out at all.

 

I've read a couple of times now that if you go leaner than 85/15, they start mixing in "undesirable" parts of the cow to make it that lean. I dunno how true it is, but I've stuck with 80/20 since. Bison burgers are also mighty fine.

 

% of lean meat / % of fat. so 75/25 is a fattier ground beef which theoretically will be more juicy.

really depends on what kind of lean meat they use and how long you cook them for.

-temper the patties before grilling (~30 min)
-season both sides
-flip once
-do not press patties
-let rest for 2-5mins and serve

if you have the means, then grind your own meat. that way you know exactly what is going into.

 

When I made my own....80/20 was the way to go.

Now I just grill a Bubba.