Better Hamburgers Come From Better Beef

Last year, I blogged about my homemade griddle burgers. I typically go for cold-in-the-center-rare burgers, but there’s something just as enjoyable about a crispy, well charred, griddle burger. As you probably know, I can get a little methodical when it comes to quantifying perfection. As part of my mania, I’ve been experimenting with different beef ratios for burgers over the past year. I recently ground my own mixture of 60% boneless rib meat to 40% chuck steak, seasoned with a healthy sprinkling of kosher salt and coarse-ground pepper. I paid about $9.00 for 1½ pounds of meat, which resulted in four 1/3 pound patties that cost around $2.25 each. That’s roughly double the price of the same amount of pre-ground chuck, but the difference in quality more than justifies the added expense.

The beefy taste of these burgers was so bold that it almost seemed fake, as if I had added some bouillon powder or something. It’s definitely worth a try if you’re already going to the hassle of grinding your own meat. The fat content was perfect and the texture was the best I’ve ever eaten in a well done burger.

I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures of the finished product. This reminds me of when I stumbled across the perfect meatloaf recipe. I was shocked at my own success, and I blogged about it only as an afterthought so I wouldn’t forget what I had done right.

I’ll replicate these burgers soon and post some better pictures. Check back in a few weeks.

If you already own a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and you want to try grinding your own meat, the grinder attachement is only $50. For tips on how to get the best results out of your grinder, click here: Homemade Sausage

Better Hamburgers Come From Better Beef
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