Every summer, it seems, burger lovers vow that this will be the year they will perfect their burger-making skills and burger recipes. Well, listen up, burger lovers. It’s that time of year again, and to help jump-start summer grilling resolutions, chef Bobby Flay shared all of his burger secrets. Flay knows a thing or two about burgers, judging from the crowds at his Bobby’s Burger Palace restaurants.
Burgers have a tendency to swell up like a football as they cook. The edges of a patty cook faster than its center, causing the meat to puff up as it shrinks. You can avoid this problem through a few easy techniques, like pressing down on the raw burger patties with your thumb or by smashing them flat.
Get the temperature just right
“To me, a perfect beef burger is pink and juicy in the middle and cooked somewhere between medium-rare and medium which is about an internal temperature of 145 degrees,” said Flay.
Note that the USDA recommends cooking ground beef until it reaches an internal temperature of 160˚F for safety reasons. “For those who are very young or very old, pregnant or have compromised immune systems, they should definitely have their burgers cooked well-done,” he added.
Here’s a cheat sheet to total approximate cooking times:
Rare: 6 minutes
Medium rare: 7 minutes
Medium: 8 minutes
Medium-well: 9 minutes
Well-done: 11 minutes
Make a thumbprint in the middle of the patty
Using a thumb, make a deep depression in the center of each patty to keep the burger from puffing up and bulging in the center. Otherwise, “It plumps up like a football and people smash it down. That’s the last thing you want to do,” Flay said. This technique “fakes out the burger,” he said, and the patty ends up taking the exact shape you want.
Keep Burgers From Balling Up
FAQ
How do you keep hamburger patties flat?
How do you keep burgers from bloating?
Why do my burgers bulge?
How do you keep hamburger patties from falling apart?
Another way to keep your hamburger patties from falling apart is to add binders. Binders are ingredients that help hold the meat together and keep it from crumbling. There are a few different binders you can use, but my personal favorite is an egg. Adding an egg to your mixture will act as a binder and help keep your patties together.
How to make a healthy burger?
There are different ways to make a healthy burger. Traditional bread can be replaced by wholemeal bread or skillet bread rich in fiber or other similar preparations. The sauce used can be a homemade avocado sauce or beet hummus for example. Meat can be prepared at home with ground beef and natural seasonings or you can use shredded chicken breast or canned tuna. Lettuce, tomato and onion are also welcome and a healthy burger.
How do you keep burgers moist?
4️⃣ Use a higher fat content: A higher fat content in your burger mix will help to keep the burgers moist and prevent them from shrinking too much. A mixture of 80% lean meat to 20% fat is best. Add some extra ground beef, or substitute in some ground pork or lamb for higher fat content.
How do you keep burgers from shrinking during cooking?
This will also help to keep them from shrinking during cooking. Make a dimple: Before cooking, use your thumb or the back of a spoon to make a small indentation or dimple in the center of each patty. This will help the burgers to cook evenly and prevent them from shrinking too much.