There are a lot of ways to
make a good hamburger patty. They can be made out of ground beef, pork, lamb,
sausage, turkey, or more. They can be stuffed full of garlic, cheese, spices,
peppers, or virtually anything small enough to fit inside. They can be mixed
into the ground meat, eggs, bread crumbs, cream, and everything but the kitchen
sink. Regardless of what is put inside (and simpler is usually better), it all
starts with making the perfect patty.
What I have here is a coarse
ground beef and some salt and pepper but you can choose any burger
recipe you want. I also prefer a high fat
content in the meat, something in the 85/15 range. Extremely lean meat will not
produce the flavor desired in a good burger. Of course, the higher the fat
content the more shrinkage of the patties will occur. Before getting started,
you will need to be aware of a few of things:
- Keep the meat cold as much as possible
- Do not over work the meat. Handle it as little as possible
- Keep your hands and work area clean
- Wash everything as soon as you are done
Ingredients:
· 1 lb
(454 g) lean ground beef
· 1 egg
· 2
tbsp (25 mL) water
· 1/4
cup (50 mL) dry bread crumbs
· 1
small onion, grated
· 2 tsp
(10 mL) Dijon mustard
· 1/2
tsp (2 mL) salt
· 1/2
tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce
· 1/4
tsp (1 mL) pepper
· 2 tbs
olive oil
Dividing the Meat
The size of the
patties should be determined by the size of the bread you will be putting them
on. Also remember that the higher the fat content of the meat the more the
patties will shrink as they cook. If you are using 85/15 lean/fat or higher,
make the patties larger than the buns, otherwise the same size as the buns will
work best.
Another thing to be aware of, is
that all the patties to be the same size so they cook at the same rate. If not,
you will end up with small overcooked burgers and large undercooked burgers. By
taking a ball of the ground meat and holding it in your hand you will get a
feel for the size and be able to make all the burgers the same size.
Shaping the Patties
So you have a ball of ground
meat in your hand. If you simply press the meat into a patty it will crack and
break up around the edges. What you want to do is press down in the middle and
in from the sides, turning the burger around in your hand until it is even and
uniform. It should be a solid disk of meat that is tightly compacted.
Depressing the Center
When hamburger patties cook,
they shrink. As they shrink the edges tend to break apart causing deep cracks
to form in the patty. To combat this you want the burger patty to be thinner in
the middle than it is around the edges. Slightly depress the center of the
patty to push a little extra meat towards the edges. This will give you an even
patty once it is cooked.
Seasoning the Patties
Now that the patties are formed,
it is time to season them the way you would a good steak. Remember that a good
burger isn't any different than any other piece of meat you are going to grill.
Since the ground meat has fat uniformly spread inside the meat you don't need
to oil the surface like you might with a pork chop, but a nice sprinkling of
herbs and spices will give you burger added flavor. Personally, I prefer just a
little salt and pepper, the same way I like my steaks.
Finished Hamburger
Patties
Once the patties are formed and
seasoned they are ready for the grill. I know people who like to prepare the
patties way ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator. You really don't
want your hamburger patties to spend too much time exposed to the air. If you
are not going to cook them right way then they need to be wrapped tightly,
otherwise they should hit the grill right away. Don't allow ground meat sit
around to grow bacteria.
To wrap burger patties, stack
them up with pieces of wax paper between each patty. Wrap tightly in foil and
refrigerate.
REFERENCES:
Read more: http://www.pinoyrecipe.net/filipino-beef-burger-recipe/#ixzz2vSbifZNe
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