You can't beat a great burger for simplicity and satisfaction. Almost everyone loves this iconic American favorite. It's convenient, filling, and portable. Could anyone improve the juicy beef burger we've all grown to love? You bet!
Revamping an All-American Favorite Burgers are so quick to make, why would you go out to buy them! Especially since making them yourself means you can control the quality of meat and customize the flavorings. There is a huge range of delicious and imaginative ways one can get creative with the burger. What's important is that are made from a few quality ingredients, cooked quickly, and served up as freash as can be.
How to Make the Best Burger Ever Of course, the actual filling is the key element to any great burger. Let's take a look at how to ensure the best burger ever. Here are tips for choosing, preparing and making burgers:
Meat Burgers
Because burgers are cooked for just a short time and because only a few ingredients are used, the flavor of the meat is imporant. For the best burger ever, choose the best meat possible. No need to buy the most expensive cut of meat, just something tasty. For beef, use skirt, shin, or chuck. When using lamb or pork, shoulder or leg works well.
Want your burger juicy? Stick with meat that is 20% fat. If you go too lean, your burger will be dry and crumbly.
Coarsly grind the meat. If it's ground too fine, the burger will fall apart and have an unpleasant texture.
Always chill the meat before handling. Quickly add flavoring ingredients and handle as little as possible. Go ahead and use your hands! It's the most effective way to get everything mixed together.
When shaping the burger, wet your hands. It will keep the meat from sticking to them.
Form a ball without squeezing, rolling between both hands. Then flatten gently on the palm of one hand to about 1 inch thick. Neaten the edges so they don't break when cooked.
Once formed, place the burgers on a cookie sheet or plater and return to the refrigerator. They should be chilled before cooking.
Fish Burgers
Buy the very freshest fish fillets. Remove the skin and check carefully for bones. Chill well.
Fish can be mixed to a coarse paste in a food processor or chopped finely by hand. This depends on preference for texture.
Drain well before mixing in ingredients, as fish can give off liquid. Shape as for meat burgers and chill until firm.
Cooking fish burgers requires care, so follow the cooking instructions very closely.
Vegetable Burgers
Making vegetarian burgers is so creative! Ingredients such as lentils and a variety of beans, millet and other grains, all sorts of nuts, even cottage and goat cheese all make fantastic burgers.
The trick to making good vegetable burgers is to make certain the consistency is right. Adding a binding ingredient, such as bread crumbs or an egg, will help hold the burger together during cooking.
It's easy to mix everything in a food processor or blender. Once mixed, shape as for meat burgers and cook according to recipe directions.
