How to make a better home cooked hamburger ?

[Coelacanth]

Let's add that a proper cheeseburger must have the cheese cooking and melting ON the burger WHILE it's barbecuing...and not simply slapped on top after it's done!

 

[moparedtn]

After years of fussing about how the regional stores had lost quality in their ground beef (and don't get me started
on how bad things have gotten with any of the fast food joints), my wife decided to call my bluff and get me a
grinder attachment for our old school KitchenAid monster.
That rascal typically sits on a remote shelf in the pantry - it weighs a ton (commercial vs. the ones they sell for
a fortune at the stores these days) and honestly, I don't have much use for it, other than for when I bake her a cake
for her birthday every year.

Well, that grinder has turned out to be quite the companion to my heavy stainless grille/griddle....
My current favorite grind is about 3/4 chuck to 1/4 ribeye or sirloin.
Holy cow, what a revelation that has been - burgers that taste like friggin burgers, not like whatever the butcher
had left over off the floor that day. About a half pound or slightly less...
Proper American or Extra Sharp Cheese (nothing that says "Kraft" on it!) and cooked on the griddle.
Oversize buns made in the store bakery, toasted and buttered right on the same griddle at the same time...

Wife likes nothing but the meat and cheese, bare otherwise.
I'm the other end of the condiment/topping spectrum - but nothing but beef meat-wise.
Oh....and I'm also big on the process of making twice-fried french fries, too.
Hey - ain't no half-assing going on around here.

 

[toolmanmike]

After years of fussing about how the regional stores had lost quality in their ground beef (and don't get me started
on how bad things have gotten with any of the fast food joints), my wife decided to call my bluff and get me a
grinder attachment for our old school KitchenAid monster.
That rascal typically sits on a remote shelf in the pantry - it weighs a ton (commercial vs. the ones they sell for
a fortune at the stores these days) and honestly, I don't have much use for it, other than for when I bake her a cake
for her birthday every year.

Well, that grinder has turned out to be quite the companion to my heavy stainless grille/griddle....
My current favorite grind is about 3/4 chuck to 1/4 ribeye or sirloin.
Holy cow, what a revelation that has been - burgers that taste like friggin burgers, not like whatever the butcher
had left over off the floor that day. About a half pound or slightly less...
Proper American or Extra Sharp Cheese (nothing that says "Kraft" on it!) and cooked on the griddle.
Oversize buns made in the store bakery, toasted and buttered right on the same griddle at the same time...

Wife likes nothing but the meat and cheese, bare otherwise.
I'm the other end of the condiment/topping spectrum - but nothing but beef meat-wise.
Oh....and I'm also big on the process of making twice-fried french fries, too.
Hey - ain't no half-assing going on around here.

Sounds delicious. Been there growing up on the farm.

 

[kiwigtx]

Let's add that a proper cheeseburger must have the cheese cooking and melting ON the burger WHILE it's barbecuing...and not simply slapped on top after it's done!

I like to do that too.

 

[moparedtn]

Sounds delicious. Been there growing up on the farm.

One thing about grinding your own - at least you know what's in it.

 

[440 4 speed]

Grew up in a rural area. Always had moose for the year. Maintain that my teeth are quite good because we ate a lot of tough old bulls.
Mom would take steaks flour them and cook them in a pressure cooker. My parents grew up in the era that everything except fowl had to be cooked so that if you cooked it on a barbecue it had to shatter if you dropped it.
I did a lot of hand grinding moose to make hamburger. Also hand separated cream from our Jersey cow Betty.
Dad baby sat me on hunting moose when I was 13. We walked 3 miles in a straight cut line then started the serious hunt. I have fond memories of those days and years.
If you can imagine, we did have differences of opinions in the teenage years.
When he was in his late 60’s I managed to get him out of the forested area and hunt Antelope and Mule deer in a draw system. We managed to get our game.

 

[Sahara]

Ground venison and ground beef makes a good burger. I can actually just use venison and gently turn them over. Adding a little beef adds enough fat to hold them together.

Yup, only eat elk or deer meat, occasionally moose. All make terrific burgers. A little beef fat does help but if no beef fat they are still excellent. Our old butcher used to make wieners from elk meat that were to die for. I’m currently trying to find another butcher that will make them for us.

 

[kiwigtx]

Let's add that a proper cheeseburger must have the cheese cooking and melting ON the burger WHILE it's barbecuing...and not simply slapped on top after it's done!

I might even drop a couple of slices of pineapple on the grille just to give them some colour.

 

[kiwigtx]

As promised.....pictures.

WARNING : Pictures contain glimpses of grilled pineapple.

 

[kiwigtx]

Damn...they were awesome.

 

[Kern Dog]

I'd try one but I'm not expecting to like it.
I've adopted a new mindset about meals, especially when eating at a restaurant....This isn't the last meal I'll ever eat.
Why not try new things?

 

[kiwigtx]

I'd try one but I'm not expecting to like it.
I've adopted a new mindset about meals, especially when eating at a restaurant....This isn't the last meal I'll ever eat.
Why not try new things?

I bet you haven't tried a burger with pineapple yet Greg. Trust me, you will enjoy it.

Unless you really dispise beetroot - that helps makes the carnival of flavour in every bite.
Fried egg is optional here....I prefer not to as I am not a big egg eater. But I have tried it.

I forgot to say that there is also some nice mayonnaise on that top bun ...along with 3 x slices of pickled gherkin.

The 'ketchup' we use is actually a tomato chutney - very popular small family run business over here for over 100 years. Fred Whitlock. It is the same as the sauce that is on corn-dogs at shows.... we call it Carni-sauce. Way better than the runny stuff normally dished up.

 

[Kern Dog]

Oh, heck...I guess I'll have to give it a try and report on my findings.

 

[Sahara]

I’ll add a bit to what Greg and Kiwi are talking about. We use pickles but quality dills, sliced thin. For cheese I use sharp old cheddar, not those horrible processed slices. I find it works better grated, not sliced. So we grate the cheddar, then sprinkle it on top towards the end of grilling. We use it to glue down the thin slices of jalapeño pepper. And the buns lightly toasted. Damn, I’m getting hungry just writing this.
As for avocados, I like them chopped and tossed in a salad, or mushed on toast, or in a good guacamole. We don’t buy them a lot up here because they are three dollars EACH at the store. In Mexico they are everywhere.

 

[MarPar]

After years of fussing about how the regional stores had lost quality in their ground beef (and don't get me started
on how bad things have gotten with any of the fast food joints), my wife decided to call my bluff and get me a
grinder attachment for our old school KitchenAid monster.
That rascal typically sits on a remote shelf in the pantry - it weighs a ton (commercial vs. the ones they sell for
a fortune at the stores these days) and honestly, I don't have much use for it, other than for when I bake her a cake
for her birthday every year.

Well, that grinder has turned out to be quite the companion to my heavy stainless grille/griddle....
My current favorite grind is about 3/4 chuck to 1/4 ribeye or sirloin.
Holy cow, what a revelation that has been - burgers that taste like friggin burgers, not like whatever the butcher
had left over off the floor that day. About a half pound or slightly less...
Proper American or Extra Sharp Cheese (nothing that says "Kraft" on it!) and cooked on the griddle.
Oversize buns made in the store bakery, toasted and buttered right on the same griddle at the same time...

Wife likes nothing but the meat and cheese, bare otherwise.
I'm the other end of the condiment/topping spectrum - but nothing but beef meat-wise.
Oh....and I'm also big on the process of making twice-fried french fries, too.
Hey - ain't no half-assing going on around here.

Ed-If you haven't tried it yet, grind 1/3 chuck, 1/3 sirloin and 1/3 brisket. For me, the perfect mix.

 

[MarPar]

I’ll add a bit to what Greg and Kiwi are talking about. We use pickles but quality dills, sliced thin. For cheese I use sharp old cheddar, not those horrible processed slices. I find it works better grated, not sliced. So we grate the cheddar, then sprinkle it on top towards the end of grilling. We use it to glue down the thin slices of jalapeño pepper. And the buns lightly toasted. Damn, I’m getting hungry just writing this.
As for avocados, I like them chopped and tossed in a salad, or mushed on toast, or in a good guacamole. We don’t buy them a lot up here because they are three dollars EACH at the store. In Mexico they are everywhere.

I like my avocados very simply. A drizzle of high quality olive oil and salt.

 

[moparedtn]

Ed-If you haven't tried it yet, grind 1/3 chuck, 1/3 sirloin and 1/3 brisket. For me, the perfect mix.

Yeah, that's what I've read. Once at the store, I did some quick math at the meat display and decided that
such a blend sort of defeated the whole point of hamburger to begin with, pricewise.

 

[moparedtn]

I don't need to try either pineapple or avocado on a burger (or pizza, for that matter) to know that neither
has any damn business on them.

 

[MarPar]

Yeah, that's what I've read. Once at the store, I did some quick math at the meat display and decided that
such a blend sort of defeated the whole point of hamburger to begin with, pricewise.

It's not always about the money

 

[khryslerkid]

This cutie would kill me, in more than one way. She has some good ideas with sandwiches.