What makes a good hamburger?

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   leroy64posted 12 years ago

   I am looking for opinions on what makes a good hamburger.  Fresh Buns, Meat and/or toppings.  What places are good?  Anyone know anything about In and Out Burgers or Twisted Root?   What about turkey burgers, bison burgers, elk burgers etc.?

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Bison burgers tend to be a bit dry as bison are much leaner than cattle.  Go for meat that has at least 2-4% fat or you'll get a dry burger. 
      
      I like mine topped with avocado slices or guacamole, pickles and Ezekiel bun.

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         leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Good point about bison meat.  There is a place here in Dallas that serves bison burgers.  They are pretty good.  When I make turkey burgers I work in some olive oil to counter the lack of fat.  Would that work for lean meat like Bison?

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            Nurfninjaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            At Ted's Montana grill they actually have fairly juicy bison burgers.  I was surprised.  It must be oil like you said.
            but who knows??

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      Pearldiverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I know you posted this 8 weeks ago.. and no doubt your buns are as stale as the thread.. but.. I reckon what really makes a great burger is that the meat doesn't Bark as you apply the mayo!

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   waynetposted 12 years ago

   Not ham, that's for sure lol!
   
   I always think that cheese and relish make the burger though

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      leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think I saw a diner somewhere that put ham on their burgers.  I don't remember much more than that.  I think I agree with you about the ham. 
      
      There is a jalapeno cheddar cheese I like to put on burgers.  Swiss and blue cheese can be good too.     
      
      What type of relish do you use?     I am not used to relish on burgers.

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   Arlene V. Pomaposted 12 years ago

   Jalapenos kill me.  But there's this grill near my home that serves pastrami kobe burgers.  It's a huge kobe burger served with a stack of pastrami and topped with a slice of cheese.  Your choice of cheese, of course.  Heart be still.  It takes over an hour to finish half of it.  But that's why they have a huge selection for the beer drinkers.  I settle for ice tea or old fashion root beer.  Helps washing the burger down!

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      leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Pastrami is a new topping for me.  Thin deli sliced, that might be an acceptable form of ham for a burger.   There are some diners that serve fried eggs on top of the burger.  Would that count as breakfast, if you include pastrami?

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   Wmod514posted 12 years ago

   Hey Leroy try this...Grind up corned beef about 1/3 with your ground beef about 2/3, patty it up and top it with swiss and thousand island. You can add a little kraut if you like...a reuben burger !! Sounds crazy but it's awesome !!

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      leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks!  Sounds great.  Deli taste on the grill.  I would not have thought of that.

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   freecampingaussieposted 12 years ago

   Toasting the bun , making sure the meat is cooked with onions, plenty of salad + sauce ! This was cooked on an open fire !
   
   

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      leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The bun looks different from what is common in the US.  What kind of bun is that?

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   Greek Oneposted 12 years ago

   ... a good wife

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      Nurfninjaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      A good wife makes sandwiches-a great wife grills hamburgers and gives foot massages.
      Too bad some great wives forget to wash their hands.
      
      ONION MEAT BUNION

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7. 65

   leroy64posted 12 years ago

   Duh!  That makes everything better.

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   habeeposted 12 years ago

   I think ground chuck makes the best homemade burgers. Of course, they need to be charcoal grilled and topped with caramelized onions and served on an onion roll!

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   leroy64posted 12 years ago

   Onion roll, good suggestion.  Charcoal grilling is fun.  Have you ever grilled in the snow?

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      habeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No, we only get snow about once every decade! lol

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    leroy64posted 12 years ago

    I have only had bison burgers once.  I think they mixed some pork into the patty.  Is Ted's Montana grill in Montana?  I 'd like to try and look it up.

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       Nurfninjaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       type in ted's montana grill into Google maps
       They only have one restaurant in Montana lol.

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    leroy64posted 12 years ago

    Funny!

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    Nurfninjaposted 12 years ago

    I am so proud of how witty that comment was. 
    I am also vain and hope other people can be my followers.

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    leroy64posted 12 years ago

    Good, healthy self promotion.  Nothing wrong with that; and, you have a knack for it.

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    Jason Limposted 12 years ago

    Everything that goes into a burger has to be good to make it good.
    
    Bread: Cannot be too rich, has to be equal to or smaller than the size of the patty, and not thicker than 2 inches
    
    Patty: Must be coarse ground at least twice, and only seasoned before cooking
    
    Toppings: Whatever floats your boat as long as its good
    
    Sauce: Mustard/Mayo/Ketchup/Whatever

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Good points.  A bun can make or break the burger.  I don't know many people that grind their own meat; but, you can ask the store meat clerk to do that.   You would have more luck with an actual butcher.

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    Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years ago

    Whole bun lightly toasted on the inside.
    Ground beef pattie about 1/2 pound of meat.
    Bacon
    Cheese
    Sliced tomatoe
    beetroot (yes beetroot)
    lettuce
    fried onions
    eggs, preferably two
    BBQ sauce
    
    Choice of eating with hands or with knife and fork

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Eating a burger with a knife and fork seems a little too refined for my taste.  I am not familiar with beetroot, so I will have to look into it.

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    calpol25posted 12 years ago

    
    
    I believe burger king make a good hamburger after what happened to Macdonalds.....
    
    
    

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I wonder what he did? 
       I used to work at Burger King a long time ago.  They do have a good burger in spite of the frozen patties they use.

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    Cassie Smithposted 12 years ago

    I like a mix of chuck and sirloin. More sirloin than chuck though because the chuck is there to keep the hamburger juicy while the sirloin gives great flavor.  I don't dress it up after I've grilled it on my george foreman grill. I just put it in a plain bun and I'm good to go.

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       The Forman grill is great; but, I tend to use mine to make grilled cheese sandwiches.  I will have to take a look at mixing chuck and sirloin.

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    twodawgsposted 12 years ago

    Just my opinion, of course, but when I make burgers, I must have REAL CHEDDAR cheese, not the processed stuff that you get on burger joint burgers.

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I have read some where that burger joints use processed cheese because it melts better.  I agree the taste of real cheddar is better.

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    MickeySrposted 12 years ago

    One of the most common mistakes I see people make is to tightly pack and form the patty, which will make it tough and chewy - if you handle it as little as possible, shape as loose as you and and let the frying bind it and keep it intact (and don't push down on it as it's cooking) you will have a much juicier, more tender burger. Also, set the patty in a hot pan and don't touch it until it's ready to flip . . . then turn the heat down lower until it's fully cooked (med/rare)this seals in the juices and flavor.
    
    Now, I'm from California so I grew-up with Mayonnaise, lettuce, onions, etc - but sometimes the most enjoyable burger I have is; cook the burger as above, butter the bun and grill it to oldened brown under the broiler, heavily salt and pepper the burger (preferable sea salt), and top with nothing but pickles . . . extra dill pickles. The acidity of the pickles cuts the fat of the burger and the heavy salt & pepper cuts the creamy richness of the butter - it's a very nice combination when you're really in the mood for a beefy (rather than an elaborately topped) burger.
    
    . . . however, nothing beats a perfectly ripe avocado and crispy bacon with good mayonnaise.

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Nice tips on using a griddle or pan.   Some times here in Texas we forget we don't have to use the charcoal grill.  The last combination of avocados, bacon and mayonnaise is one of my favorites,  My avocados are usually in the form of freshly made guacamole.

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    schoolgirlforrealposted 12 years ago

    Lots of topppings
    
    pickles and chips too
    
    tomato and onion very important

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Are you saying that you put chips on the burger?  I have heard about people doing that.   Is there a crunch factor?

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          schoolgirlforrealposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          yes lol
          but I meant on the side

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             leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

             I think I might try placing some potato chips on my burger next time I make them.

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                mom101posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                leroy
                
                have you ever tried just a tater chip sandwich?
                
                tater chips n mayonaise.   its good stuff

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                   leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   I have not tried that, yet.

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          schoolgirlforrealposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          yes lol
          but I meant on the side

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    iloveglee83posted 12 years ago

    I use a combo of ground trukey and ground beef or ground turkey and ground chicken depending on what I am in the mood for and I alway put in the lipton onion soup mix in my meat for seasoning along with garlic and some peper. Then I make them into patties (however big you want them) and then grill them, not  pan fry or bake. You can use a foreman grill as well if it is to cold outsie. That is how I make my burgers LOL

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I have not tried to mix beef and poultry before.  I have used pork and turkey.   The soup mix sounds interesting  I wonder if there are any other prepared  mixes people use.

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    jenuboukaposted 12 years ago

    prime quality ground beef with a high fat content, that is what gives it flavor. The less you handle the beef the better.  I prefer to pan fry my burgers this creates a nice golden crust sealing in all the flavor of the beef.
    Did you know it is actually taboo to put ketchup on your burger?

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Don't tell Burger King.

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Sorry I cut that short.
       I used to work at Burger King.  I think they did exactly the opposite of what you wrote.  Preformed frozen patties, a chain conveyor belt oven, and ketchup spiraling from the outer edges to the center.  Consider that proof that your way is much better.

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          jenuboukaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks leroy64, so now I have to ask.....how the heck to they create that smoke bellowing out of the roof that smells "broiled"?
          You know who I think is worse than burger king is Red Robin..They use a tvp mixture in the beef which blows my mind considering the burger is over 10 bucks!

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             leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

             I have no clue about the smoke at Burger King.  I assume they have to vent the 800 degree "broiler" and the deep fryers.  I wouldn't put it past them to augment the odor of the smoke to draw people in. 
              
             I not familiar with Red Robin.  i see the ads; but, there isn't one near me.   Anything like Chili's or TGI Fridays?

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                jenuboukaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                What!! No Red Robin?  Yea they could classify or relate to Chilli's or TGIF's.  They have a variety of types to choose from and before I boycotted the place I would always get the same thing, I just now make them at home.

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    Arlene V. Pomaposted 12 years ago

    leroy, if anyone makes a hamburger for me, I will be so grateful that I will consider it a good hamburger.  As far as jenubouka goes, I only expect top stuff from her.   Lately, I've been frequenting a local place in Sacramento that sells exotic meat burgers.  I do like the kobe burgers with pastrami stacked on top.  I have tried the elk, bison, and ostrich burgers, but these days, I've been sticking to the kobe/pastrami burgers.  And designer root beer on the side.

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Designer root beer?  You got my attention.   
       There is a place in Oklahoma that makes its own root beer; but, they stick with beef on burgers.
       
       The comment to Jenubouka was in reference to Burger King's use of ketchup on their burgers.  (I worked their when I was in high school.)  I might not have been clear about what I was talking about.

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       jenuboukaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Ahh thanks Arlene, Kobe burgers are the absolutely best thing that can come between a bun!

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    twodawgsposted 12 years ago

    Since you asked in your original post about good burger places, there are a couple that I know of in Kansas.  One is in Wichita, called Bionic Burger.  They should have named it Heavenly Burger, because that's what they taste like.
    
    The other is a little hole in the wall joint in Salina that's been there since 1922, called the Cozy Inn.  They make little palm-sized burgers, called sliders, that you buy by the dozen.  When you go there, you just cannot believe the smell, it's overwhelmingly intoxicating.
    
    I believe one of the secrets of both these joints is, they cook their burgers with onions.

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks.  I have only been to Kansas once, and I did not have time to stop for food.  Onions are a great way to add flavor.

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       jenuboukaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Do they have a website?  Yum yum!  The best burger I have discovered in Eastern Wa is at the Gorge Amphitheater, the bun, the meat, and I think they use onions like you said.
       In Seattle there is the "every thang" burger at Lake Union, it literally takes a hack saw to cut.

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          twodawgsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Yes, they do, I should have thought of that!
          
          Bionic Burger:  http://bionic-burger.com/index.htm
          Cozy Inn:  http://cozyburger.com/

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             leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

             I love it!  Bionic Burger was founded by someone named Steve Majors.
             Great links.

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    rbe0posted 12 years ago

    Throw some nyquil in with your ground beef. The liquid licoricey flavor seeps into the flavor of your delicious burgers.

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       rbe0posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       This is your burger on nyquil.
       
       

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          leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Intriguing; but, I think I will stick with fennel seeds to get the licorice taste.

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             rbe0posted 12 years agoin reply to this

             Nothing will ever replace the delicious flavors infused by a proper NyQuil marinade.

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                leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                lol

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    Claudia Telloposted 12 years ago

    It’s a combination of everything:
    Fresh homemade bun,
    Some fresh produce has to go in it, I always like tomato instead of ketchup and lettuce, or thinly cut cabbage is really nice too, it adds crunchiness, which is always lovely
    Char grilled meat is always better and it has to be JUICY
    Mustard is THE most important condiment
    Jalapenos are a plus
    
    Just yesterday I saw "The F Word" program with Chef Gordon Ramsey? He made char grilled hamburgers, preparing the meat with chopped red onion, old fashioned Dijon mustard, Tabasco and worcestershire sauce. Then he melted buffalo mozzarella on top and ate them with a white bread bun. My mouth just melted and I am neither big hamburger nor big meat eater.  I found them very special.

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I agree with your first sentence.
       
       I like to use fresh baby spinach instead of lettuce on my burgers.  For some reason I have never liked tomatoes on burgers; but, a fresh grown tomato is good by itself.

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    manlypoetrymanposted 12 years ago

    
    
    Slightly toasted, plus
    Slightly buttery kaiser roll
    X-tra lean burger medium well,
    with mesquite smoked flavor
    grilled with onions
    lettuce crisp
    cold tomatoe slice
    touch of mayo
    deli mustard
    pickled jalepanos
    Kosher dill chip slices
    topped with mild cheddar or
    pepper jack slice
    hint of blue cheese dressing (optional)
    
    Homemade burger supreme!

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    SmartAndFunposted 12 years ago

    There's a meat market here in my town that grinds bacon and mixes it into the hamburger meat. The results are juciy and delicious! I agree with others that a great hamburger also needs to be grilled over a charcoal fire. I'm not a big bread lover; I prefer the whole-grain thin sandwhich rounds that are out now as opposed to a thick, fluffy bun.

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    leroy64posted 12 years ago

    I can see where grinding bacon into the meat would help the juiciness and the flavor.  I will have to try the sandwich rounds.

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    prettydarkhorseposted 12 years ago

    charcoal grilled is good, a fresh large slices of tomato, crisp lettuce and pickle are good addition

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       You are into classics.

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    Marla Roseposted 12 years ago

    I say go for leaner meat such as sirloin or chuck with 5-7 % of fat or you will wind up with a dry burger!  I don't know much about Bison or Elk burgers.  What's a burger without a little Worcestershire sauce?  I eat my burger with muchrooms, avocado, onions and bacon on a Whole Foods oatmeal or wheat bun.
    
    In and Out Burgers I heard by my son were very delicious!  Too bad they don't have any In and Out Burgers on the East Coast.

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       leroy64posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       We have an In and Out burger here but the lines are ridiculously long.  They must be good.    Is the Avocado sliced?  I usually turn my avocados into Guacamole before I place it on a hamburger.   
       
       Meat like bison and Elk is naturally lean.  You have to work extra with it to avoid a dry burger.  There is a butcher shop/cafe in a small town near me that serves bison.  They mix a small amount of pork with the bison.

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    mdwposted 12 years ago

    I found this great hamburger spice from a company called prima spices.

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