[Cody Dawg]

What exactly IS that "natural flavoring"? (Salmonella?)

[Stradlater]

Originally Posted by tooki

All the ground chicken and turkey (both loose and in patty form) i've ever seen sold in this country, regardless of whether a regular store or a fancypants natural foods store, has "natural flavoring added".

tooki

Yeah? Interesting. I'll have to look into what I've been getting.

Cody: I'll report back after reading the ingredients list. Actually: probably not, I'll almost definitely forget

I wonder how home-ground turkey burgers would compare.

[KeriVit]

Originally Posted by Stradlater

1. Premade patties are...just not as good.
2. Freezing them takes away a little (not much, but a little) from the final product, but it's an even worse idea to put them on the grill before they properly thaw.

Then you obviously have not tried Bubba Burgers. I was very surprised and now it's all we buy.
Can't beat convenient, fast and GOOD.
http://www.bubba-burger.com/

[Cody Dawg]

Why wouldn't you want to just make your own burgers?

Seriously?

I would rather have a fresh - never frozen - burger over a processed and prepackaged burger any day, no offense.



People are always trying to save time and cooking is one area of family life that they shouldn't. It's a good bonding and catching-up time. Plus, it's healthier to cook your own food, fun, and part of a good family social time. We get everyone involved in our supper/dinner cooking time with one person making salad...another one doing something else...it's the ONE time of the day that we all come together as a family.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Stradlater

1. Premade patties are...just not as good.
2. Freezing them takes away a little (not much, but a little) from the final product, but it's an even worse idea to put them on the grill before they properly thaw.

3. Do NOT pack your burgers tightly. In fact, shape them as gently and loosely as possible to ensure the juiciest, tenderest burgers you'll ever have and without even the masking taste of worcestershire.

I definitely agree with you about premade and frozen not being as good, but if you just need a simple burger in 5 minutes, it's a lot easier. But my roommates and I generally have enough time so we usually make our own burgers. I understand what you're saying about not packing them too tight, just tight enough that they won't fall through.

[KeriVit]

I'm with you on that. Really. Just found these to taste so good, I was amazed.
Living in an RV, there is a small amt. of space for prep. So frequently, when we want a quick meal. It's the perfect fit. I never would have bought these in the past until I tried one that a neighbor made. I was the queen of making the perfect mix for a burger and hand-forming them just so.

Bubba Burgers are a little pricey, (about $8 for 6 1/3 lb. burgers) but their forming and freezing technique makes them stand head and shoulders above frozen counterparts.

[IceEnclosure]

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

Bubba makes my burgers generally.

Bubba takes good care of me. I love me a good "house burger", but I don't always have the time or motivation to make em. So I go see Bubba.

Vidalia Bros. Onion burgers are great also, just like Bubba.

[andi*pandi]

I tried bubba burgers last month. They were pretty darn good for frozen, and they didn't grill down into a thin hockey puck like other frozen/premade burgers do.

I do like handmade, but for a crowd, well that's what costco is for.

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi

I tried bubba burgers last month. They were pretty darn good for frozen, and they didn't grill down into a thin hockey puck like other frozen/premade burgers do.

I do like handmade, but for a crowd, well that's what costco is for.

Yup, or GFS. Buy a 3-1 case for parties, pretty damn good frozen alternative; and the price is right.

[moonmonkey]

My hamburger recipe,

400 G of minced beef (we use Australian or Brazilian beef here, but scottish aberdeen angus is the ideal if you can get it) The beef should be quite lean, but a bit of fat is no problem.

1 large onion minced or grated

1 egg

Pepper to taste

Mix all together and make into balls then flatten into burgers.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.

When you are ready heat up a flat pan with a little high temperature oil (peanut or canola)

Brush the burgers with worcestershire sauce and cook hot without moving them about to much, only really need to turn once.

Very simple but the worcestershire sauce adds a nice salty caramel exterior to the burger, they hold their shape very well but have a fantastic texture when you eat them.

[micahthompson]

My Burger recipe is pretty simple, you marinate the patties in Cholula or Tapatio hot sauce, then spice them with garlic salt, pepper, and Lawry's Seasoning salt, maybe a little mrs Dash.

heres the best grilled dessert ever:

1. Buy some apples, basically anything but Granny Smith works.

2. Clean & core the apples

3. Make a bag out of foil big enough for one apple in each bag. Bags tend to work a lot better than wrapping the apple.

3. Put about 4 tablespoons of butter, 1/8 cup of brown sugar, and some cinnamon in the bag in the middle of the apple.

4. Close the bag up and throw it on the grill, since the butter liquifies and boils, you can cook to as soft as you want. Pull it off, open the pouch, you can drain the sauce if you want, you'll only need some of it.

5. I prefer to serve it chopped in half, put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it, and drizzle some off the sauce on the ice cream.

You can play with the portions, I kinda just guessed because I don't have an exact recipe

[bradoesch]

I used to think the best way to BBQ burgers was on low but lately I've been attempting to perfect my searing technique. They are much better with all the juices trapped inside. Yum.

[micahthompson]

Burgers are best with dark beer. Thats my revelation for the holiday weekend.

[SVass]

Let me suggest the following:
http://www.lecreuset.com/usa/product...category_id=17
Get it hot and throw the burger on. (You must oil it properly and NEVER use detergent for cleaning.) I have one and it is great. sam

[tooki]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

My hamburger recipe,

400 G of minced beef (we use Australian or Brazilian beef here, but scottish aberdeen angus is the ideal if you can get it) The beef should be quite lean, but a bit of fat is no problem.

1 large onion minced or grated

1 egg
...
Very simple but the worcestershire sauce adds a nice salty caramel exterior to the burger, they hold their shape very well but have a fantastic texture when you eat them.

Once there's egg in it, it's not a burger, it's a meatball or meat loaf mix, just in patty shape.

Not necessarily bad, but not a burger.

tooki

[pooka]

Alright, grilled some bison burgers this weekend. Turned out pretty good. For the life of me I still can not perfect the texture I've been searching for. It's driving me crazy. Loosely packed, tightly packed, and everything in-between... still not what I want. How do these two-bit Bennigan's spinoff joints make such damn good burgers? Are they using minced beef? Minced rat?

Now you may disagree with me on the quality, but there is just something about their meat texture that is pretty nice. How do restaurants do it?

[Gossamer]

I tried Cody's veggie and rice recipe: half a charcoal steak (about .6 lbs) sliced into cubes, three red potatoes sliced, some of those green stalk onions minced, and some carrots sliced. Sauteed them together and poured it over rice, it was really good. I added some flavor enhancer, seasoning salt, garlic and peppercorn flavoring, soy sauce, all kinds of fun stuff.
I'm with you on the searing burgers too. I had probably the best burger ever today. I took 1/3 lb of 80% lean (i'm poor!) and added some of those onions, some flavor enhancer, and some worcestershire sauce. Mixed it by hand and did NOT pack it tightly, just enough that it wouldn't fall apart. Put them on a hot grill at a fairly high temp. Flipped once, with a couple minutes left put a buttered bun on the grill and cheese on the burger. It was amazing!

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by tooki

Once there's egg in it, it's not a burger, it's a meatball or meat loaf mix, just in patty shape.

Not necessarily bad, but not a burger.

tooki

I think you are wrong, who told you this?

The egg is just a binder to keep the meat together, I shall fight this until my dying breath.

[awaspaas]

Last week I made some burgers stuffed with spinach, mozzarella, and basil pesto - best burgers ever! I'll look for the recipe...

[greenamp]

Just remember to NEVER squash your burgers down with your grilling spatula. Once you set them on the grill don't touch them again until flipping time.

[awaspaas]

And only flip ONCE.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

I think you are wrong, who told you this?

The egg is just a binder to keep the meat together, I shall fight this until my dying breath.

I've read enough cookbooks and stuff to know this. Hamburgers don't use binders. Meatloaves and meatballs do.

tooki

[torsoboy]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

I think you are wrong, who told you this?

The egg is just a binder to keep the meat together, I shall fight this until my dying breath.

I agree... we add an egg to ours as well and NEVER have a problem with them falling apart. You can also not taste the egg when it is mixed into a bunch of meat, and you can add all the spices you want without having to worry about it. If it looks like a burger, tastes like a burger, smells like a burger, and feels like a burger when I am eating it... it's a burger to me.

[torsoboy]

Originally Posted by tooki

I've read enough cookbooks and stuff to know this. Hamburgers don't use binders. Meatloaves and meatballs do.

tooki

We have meatballs in our spaghetti that do not have binders... does that mean it isn't a meat ball? It sure looks like one. And it is made of meat. I think you might have read too much into the recipes you read.

[greenamp]

A hamburger press is a nice gadget to have.

[Stradlater]

Originally Posted by greenamp

A hamburger press is a nice gadget to have.

Why not just purchase them pre-formed? If the ground meat isn't pre-formed, you might as well form them lightly in-hand, saving you money and juiciness (as mentioned earlier in this thread, compress the meat too much, and you're not going to get the tenderness and juiciness you'll want from a burger).

[Stradlater]

Originally Posted by pooka

Alright, grilled some bison burgers this weekend. Turned out pretty good. For the life of me I still can not perfect the texture I've been searching for. It's driving me crazy. Loosely packed, tightly packed, and everything in-between... still not what I want. How do these two-bit Bennigan's spinoff joints make such damn good burgers? Are they using minced beef? Minced rat?

Now you may disagree with me on the quality, but there is just something about their meat texture that is pretty nice. How do restaurants do it?

I prefer the taste of homemade burgers most of the time, but the texture can be tougher to emulate. I think a few things make a difference: make sure you let the meat reach room temp (or just slightly cooler) before you start cooking; you definitely want to pack it lightly (though, with bison, a leaner meat, it's not nearly as gooey as fatty meat, so packing is quite different); and in the case of bison (again, the leanness), either stuff it with a pad of butter or some bleu cheese, or add a small dab of worcestershire (I prefer the former option, as the latter will impart some unwanted [to me, at least] flavor to the mix); also, with the bison, sear it hot and make sure you retain a good amount of pink.

Good restaurants use, a lot of the time, high-fat (20-25%) and high-quality beef, and, of course, they usually have better cooking surfaces (higher heat, or at least more even and consistent).

Cook, high heat, on the grill, or try cast-iron (grill or pan), and don't overcook. Salt liberally (you want it to get a nice caramel crust) and JUST before you cook it (minimize the dehydration and loss of juiciness).

O.K. Thoughts were unorganized, but hopefully of some help.

[Stradlater]

I'm sorry, I'm with tooki: hamburgers should not and do not contain egg.

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by tooki

I've read enough cookbooks and stuff to know this. Hamburgers don't use binders. Meatloaves and meatballs do.

tooki

By your theory if someone ads Hamburger Helper to a hamburger, its not a hamburger?

Please just admit you are wrong and I can go on with my life.

[nredman]

i made some turkey burgers a few months ago that were very tasty - if you like turkey burgers (my wife and i like it better then hamburger)

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1625,...242196,00.html

[Stradlater]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

By your theory if someone ads Hamburger Helper to a hamburger, its not a hamburger?

Please just admit you are wrong and I can go on with my life.

Hamburger Helper is used for hamburgers?  I thought it just was for a mediocre pasta dish.

[Person Man]

I offer my father's grill (or roasting) recipe:

It's very good on chicken, lamb, or even goat. (Yes, we Greeks eat goat. It's quite good. Like lamb but with a very mild flavor, and quite lean). My father does a whole lamb or goat on the spit every Easter.

Anyway:

Three parts olive oil (extra virgin is best), one part lemon juice. Enough garlic, salt, and oregano to taste.

Chopped fresh garlic (or use a garlic press) is best, but garlic powder will do in a pinch.

Brush it liberally on the meat before and all throughout the cooking on the grill or spit.

I grilled chicken using that recipe once at a friend's birthday party, and since then my friends have "demanded it," if they know I'll be doing any cooking.

[Cody Dawg]

That does sound good!



One thing I've done that is somewhat similar is to take frozen (in the can - undiluted concentrate) orange juice and to soak chicken breasts (boneless and skinless is best) in it for about an hour then throw it on the grill.

The orange juice caramelizes right away and forms a really tangy sauce on the chicken - similar to orange barbeque sauce. It's really easy and GREAT.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

By your theory if someone ads Hamburger Helper to a hamburger, its not a hamburger?

Please just admit you are wrong and I can go on with my life.

I'm not wrong.

A hamburger (sandwich) definitely isn't a traditional burger if you add Hamburger Helper. I doubt anyone would like a hamburger with dry pasta in it, anyway.

Hamburger Helper refers to the other meaning of the word "hamburger": ground beef.

tooki

[tooki]

Originally Posted by torsoboy

We have meatballs in our spaghetti that do not have binders... does that mean it isn't a meat ball? It sure looks like one. And it is made of meat. I think you might have read too much into the recipes you read.

OK, I should have been clearer: most meatball/-loaf recipes contain binders, but not all do. The binders are usually necessary because of the historical purpose of a meatball: to "stretch" meat (which was very costly to most people) by adding filler, normally bread crumbs or the like. Without an egg or tapioca binder (depending on which part of the globe you're on), the meatball would fall apart.

Meatloaf is also a way of stretching beef, but a meatloaf needs binder because its filler (breadcrumbs and vegetables) is so loose that it would crumble.

On the other hand, no traditional burger contains a binder, because a traditional burger contains no filler. By the time hamburger sandwiches became popular, beef (at least the cheap cuts that could be ground up) was no longer so expensive that it needed to be stretched with filler, so it's supposed to be a pure beef patty. Purists won't even allow seasonings in the patty.

tooki

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Person Man

I offer my father's grill (or roasting) recipe:

It's very good on chicken, lamb, or even goat. (Yes, we Greeks eat goat. It's quite good. Like lamb but with a very mild flavor, and quite lean). My father does a whole lamb or goat on the spit every Easter.

Anyway:

Three parts olive oil (extra virgin is best), one part lemon juice. Enough garlic, salt, and oregano to taste.

Chopped fresh garlic (or use a garlic press) is best, but garlic powder will do in a pinch.

Brush it liberally on the meat before and all throughout the cooking on the grill or spit.

I grilled chicken using that recipe once at a friend's birthday party, and since then my friends have "demanded it," if they know I'll be doing any cooking.

Sounds fantastic!

tooki

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by tooki

Sounds fantastic!

tooki

It certainly is.

One of my father's friends had a pig roast for his two daughters' graduations (one from high school, the other from college). He had my father do the meat.

Everyone wanted to know how my father did it.

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by tooki

I'm not wrong.

A hamburger (sandwich) definitely isn't a traditional burger if you add Hamburger Helper. I doubt anyone would like a hamburger with dry pasta in it, anyway.

Hamburger Helper refers to the other meaning of the word "hamburger": ground beef.

tooki

You are making things up now.

Please provide links.

[tooki]

Uhh, what? Are you serious? I haven't made up a thing. Read on:

Hamburger Helper is an American boxed product consisting of dry, raw pasta and a seasoning packet (mostly dried milk and bouillon). You take ground beef, cook it up, add the pasta and seasoning and water, and then let it simmer for 20 minutes. It's got no relation to hamburger sandwiches aside from that they are both made with ground beef. There's also a Tuna Helper variant that you make with canned tuna, and Chicken Helper to be made with cut-up chicken.

Here in America at least, a lot of people really do refer to ground beef (regardless of what dish it will ultimately become) as "hamburger":

Originally Posted by American Heritage Dictionary

ham•burg•er
n.
1. a. Ground meat, usually beef.
1. b. A patty of such meat.
2. A sandwich made with a patty of ground meat usually in a roll or bun.

Originally Posted by Merriam Webster Dictionary

Main Entry: ham•burg•er
Pronunciation: 'ham-"b&r-g&r
Variant(s): or ham•burg /-"b&rg/
Function: noun
Etymology: German Hamburger of Hamburg, Germany
1 a : ground beef b : a patty of ground beef
2 : a sandwich consisting of a patty of hamburger in a split typically round bun

tooki

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Person Man

It certainly is.

One of my father's friends had a pig roast for his two daughters' graduations (one from high school, the other from college). He had my father do the meat.

Everyone wanted to know how my father did it.

I think what amazes people is how some of the best food is made with the simplest recipes. Your dad's roasting marinade is a great example of this.

tooki

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by tooki

I'm not wrong.

A hamburger (sandwich) definitely isn't a traditional burger if you add Hamburger Helper. I doubt anyone would like a hamburger with dry pasta in it, anyway.

Hamburger Helper refers to the other meaning of the word "hamburger": ground beef.

tooki

You are making things up now.

Please provide links.

[k squared]

Originally Posted by Stradlater

I'm sorry, I'm with tooki: hamburgers should not and do not contain egg.

I agree. The egg should go on top of the burger. Add nice, real cheddar and bacon. If done just right the yolk is a great sauce.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

You are making things up now.

Please provide links.

I already replied to your post. See above.

tooki

[Judge_Fire]

Begun the Burger Wars have...

[IceEnclosure]

Hamburger Helper is to be added to ground beef. It is served on a plate typically, not a bun. It's like Rice-A-Roni(but for ground beef, not rice)

hamburger meat=ground beef.

Tooki why are you clouding this thread with misinformation and trickery?!

[OreoCookie]

Well, there is only one way to settle this conflict: tooki and moonmonkey have to cook burgers for me and I tell 'em which one is better

[tooki]

The cook-off is ON!

tooki

[tooki]

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

Hamburger Helper is to be added to ground beef. It is served on a plate typically, not a bun. It's like Rice-A-Roni(but for ground beef, not rice)

hamburger meat=ground beef.

Tooki why are you clouding this thread with misinformation and trickery?!

I know! It's crazy, ain't it?

BTW, for those of you who like Hamburger Helper*, but dislike that it contains artificial ingredients and whatnot, I reverse-engineered how to make it from scratch:

Start with a pound of ground beef, just as for the boxed kind. Brown it for a while with a chopped onion. Season with pepper and garlic.

Add about 1/3 lb or so of pasta. I like spirals.

Now add beef stock (bouillon cube is OK) to cover. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for a bit. Check it now and then, give it a stir, and add more stock if it gets too dry.

When it's all done, add about 1/2 cup of Velveeta or other salty cheese, sliced or cubed, and melt it in.

It'll taste just like the real thing, except better and more natural.

tooki

*It's great wintertime comfort food!

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by tooki

...add about 1/2 cup of Velveeta...

...except better and more natural.

Velveeta? NATURAL?

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by tooki

Uhh, what? Are you serious? I haven't made up a thing. Read on:

Hamburger Helper is an American boxed product consisting of dry, raw pasta and a seasoning packet (mostly dried milk and bouillon). You take ground beef, cook it up, add the pasta and seasoning and water, and then let it simmer for 20 minutes. It's got no relation to hamburger sandwiches aside from that they are both made with ground beef. There's also a Tuna Helper variant that you make with canned tuna, and Chicken Helper to be made with cut-up chicken.

Here in America at least, a lot of people really do refer to ground beef (regardless of what dish it will ultimately become) as "hamburger":


tooki

The point was not about Hamburger helper, it was about using any binder (in my case it was egg) in a burger stopping it being a burger (a statement that you made earlier).

Please provide links, and stop with the Hamburger helper smoke and mirrors!