On today's 'Ask the Chef' we will be talking about grilling. In particular we will be talking about the rare art of grilling ground beef. When cooking a hamburger, many do not understand the important place they hold in society. As the master of the grill, you wield the power of taste, to provide the satisfaction of stomach. You are the pleaser of the palate... the sultan of patty... (t-shirt pending).
When you cook your hamburger, there are some things to do and some things not to do. I have a very simple list of Do's and Don'ts...
Do's
- Do use real meat. Beef only. Sure they call them hamburgers not beefburgers, but don't use ham and for heaven's sake don't use turkey....
- Do use beef with low fat content, or be prepared to start with a one foot wide burger and end up with one that is roughly the size of the cheapy burgers at McDonald's.
- Do use some kind of barbecue sauce
- Do include garlic
- Don't make bricks. Meaning, don't overcook. Flame kissed, not flame French kissed.
- If you are using hamburger from your local grocery store (gags), DON'T UNDER COOK. It is frowned upon in culinary circles when your guests die from some crazy bacteria.
- Don't walk away from the grill. A perfect burger is killed by BFD (Burger Forgetfullness Disorder) moments.
- Don't tick of the bees. Bees are a part of grilling, so it's better if they be happy.
- Last but not least, watch out for crazy uncle Lou. He has been banned from backyard barbeque's for a reason. DON'T INVITE LOU.
Do: press your fingers into the center of the patty after placing it on the grill to create an indent in the center. This will keep the burger from cooking into a round ball.
ReplyDeleteDo: wash your hands first as this will keep the taste of butt scratch to a minimum.