Most people who will be grilling burgers this Memorial Day weekend won’t think much about the plastic wrapped package of pre-ground beef that they’ll make their burgers from. Others won’t think twice about tossing a couple pre-made frozen beef patties on their grills.
We’ve certainly enjoyed plenty of those burgers. But last night we tried something new that really allowed the flavor of the burger to come through.
It is truly simple to buy good quality cuts of beef from the local grocery store, butcher, or farmers market purveyor, and then grind your own beef in a food processor. No need for a special meat grinder attachment or any other fancy kitchen gadgets.
You can then be sure of what has gone into your burger, and you can also be sure of the best possible taste and quality.
In his book, “How to Cook Everything”, Mark Bittmanlays out a simple method for grinding your own beef with a food processor: just cube the meat into 1 to 2 inch or so pieces, add to processor and pulse until it’s chopped. Take care to not overdue it, since you want chopped, not a puree.
His recommendation is to use a chuck roast or a well marbled sirloin. That way the beef will have the requisite 15 to 20 percent fat ratio, which is necessary for flavorful burgers.
While that will make a great burger, you can take your burgers to the next level by using leaner, beefier cuts, such as hanger steak or skirt steak, or even something like the local Highland Beef from Fountain Prairie Farms.
The key to making these flavorful cuts of lean meat burger friendly is to add back a little fat. Borrowing a trick from southern cooks, we added a couple of strips of good quality bacon for every pound of lean beef, and then chopped the bacon with the beef in the food processor.
The bacon adds both the requisite fat, along with a subtle smoky flavor. Since you’re adding raw pork to the mix, be sure to adjust cooking time appropriately to balance taste with your level of food safety concern.
Another key to great burgers is not to compress the meat too much when forming the patty. Additionally, avoid the mistake of compressing the burger with a spatula on the grill, since that squeezes the juicy life from any good burger.
While pre-ground beef is certainly convenient, the secret to a better tasting burger on the grill is grinding your own beef and adding just a touch of good quality bacon to the mix for flavor.
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