Even though it is winter time, many people can still use their grill during the cold months. Grilling can be a year around thing in many states. Whether you are grilling hamburgers, steaks, chicken or veggies, the correct techniques and ingredients will make the best food, especially with hamburgers.
First of all, look for good meat. Try not to skimp and buy the cheapest ground beef you can find, try to buy a better grade of meat. Also, it is helpful to mix two different types of meat together, like ground chuck and ground round, or even ground beef. The fat content in one meat will help balance the other out and make it a juicier burger. It also helps not to shrink up the burgers too small, as in the case of using only a cheaper ground beef with a lot of fat that grills away and leaves you with a tiny hamburger.
The meat can be seasoned with seasoning salts, herbs or spices, dried minced onions, etc. Season them to your taste. Some cheeses can also be added for an extra boost in the burger. Cheese can always be added at the end of grilling as well.
If you are making sliders, try to make the burgers uniform in size so they will cook in the same amount of time. Also, when making the sliders, use your thumb and push a small indention into the top of each burger. This will help the slider to cook more evenly and not have a hump in the top of the burger when done. I hate when my sliders have a dome on them. Just press the middle with your thumb before they hit the grill.
It is helpful sometimes to buy meat in larger packages and make hamburgers ahead of time, freezing what you don’t need today to use at a later date. One good tool for that is a hamburger press with freezer containers. This allows you to make uniform sized patties and store them in freezer safe containers to pull out and use at a moment’s notice.
When grilling make sure you have the heat set at a medium temperature and not too hot. Once the burgers are placed on the grill, close the lid and don’t open it for about four minutes. Turn the burgers once and then repeat the process, not opening the lid for four minutes. Then you can check for doneness. If some people want their burger a little rarer, then those can be pulled off while the other meat continues to cook a little longer. Be sure to let the meat set on a plate for a few minutes off of the grill before serving to allow for a juicier burger.
