The Ultimate Hamburger
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 31, 2011
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
For this recipe, you want ground beef that is 85 percent to 90 percent lean. With the added bacon fat, 80 percent lean beef will make slightly greasy burgers. Crumble the cooked bacon slices over a salad, or use the slices as a burger topping. It's unnecessary to temp the burgers because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (But for more information on food safety, check out this guide.)
Instructions
- Fry bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Spoon 3 tablespoons bacon fat into heatproof bowl and place in refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.
- Place bread in small bowl, add milk, and let mixture sit until saturated, about 5 minutes. Using fork, mash bread and milk until it forms smooth paste. Break up beef into small pieces in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic, bread paste, and reserved bacon fat. Using fork or hands, lightly knead together so that ingredients are well incorporated and mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Using hands, toss each portion of meat back and forth to form loose ball, then gently flatten each ball into 3/4-inch-thick patty.
- Oil cooking grate and grill burgers over very hot fire, without pressing down on them, until well seared on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve, topped with bacon, if desired.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our Ultimate Hamburger recipe began with a panade—a blend of bread crumbs and milk—that helped to bind the burgers together. We also added bacon fat to the beef mixture. The rich, smoky-tasting fat added flavor and kept the meat moist. A little minced garlic also helped flavor the meat. We were gentle with the beef mixture while mixing and shaping the burgers—overworking the meat can yield tough, dense burgers.
Before You Begin
For this recipe, you want ground beef that is 85 percent to 90 percent lean. With the added bacon fat, 80 percent lean beef will make slightly greasy burgers. Crumble the cooked bacon slices over a salad, or use the slices as a burger topping. It's unnecessary to temp the burgers because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (But for more information on food safety, check out this guide.)
Instructions
- Fry bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Spoon 3 tablespoons bacon fat into heatproof bowl and place in refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.
- Place bread in small bowl, add milk, and let mixture sit until saturated, about 5 minutes. Using fork, mash bread and milk until it forms smooth paste. Break up beef into small pieces in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic, bread paste, and reserved bacon fat. Using fork or hands, lightly knead together so that ingredients are well incorporated and mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Using hands, toss each portion of meat back and forth to form loose ball, then gently flatten each ball into 3/4-inch-thick patty.
- Oil cooking grate and grill burgers over very hot fire, without pressing down on them, until well seared on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve, topped with bacon, if desired.
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