How do I make stovetop hamburgers tasted better?

*I meant taste better, not tasted.😑

Mixing in some Worcestershire sauce before forming the paddy makes a nice change

Mix bleu cheese in with the ground beef

Those Food Network shows always say "use 80/20 ground beef with just salt and pepper," but they load it in. I think folks underestimate how much salt is required for "restaurant quality" food.

You can add some finely chopped onions and use seasoned salt instead of regular. More black pepper, maybe even some garlic put through a press.

Also, use a hot cast iron pan. The slightly browned char makes them delicious 😋.

A little adobe seasoning and chili powder can work wonders. Also, if you like red onion and bell pepper, you can mix some in or place them atop the burger once its done.

Penzeys "Mitchell Street Steak Seasoning"

[quote] tasted

Oh, dear.

i can't believe no one has told you to add a tbsp of milk or 2 to the mixture (or is that for grilled burgers, because I'm sure i have done this stovetop). Also breadcrumbs and an egg. appropriate to your taste, but i would also add dried onion flakes for flavor. Or if you want to make it the hard way, chop and stir fry the onion pieces before you make the whole mix. it's the flavor that counts.

OP is a right wing troll so as far as I'm concerned he can go the rest of his life with bland burgers. Maybe he can choke on a few while he's at it.

Actually, R9, you're the right wing troll. I looked up your IP address. You forgot to block your online tracks, Boris.

I do what my grandmother did... add a packet of Lipton's onion soup mix to a pound or so of meat.

I'm not so stupid I'm going to fall for your b.s. r10. Try someone else, it won't work on me.

We add some cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Let it rest for a bit for the flavors to meld.

Glad DL can help OP fixd'd his burgers.

Fank you berry much everbuddy for your hepp.

🤣 Wouldn't you love to se what r9's basement apartment looks like?

OP/R16, get some chill. Why go to the trouble of having sock puppets if this is what you're using them for? Anyone who cares will put OP on ignore and see for themselves that I was right. Don't waste time pretending you can see my IP address and doing the Trump-ish "you live in a basement" thing as if that's going to change your posting history.

I can't believe the exchange between r9 and r10 on a thread about freaking hamburgers. Seriously!

Im neither r9 nor r10.

The sock puppet master is no where near as savvy as he thinks.

OP is in the "Homophobic attack in Greenwich village" thread complaining about "you New Yorkers" "voting in all these far-left socialist loonies." That kind of thing is 80% of what he posts.

He also posts threads like these to get positive "karma" (if that's what Mediapolis still calls it) so it balances out all the ignores and FF he gets for his far right psycho rants. That's how a lot of these trolls work. It's been this way for years.

Meanwhile, I'm going to keep posting what I want. If your delicate sensibilities can handle a Datalounge full of racist slurs and homophobia but can't handle someone saying, "hey, this guy is a troll," then that's your problem and not mine. Put me on ignore and enjoy the rest of your day.

R10 you can't look up IP addresses.

R20 = #ThreadKiller

[Quote]but can't handle someone saying, "hey, this guy is a troll," then that's your problem and not mine.

I guess that was directed at me (r18) and my innocent bewilderment about a thread going off the rails. Y'all are classic DL fucked in the head.

Finely chop some onion and mix it into the burger meat before cooking..you wont taste it but it kicks up the flavor

Put away the frying pan, OP, and take a drive to Wendy's.

Mix the ground beef with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika and a dash of mustard before cooking

Only on Datalounge would a thread about cooking hamburgers turn into a political issue.

I don't try to make hamburgers at home. I make meatloaf. If I want a burger, there are so many places to go for one that's better than any I've ever made at home.

[quote]Im neither r9 nor r10.

Odd, no one said you were. One person said you were the OP, and since you "fanked" everybody for their help at r15 and then defended the OP at r16, it seems pretty clear WHY they thought you were the OP. The fact that neither one of you seem to know English very well is another sign. But heaven fucking forbid anyone point out a troll around here, not when there are helpful cooking tips from 1972 to bestow upon the masses.

Anyway, everyone enjoy your meatloaf burgers with milk and breadcrumbs and garlic powder.

Jesus, r29. I wouldn't want to be around you when you're drinking.

Add a packet of Ranch

If I were drunk I might accidentally let slip the secret to delicious burgers at home.

Sadly for you, I'm sober, and all I'm gonna tell you is that making a big wad of beef with breadcrumbs, milk, meat and powdered Ranch dressing is meatloaf.

Trader Joe's Everything Bagel spice

Mix it into the chopped meat before you cook.

R21, I'm R10. I can look up IP addresses. I know this, because I read multiple threads on DL in which people - like R9 - claim to spot Boris through powers normally only available to site admins.

So I'm claiming this special power too.

By the way, R21, to address the concern that you have electronically expressed - and that I reviewed after identifying your IP address and pages browsed - yes, it's as bad as you think it is. But, yes, 2 shots in the ass will clear it up.

R29 must be the only troll on Data Lounge who doesn't know the story of "Fank You !"

🤓 He thinks we can't spell !

I know all about fixded cheeseburgers, r35. Between your misunderstanding of my quotation marks and your weird extra spaces, it's pretty obvious you don't understand punctuation.

R34 [italic] Thou doth Protest too much ...

Meat is murder!

Another possibility:

Whatever you put in the beef itself, try topping the finished burger with a slice of onion.

The crunch really makes the whole thing go.

Get a grill pan. It's nice to have grill marks.

Mix some feta into the beef. Topping with cheddar and bacon is also nice. Or topping with a mix of a little mayo and ketchup or siracha is good. Be sure not to overcook, I cook to just rare then let it rest for a few minutes lightly covered with foil, like you would do with a steak, it keeps cooking and does not dry out.

How do I fixeded my hamburger?

I wish I had my mom here to make me a big juicy elephant burger. I've heard her's were legendary.

Make sure it's well ketchupped and mustarded, OP.

Speaking of milk and meat, I recently bought a box of strawberry Rice Krispies. Once I added the milk, it just kind of dissolved and ended up looking like raw hamburger. Fucking disgusting.

[quote]I'm [R10]. I can look up IP addresses. I know this, because I read multiple threads on DL in which people - like [R9] - claim to spot Boris through powers normally only available to site admins.

Sure, Jan. The stupidity of DL's dumbest trolls on this site. 🙄

Unfair to “oh dear” r7, as OP already corrected herself. It’s simply not done.

[quote]like [[R9]] - claim to spot Boris through powers normally only available to site admins

I didn't call him a "Boris" and we all have access to the ignore function, not just admins.

It is very easy. At restaurants (good ones), they treat a burger like a steak. In the pan, place a large dollop of butter and use a spoon to constantly baste the burger as it cooks. Both sides. Yes, it’s fattening. But you asked. This is also how to make a great steak in a pan on your stove.

I don't care that the thread turned nasty or if the OP is a doof, I'm enjoying all the responses to the original question.

I made the best burgers I've ever made last week.

Coarsely grate one quarter of an apple (I know, I was dubious, too). Add to 1 pound of grass fed beef. 1 T of sliced scallions 1 T yakiniku sauce 1 t salt Grinds of black pepper.

Grill burgers on cast iron grill pan. 3 minutes a side. Then brush burgers with more yakiniku sauce and flip every 15 seconds for 1 minute.

Delicious.

Adding a bunch of ingredients to the meat is rookie advice, unless you want to make something like a pizza burger or Japanese-style burger. But for a "real" hamburger, all you need is great meat with plenty of fat (approx. 20-25%; certainly no less than 15%), salt, pepper, a touch of oil and a hot pan. Butter-basting, as mentioned above, does add extra flavor. Grind your own meat if possible or see if the butcher will grind your requested blend for you. If this isn't an option, you can mix up a few kinds of pre-ground meat.

The best burgers I've had were a blend of different cuts (fattier cuts such as chuck and short rib), different styles (grass fed, aged, USDA prime, etc.) and even a small amount (5-15%) of other flavorful meat (Berkshire pork, elk, venison, bison). Stay away from lean, expensive cuts like filet and sirloin. If you want to grind up an expensive steak, use a ribeye.

Don't season the patties until right before they go into the pan, heat a small amount of oil in the pan until it just starts to smoke, add your patties and don't move them until there's a good seared crust. Flip once and cook the other side for a bit less than the first. Thin patties generally work better in a pan or flat top than thick ones. Conversely, grilled burgers are better when they're thick.

The immature "You're a troll!" -- "No, you're a troll!" idiots who derail every fucking thread are my least favorite thing about Datalounge right now.

R53 is a gaslighting troll.

[quote]Stay away from lean, expensive cuts like filet and sirloin.

You think sirloin is expensive, but suggest using aged beef? LOL

Meat is MURDER!!

Die in a (vegetable) grease fire OP!

Agree with adding the onion soup mix.

Also finely chopped canned mushrooms.

R55, my point is not to waste money on a LEAN expensive cut. GFY, cunt.

You gays eat shit.

^^^Moz! Are you posting from a Burger King bathroom?

A grilled beef burger is not meatloaf.

This is destined to become a classic Datalounge thread.

Use ground chuck; you need lots of fat. Don’t overmix/handle the beef, and don’t pack it too tightly. LOTS of salt and some pepper and onion powder.

Yesterday I had a burger that was so damn delicious. I saw the cook making another order for someone else and could not believe how much salt he was sprinkling over the grill. Also he squirted a reddish liquid over them. I thought they tasted like they had some sort of alcohol mixed in, and then I saw him do that. Maybe it was some sort of whiskey/Worcestershire or something. Whatever it was, it was so effing good. I’m going to research that angle…

Dales Low Sodium- brush generous amount on both sides and pepper. Cast iron on high heat. Trust me.

I love all these great tips! That they’re interspersed with hatred and accusations makes them all the better.

Don't stink up your house with all that grease. Ick.

Get outside and grill OP. No one wants their house to smell like a Wendy's for 2 days.

I run ice cold butter through the garlic press, mix it in the meat with lots of salt.

Salt, pepper and chipotle flavored Cholula sauce

[quote]Get outside and grill OP. No one wants their house to smell like a Wendy's for 2 days.

Like a Wendy's what? Her overtanned beef curtains?

Use higher fat content beef - minimum 80/20.

Cook at the right temperature.

Use kosher salt - it's easier to control the amount with the larger flakes.

R49 | place a large dollop of butter and use a spoon to constantly baste the burger as it cooks.|

Butter? I'm sure it's good .........because every cook knows ....when in doubt...add a little butter.

But for fuck's sake.....hamburger is already a heart attack in a pattie.....butter just amplifies it exponentially.

R68, the ice cold butter trick sounds like a winner, especially if the meat is leaner than ideal. Have you ever tried it without mixing in the salt? I've always heard that you should only salt the exterior (and immediately before cooking). Salting throughout changes the protein structure and makes the burgers more of a spongy sausage-like texture, rather than the desired juicy-crumbly texture.

Fry them up in real butter, ghee, or animal fat. Or better yet, use an air fryer.

Tomato juice. Add this to the really lean sirloin to add juiciness to the burger, some salt and nothing else.

Eat them cooked in the microwave for about a month, then switch back to the stove, the stove cooked ones will taste heavenly.

R76, who TF microwaves hamburger?! You turd. Just admit you eat shit.

We don't have a microwave anymore. We got rid of it to save Blanche's life. Then Big Microwave leaned on us to cut the scene where we said so.

r73, I have not noticed any textural difference in the meat with added salt but, that's interesting!

It shouldn't be so complicated. My preference is round not chuck. Turn up the heat with a little oil to get a good sear, turn down during cooking. Same for the other side. I do approx four min on each side. Serve on roll with crumbled blue cheese underneath, slice of white onion and ketchup on top. To jazz up the meat I sometimes mix chopped up green pepper in it.

[quote]i can't believe no one has told you to add a tbsp of milk or 2 to the mixture (or is that for grilled burgers, because I'm sure i have done this stovetop). Also breadcrumbs and an egg. appropriate to your taste, but i would also add dried onion flakes for flavor

I’ve tried that, and it was disgusting.

[quote]Get outside and grill OP. No one wants their house to smell like a Wendy's for 2 days.

But it’s silly to start up a grill for two hamburgers. Also it’s not very efficient in the winter.

Breadcrumbs and milk? Lol, that’s meatloaf.

My Momma made burgers from her homemade meatball mix. Rolled two thin patties, placed a slice of mozzarella or provolone between the patties, sealed the edges , and fried in her cast iron skillet. Best burgers I've ever eaten.

And don't anyone of you boys even think about making a derogatory remark about my sainted Momma.

[quote]Mix bleu cheese in with the ground beef

I like blue cheese so maybe I’ll try that!

ATK is now putting baking soda in/on all meat. Browns? IDK Veggie here.

[quote]Don’t overmix/handle the beef, and don’t pack it too tightly.

R63 is correct. Don't overmix or pack the beef tightly. I add an egg into a pound of ground chuck and mix by hand until the egg is absorbed than form into patties.

Oh, and I’ve tried several of those store bought grilling seasonings for hamburgers that are supposed to make them taste better and they don’t really make much difference.

I like bleu cheese!

r86, I only do that for loose meat, not a patty.

OP, blue cheese is better sprinkled generously over the bun.

I started buying freshly made (not frozen) burger patties in my local grocery store. You can by them plain or seasoned, everything from quality ground beef, prime rib, or brisket burgers. My personal favorite is the pub burger with cheddar and bacon.

OP, please let us know what advice you followed and how your burger(s) turned out.

R91 I agree! I loved the Bleu Cheese Burger at Red Robin and that's how it was prepared.

There is no wrong way to make a burger. I love buying Greek dogs and burgers from my local greasy spoon.

What the fuck is your problem, r67?

[quote] Get outside and grill OP. No one wants their house to smell like a Wendy's for 2 days.

It's better than smelling like a McDonald's for any amount of time.

What's this Wendy's/McDonalds crap? Have you never been to a high class steak and hamburger restaurant? That fast food crap isn't even hamburger.

I have, R98, but I can't afford to eat at five-star restaurants every damn day.

What exactly do you mean by Wendy's crap r98?

Yes. R98, let's here the answer.

Are you still working on it?

Fish sauce, add a tsp of it to your meat.

The average local diner makes better hamburgers than McDonald's frozen amalgam of meat products.

[quote]Tomato juice. Add this to the really lean sirloin to add juiciness to the burger, some salt and nothing else.

I’ve never heard of adding tomato juice, so I’ll try this too.

I’ve tried the whole “add an egg” thing and it just made the meat mushy and didn’t stick together.

[quote] Also breadcrumbs and an egg

Nope, R8.

Breadcrumbs and eggs are for meatloaf not burgers. And breadcrumbs (no eggs) are for meatballs. Both those ingredients are binders and don't affect taste very much. They're not necessary in burgers.

Though many people love putting a fried egg on top of the cooked patty for their burger.

And R4 is right. For great burgers you really do have to put way more salt and pepper in the ground beef than you think.

[quote]Get a grill pan. It's nice to have grill marks.

Any recommendations?

[quote]Yes. [R98], let's here the answer.

OH, DEAR

How about some Stove Top stuffing?

I agree, there is no "right" way to make burgers. I found that adding milk made my burgers juicy and taste great. But to each, their own.

Extra virgin olive oil, minced FRESH garlic (not that jarred shit), FRESH parsley (not dried), sea salt and FRESH cracked pepper. Oh and FRESH ground beef, not some processed frozen patties.

So many fat whores.

Don't spread this round, OP, but I have been given to know that Hamburger Helper helps your hamburger make a great meal

Pickle juice

Am I first to say melt butter and add extra salt to the butter and then add the burgers.

Anyone from the Midwest USA familiar with butter burgers?

Nobody makes a great hamburger at home. Even on the grill.

R112 I like my H. Helper moistened with a can of Schlitz Malt Liquor and omit the meat. Serve with a pitcher of Kool Ade -hand stirred by a 13 year old girl.

With dirty knees.

I like seasoning the meat well with Penzey's English Prime Rib Rub. I will have to try the Mitchell Street Steak Seasoning.

SALT.

For homemade burgers, I use Sam's Club 'Members Mark' brand sirloin burger patties. Product/shopping habits shaming aside, I don't particularly like their flavor; to me, it needs a lot of help. (I've always been upfront about being a very picky meat eater.) When I pan-fry the patties, I season them with salt, black pepper, granulated onion powder and garlic powder. I also add a mixture of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce and Kikkoman Soy Sauce as a sort of liquid marinade, to help cook the burgers with the lid covering the pan, steaming as it were. (None of this 'pink in the center' bullshit for me; I'm not a fan of coliform food poisoning.)

When the patties are thoroughly cooked, I set them on paper towels, each topped with a slice of pepperjack cheese. The rest is pretty simple; Heinz 57 on the hamburger buns, thinly sliced red onions, and lots of dill pickle slices.

[Quote]Pickle juice

Hmm. Interesting.

Use Kobe beef.

He's dead 💀

I would use a cast iron (non-enameled) pan, not a "grill pan." Make sure there's enough oil / fat in the pan so that your burger does not stick. Make sure the heat is high enough (but not too high) to get some browning and crust on the burger. Yes, put some salt on the outside of your burger patty.

[quote] Use Kobe beef.

A little too well done for my liking.

Someone needs to make r121 into a movie. Damn.

127posts and no mention of me? You mentioned Bleu Cheese, and we fucking know each other! You bitches!

You people eat MEAT?

Let me smell your breath…

R11 your grandmother was correct in using Lipton's onion soup mix.

One Thanksgiving I made turkey breast. Just a small lunch for my sister, her husband and I. So we decided I was going to make turkey breast.

I found a recipe for Slow Cooker Turkey Breast. Three ingredients, turkey breast stick of butter, and you guessed it Lipton's Onion Soup Mix. Put it all in the slow cooker before I went to sleep low power for 8 hours and they came for lunch and it was perfect!

They both claimed it was the juiciest and most flavorful turkey breast they've ever had. And you know how dry turkey breast can get. 🦃

[quote]I found a recipe for Slow Cooker Turkey Breast. Three ingredients, turkey breast stick of butter, and you guessed it Lipton's Onion Soup Mix. Put it all in the slow cooker before I went to sleep low power for 8 hours and they came for lunch and it was perfect!

No liquid?

Add veal. That's what my grandma did and they were awesome.

I am so shocked by the number of people who don't seem to use Worcestershire sauce, it really is good for that umami flavor. Also, I take a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Flavor base and mix it in the ground beef before forming the patties.

I use 90/10 ground beef.

First, let the ground beef sit out for about 20 mins or so. Don't start cooking the meat right out of the 'fridge. Warmer meat at the beginning results in better tasting burgers.

Second, add seasoning: onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce (or Liquid Smoke), celery seed.

Agree with the Lipton solution.

Another option: A generous amount of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. It’s also great in meat-based spaghetti sauce.

Per Julia Child: Put your meat in a mixing bowl and add an egg yolk, salt, pepper, lemon juice, mix it with your hands, form it into patties, Don't overmix. There you go!

I have R9 blocked and couldn’t see his post, but then he responds as R12 to brag about not being stupid, but I’m actually able to see his response. Because R9 got confused with his sock puppet accounts and IS stupid.

I digress, back to OP’s meat!

[quote] Agree with adding the onion soup mix.

Same here. My mother often made them that way. Sounds gross and kinda is, but it's also delicious. The Worcestershire sauce, butter, and onion and garlic powder suggestions are not bad, either. The fighting about which poster(s) discussing hamburgers might be trolling is hilarious and so stupid.

Salad dressing is usually food dressing at my place.

Shove some in a batch & see if you like the new flavor it gives them.

No liquid r131

Again, all of this advice about adding Lipton onion soup mix and milk and binders and Worcestershire sauce is making MEATLOAF, not hamburgers.

I still can't believe you went to all this trouble to salvage a thread started by a guy who called all gays "pedos" in the choir thread, just to give terrible advice about making hamburgers.

Thanks R142. I was just getting ready to post something exactly like your first paragraph.

I wonder how many of these "add a bunch of shit and mix" cooks have ever eaten a truly great restaurant burger. While the condiments and buns may differ, most really exceptional burgers (Au Cheval in Chicago, Father's Office in LA, various top-tier steakhouses and greasy spoons nationwide, etc.) use only salt and maybe pepper on the meat itself. Good meat with plenty of fat, lots of salt and proper heat is the non-secret to burger success.

I just made a hamburger for dinner using some of the ideas posted here--the everything bagel spice, Worcestershire sauce, and minced onion (actually just chopped up a lot).

Then I served the burger right on top of spaghetti with Cucina Antica tomato sauce (the arrabiata), so as I broke the burger up it was like meatballs and spaghetti, which is my FAVE!

It worked really well, though I forgot to include the garlic paste I make with a press. I like garlic, and it's good for you. Nature's antibiotic.

OP - PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE POSTS ABOVE!

Mix your meet with onion soup mix, blue cheese or chopped green pepper, and you'll be home free. If this doesn't work to you satisfaction, head over to the locals deli or diner restaurant that makes burgers, Chances are they'll be sooooo much better that the horseshit that's posted here.

R142 I don't have the ability to block anyone anymore so I can't see what they post on other threads.

Aren't there any resto chefs here who can provide their secrets?

I'd trust Julia Child but the lemon juice sounds off.

[quote] I'd trust Julia Child but the lemon juice sounds off.

I think the lemon juice is probably in the same category as someone upthread who said pickle juice. A liquid that moistens the meat and adds a hint of flavor but nothing overpowering.

My roommate uses 2/3 80/20 ground beef and 1/3 ground pork. Also, adds grated onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, an egg, and breadcrumbs to the meat. Then she says it's a must to use a cast iron pan. As they fry, keep spooning the juice on top of them. I don't and haven't made them myself but the few times she made them, they were amazing. Actually ate them in a French bread bun and with mustard, tomato, lettuce and a slice of Swiss cheese. I put French dressing on mine.

R143 wins with a supersized order of truth.

R149. That's meatloaf - again.

R131 a good quality Turkey breast will make its own juices, I think.

One of the famous-chef guests on Top Chef said that the most delicious sauce in the world is the combination of soy sauce and melted butter. I'll bet that would be great basted on a burger.

[quote]Lipton's onion soup mix

Which cookbook did you get that out of?

"1950s Suburban Housewives' Favorite Kitchen Secrets"

"White Trash Cooking"

"It's the 70s and Mom Has to Go to Work"

More two-income homes? Let's double the price of everything!

Wow. This thread has a little bit of everything..

Warning about the onion soup mix: It causes gas and I mean strong, stinky gas.

R130 That turkey breast slow cooker recipe sounds great...and simple.

Liquid smoke.

Even the food network is suggesting only kosher salt and pepper and butter in the pan. I call bullshit.

Couldn’t we just have prawns instead?

Fish sticks

[quote]One of the famous-chef guests on Top Chef said that the most delicious sauce in the world is the combination of soy sauce and melted butter.

Did they say what the proportions for mixing them was?

Did he mention hamburger in the same sentence?

Some salt and pepper and possibly some garlic powder. Use an egg yolk as binder.

A salt and peppered hamburger needs no binder, genius R166.

Yes, it does, Mary!

Use some MSG.

Unca Roger!

[quote] I've heard her's were legendary.

Oh dear!

80/20, generous course salt & pepper, cast iron skillet. Drape with American cheese.

Sprinkle a little Accent flavor enhancer into the meat. It will amp up the natural umami and give it that roundness of flavor you expect from a restaurant burger. And as mentioned upthread, don’t skimp on the salt.

The people saying to up the fat and salt content are probably right. Most restaurant food is very high in those and that's why it tastes great. Most home cooks would balk at the amount - out of sight out of mind when it comes to restaurants!

Maybe butter if you don't want to buy a bunch of meat?

Rub Penzey's Bangkok Blend on both sides ( don't add salt as the seasoning blend already has salt). Sear on a ridged grill pan then finish in the oven. If you do the entire cooking on the grill pan your house will get really smoky.

As I said, salt. Without salt there is nothing to carry / transport / whatever the flavour and it will taste bland.

R173 Accent is msg.

R177 = Typical Brit with bad food habits

How about thinking about climate change and having a turkey burger?

R179 is one of those idiots who "doesn't cook with salt".

Have fun preserving anything.

Note: there must be a salty, sweet, bitter or sour element or combination of them for you to be able to taste something.

For a savory burger, add a capful of Lavoris and a shake of Comet.

😏 Do they have "Shake 'n' Bake" for burgers?

The Orphan is off limits, r171.

He hasn't even graduated from high school.

I think it was a Hint from Heloise to add one grated raw potato per pound of ground beef.

R181 - right...my life story. I have been to so lamy dinners where the host prided themselves on their cooking and proceeded to "throw shade" as they would say at my mom for not cooking every day (hello, she has billable hours galore at a top notch law firm), yet they served us fish and redhead WITHOUT a dash of salt. The once a month my mom did cook, she would tell me an old Ukrainian tale about how a rich man decided which of his daughters was the wisest based on what she couldn't eat without. Two said pretentious (by old Ukrainian standards) spices like pepper and paprika and one said "salt". He decided to leave his money in the latter's hands, as she was wise enough to understand that you simply can't cook a nice meat without a dash of salt. My mom didn't overdo the salt, but she knew damn well that you do not serve a grilled sea bass or Australian lamb chops, or make any marinade without a pinch of salt.

You should always add salt, just not an abundance if you are using a seasoned spice blend that already contains salt.

R187 What is redhead?

I mean really r187, save that shit for Christmas Eve.

just season your burgers before you cook them - some salt and pepper will work wonders.

[quote] Do they have "Shake 'n' Bake" for burgers?

Hamburger Helper

[quote]😏 Do they have "Shake 'n' Bake" for burgers?

They used to have it because my step-grandmother used to use it on us! It gave the ugliest grey color to the burgers though I cannot even recall what they tasted like. I think she cooked them in the oven. We loved her so much we just ate them.

This is one of the most retarded threads I have ever read on DL; almost 200 repetitive posts stating virtually the same goddamned thing: "add salt and pepper." Idiots.

It's a fucking burger. Move on with your lives!

Miss R194 likes her burgers bland as hell.

Go out to eat.

R194 Yet you took the time to reply….🙄

[quote]Go out to eat.

You can easily spend $10 or more for a decent hamburger and fries at a restaurant. If you can learn how to make decent ones at home, you can make about 4 for the same price.

Mix Worcestershire sauce in with the hamburger before forming the patties. Seriously. At least a teaspoon per burger patty. Then salt and fresh-ground pepper on both sides of the patty before it goes into the pan. Sear on high heat. After the flip, lower the heat and cook a little longer until juices run clear.

I also like to dice some white onion rather finely and mix it in with the meat instead of just throwing a slice of onion on the burger. Country-style Dijon instead of yellow mustard. If you use ketchup, make sure it goes against the meat, not separated from the meat by lettuce and tomato.

Use a flat cast iron pan. Buy the best quality ground beef you can and cook your burger the same day you buy it. No frozen pre-shaped burgers. About 15 percent fat, a mix of sirloin, brisket and chuck is great if you can find it. If it's a six to eight ounce burger, let it develop a crust while you sear it for three minutes before you flip it. Do not move it around or press it with a burger flipper while it is grilling. Salt after you flip and let it go for two to three minutes depending on how thick your burger is and how rare you like it. Use a meat thermometer if you have one.

Slap on Land o Lakes deli American cheese at the very end. Toast the bun, which should be potato or brioche. I like horseradish cream on my burgers but not everyone does. Lettuce, onions, pickle relish, sunnyside up egg, bacon or whatever--it's up to you,

it's all about the meat and the pan.

MSG. Trust me on this. Accent was the brand, but you can find it in any Asian market.

It makes literally everything taste better, and the side effects are nil. Unless you are a dainty Frau.

I never understood why my mother always dried the meat and left it resting unrefrigerated for a few hours with a generous coat of salt and pepper. It turns out she knew, even from her 1940s home economics class, that dry room temperature meat produced the best sear in the cast iron pan and that proper seasoning was essential.

Meat should be left out before cooking, you should never put freezing cold hamburger right on the pan or grill. HOWEVER, leave it out for a few HOURS? NO. Ten-fifteen minutes, yes.

Equally important - how many of you let cooked meat rest before eating it? That means five minutes after cooking.

R203 is completely wrong. Steaks and roasts should be allowed to sit for 45 mins at room temp but ground beef for burgers should be kept ice cold so the fats and juices don’t immediately run out. Here’s the best and easiest skillet burger—

Need: Sizzling hot cast iron pan. Ice cold ground beef. Neutral oil. Salt & pepper. Cheese and condiments.

When your cast iron skillet is smoking hot, add a tablespoon or so of oil. Immediately grab a small fistful of very cold ground beef. Throw it in the pan without forming. Smash it with the bottom of a large jar or a reasonable facsimile. Salt it. Crack some pepper. Salt it again. Cook 4 minutes. Flip. Salt-pepper-salt again. Add a slice of American cheese. Cook 3 mins. Done.

I HATE PEPPER

R204 - NEVER "SMASH" hamburger while cooking it. Never apply pressure with a spatula, as many people do, while it cooks. That's good hamburger making 101. Are you from a country other than the US, R204?

[quote]MSG. Trust me on this. Accent was the brand, but you can find it in any Asian market.

Or if you have the time make your own "MSG" from natural ingredients.

R206 Wrong. You may smash your raw ball of meat at the beginning moments of the cooking process to form your burger. You may not smash it once it’s formed and started cooking.

Do people not know anything about cooking basics?

And enough with the foul meatloaf recipes when we’re talking about burgers. Fucking bread crumbs and eggs. You people are nasty.

What would Sandra Lee do?

No sale, R208.

eggs

R210 Die in a hamburger grease fire!

Try this recipe, OP.

Salt. Peper.

R205, there's something deeply wrong with you. Pepper makes nearly everything better.

Sometimes if you put a little butter on a cooker burger or steak, it tastes good. I cook 93% lean hamburgers (lightly-formed patties) in a T-Fal pan. In sunflower oil. At somewhere between medium and medium-high heat on an electric stove. If the meat is fresh (or fresh-frozen) it usually makes a very tasty burger, but you have to keep flipping it. Charred a bit on the outside, no pink inside.

*cooked

R216 finishing with butter is always delicious but everything else in your post is gross.

1) 93% lean = dry & tough

2) Electric stove’s are terrible. I’d move.

3) Medium heat steams your already dry 93% burger. Use high.

3) Charred, no pink = shoe leather. Pale pink is sufficiently cooked to kill those scary germs. I like mine medium-rare to medium. I'm brave.

At least you didn’t add breadcrumbs & eggs, so there’s that.

^^^ 3 s/b 4

Sunflower oil? Oh, gurl, no.

Has anyone mentioned salt & pepper yet? Or maybe butter?

Butter burgers are better burgers.

I fucking hate medium rare burgers.

Ground meat isn't something you cook like a steak.

Seriously. Worcestershire sauce is the secret.

OP I know! Make them out of foie gras!

R196 In the immortal words of Joan Rivers, when one of her kids asked what she'd made for dinner: "Reservations!"

Only use Chuck or Brisket, or a combo. Please do not add milk or butter. Fat is where the flavour is. Now, would you like it to taste of beef, or butter and milk flavour? I like Tomato, Onion, and lettuce, and a Brioche bun, or Kaiser Roll. Condiments can be a very personal and/or delicate topic/choice, so please use what you like.

I sprinkle the burgers with garlic powder and McCormick's Grill Mates Hamburger seasoning quite generously. I put the mix in a mortar and pulverise to a fine dust, as the larger chunks in this mix can burn and become bitter. When I've run out, I've had success with their Montreal Steak seasoning, also turned to dust. I gently press the dust into the burger with my palm, repeat on opposite side.

Pre-heat a cast iron or carbon steel pan to ensure you really get the outside seared. (it should smoke) You want them formed perfectly smooth and even, so as to ensure proper contact with the pan- no high or low spots. I allow them to rest 7-10 minutes. (I make them fat, inch thick roughly) Cooking them 7-8 min per side, they're nicely charred, yet still quite rare inside.

Please do not press, or flip the burger unnecessarily. Only one flip, and only when the meat releases from pan on its own. You can cheat and sneak a peak if it isn't sticking to see your progress. The char or fond is part of the burger taste. You can still cook to Medium or Rare and achieve a good charred exterior when the hurger is thick, or as my partner likes to call them: "fat".

I have to have cheese. Preferably cheddar, American or Swiss. Anything else is just...wrong.

Kaiser Rolls are nasty, and way too much bread for a hamburger.

Just regular buns for me. There are some keto brands available too.

Food.com frau user review:

Hey DL! Thanks for your 4 ingredient cast iron skillet burger recipe. It was delicious but I made a few tweaks. I used ground turkey in place of the beef. I added some crushed Ritz crackers and an egg to bind. To really amp up the flavor I also added taco seasoning and chopped green pepper and onion. Instead of buttering a cast iron skillet I used my air fryer. Rather than cheese I added some fresh avocado and tomato slices. No bun - we’re proudly keto. This was the best ground beef skillet cheeseburger I ever had. It’s a keeper!

NO FUCKING BRIOCHE BUNS. Buns are meant to hold the burger together, not dominate the flavor. They should be soft, and definitely not chewy or crusty.

R232 As you like, however the Brioche hamburger buns we buy from WF are not strongly flavoured, nor are they "chewy or crusty"... They're simply soft as a potato hamburger bun, with an eggwash. To me, they're like Challah, but less sweet.

Hamberders 🤡

Have you tried High Point in your minced beef patties, OP?

It will add plenty of fllllavourrr.

Or mix some Fancy Feast in it. I'm not paid here to give a fuck.

If you’re a fatty or feeding fatties who like super thick and meaty, extra cheesy burgers, I suggest making double 1/4 lb cheeseburgers instead of one overcooked thick patty when making burgers indoors in a skillet. A fat burger will work on an outdoor grill with super high heat but they get grainy and dry indoors. Double cheeseburgers solve the problem and are so juicy and even more delicious than imaginable.

Do any of you bitches use a George Foreman grill?

You go to McDonald's!

When I get paid on Friday, I'm heading to Popeye'$.

Alton Brown's recipe has all the key elements--terrific grind of meat, a little salt, minimal handling, cast iron pan or grill.

This is all you need for a great burger.

R238 = unfamiliar with a REAL hamburger, even if made from real meat in a local diner

TL:dr

You aren't making meatballs or meatloaf. Don't mix ingredients in it. Just get better meat. I never use less than 90-10 or preferably 93-7.

I love rare burgers so I need my meat lean. I don't like greasy burgers. Good quality meat has plenty of flavor.

Make sure the meat is not too wet so use paper towel to squeeze most of the liquid out. You do not want the meat to boil.

Make sure your skillet, pan is very hot and then put the burger on it. Sear the outside and leave it rare inside. Make sure your exhaust fan is on and/or a window is open. I add a thin slice of raw onion, mayo, ketchup and a small amount of not yellow mustard (Gulden's is fine).

Sometimes I lightly toast the bun but only lightly. It gives the bun a bit of substance.

Bon appetit

Mixing Worcestershire sauce and minced onions works and doesn't result in a 'meatloaf-like' burger. Just a damn juicy and tasty burger.