hi guys if was looking at this on YouTube has anyone been here if your in America this is what i wanna try
I can’t see the video you posted, but I do need to give you a fair warning, burgers seem simple and easy, but they actually take some practice to do it right. Many Americans just get whatever ground beef is cheapest, or the cheapest pre formed, then flatten into patties to throw on a hot grill, or into a pan, and poke and prod them until they seem done, usually way over or under. Towards the end; random cheese is thrown on top to melt and call it good, growing up it was Velveeta slices. In this more common technique, condiments cover the lack of flavor & errors in the meat and toppings hide a poor texture . . . or. . . more often, beers and conversation distracts from the experience. I don’t want to say that is wrong, or bad, I grew up on those kind of BBQ burgers and honestly still do this style more often than I’d like because time and distractions require a triage of focus. Now that I think about it, this could be considered a more authentic “American Grilled burger” experience.
However, based on your post I’m assuming you want something a bit more tasty and fulfilling than just an excuse to drink beer with friends. Like most simple things, if you want to do a more elevated version with amazing flavor, it takes some focus and practice to do it right with a few tweaks. I’d recommend starting with some basic cheeseburgers or hamburgers, then when you are comfortable try some different techniques and upping it with some different versions with crazy flavors and combinations. Use the SMF search Icon here to see some truly creative and amazing Burgers for inspiration.
I’ll also say that Burgers are no different than any other grilled/smoked/cooked meat. There is a lot of different opinions on the best way and techniques. I doubt that most are wrong because a lot has to do with preference and what you are cooking on. A Flat top and Cast Iron griddle or pan surface seem to invite “Smash Burgers” while a charcoal or gas grill like a Weber it’s not advised to “smash” the meat (in my opinion) if you want a thick, juicy burger and to avoid flare ups. Also, some people like thin burgers, others like big fat juicy ones, that drives the best technique. So, I’ll offer what I’ve used and consider as a basic burger over charcoal. It’s not “right,” it’s just the way my family likes it and most of my friends who enjoy free food do too.
Heads Up, Not sure what you are using to cook and I didn’t take the time to translate measurements:
Basic Charcoal cooked American Cheeseburger (My Opinion):
- 1.5 Pounds 80/20 Ground Beef, lots of options here though, but for me & family, the high fat pure beef is the best classic taste.
- Teaspoon of Salt
- Teaspoon of Cracked pepper
- 1 egg
Directions:
- Lightly whisk egg in bowl with salt and pepper, then add ground meat and mix well with hands.
- Make 4 equal size patties, I use the ball method, others place inside bottom of pan or another way to form the patties, they should be about ¾ inch thick.
- Make a small dimple or dent in the center of the patty, this will keep it from ballooning while cooking. Like other things, this is open to debate, but I find it works for me.
- Be sure not to over mix or handle the raw, ground meat. The more you press the meat, the denser it becomes and if you aren’t careful you end up with more of a meatball texture instead of a legit, thick burger. The egg should act as a binder to reduce the amount of pressing you need to do.
- Your charcoals should be prepared for direct high cook (400-450%), bright orange glow, ash coat. Advisable to have an indirect spot available on you grill as well for emergency.
- Lightly brush burgers with oil, place on direct heat over the charcoals. Make sure your grates are clean to avoid sticking. Close the lid!
- After 3 minutes remove lid and flip burgers, replace lid.
- Ideally you should have a meat probe of some sort to determine the internal temperature. Im not sure if Australia has same food safety as US, but assume so. For health & Flavor of eating ground beef most recommend Medium Rare 130-135 degree Internal Temp . . . Google tells me that is 54-57 degrees Celsius.
- If the outside of the burger is becoming more burned that charred and the meat still isn’t done, move to an indirect spot on your grill until the desired internal temp is reached.
- Last few minutes of the cook add desired cheese to the top. American or mild cheddar is traditional in my opinion.
- Butter Buns and toast on grill while burgers rest.
Condiments . . . another area of debate and creativity. For a classic American Grilled burger I believe in Heinz Ketchup (no other kind), yellow mustard (to be classic, but I prefer deli or stone ground), sliced red onions, iceberg lettuce, and sliced sweet pickles. Again, traditional American is to put the Ketchup and mustard on the top bun. Onion first on burger, then lettuce, then pickle on top, and place with Ketchup and Mustarded bun on top to capture the pickles.
- Bacon on burgers has become very common over the past few decades. I didn’t grow up with it, but I’m not sure if I’ve personally cooked burgers over the last decade without bacon as an addition of choice.
So, wow, I must be bored, this is way more in depth than planned. There are a lot of directions to go from here. Adding almost anything to the burger before making patties is fun: jalapenos, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onions, garlic . . . the list is endless. We also do a lot of sautéed onions and mushrooms as a topping.
Hope this helps, let us know what direction you go and be sure to post pictures!