Burger help please

[aklee987]

Hi guys. I have a problem with burgers, I'm hoping you can help. I'm not a smoking/grilling expert, bit I'm not totally new either.

I love the burgers that I see you guys doing, but that's not what my problem is.

The problem: My wife and kids like plain, thin burgers, kind of like you get at Steak And Shake.

I can't make them without them falling apart on me because they are so thin. Any tips or tricks? Please help!




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[hova1914]

Do you use egg in your mix? That helps hold it together while cooking. Also, I hear freezing the patties helps too. They thaw on the grill, then by the time they would start falling apart the egg would be cooked and that would hold the burger together from then on. Since you do thin burgers, it shouldn't take long at all for the burgers to thaw and cook on the grill

 

[pgsmoker64]

Form them and freeze them!  Put them on the grill frozen and that should help hold them together.

Also, make sure the meat isn't too lean as there is not enough fat to hold them together.

Good luck,

Bill

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Form them and freeze them!  Put them on the grill frozen and that should help hold them together.

Also, make sure the meat isn't too lean as there is not enough fat to hold them together.

Good luck,

Bill

x2,  and use high heat to sear then move to a cooler area of the grill to finish, Of course super thin will be pretty close to done after the sear.

 

[reinhard]

i agree with Bill to form and freeze them. also i would recommend 80/20 ground chuck for burgers. buy yourself a patty press [you can get one for around 20 bucks]. also i use the smaller mesh metal racks you can buy anywhere. easier to turn the patties without them falling through the normal size grates. i do this when i make jucy lucy's which are made with thin patties. Reinhard

 

[aklee987]

Thanks guys. I will try these tips next time, sounds like it will work great

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[cliffcarter]

Cook the thin ones in a frying pan on the stove

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[goinforbroke]

I like thinner burgers too, probably because I also like so many condiments on them.  Kinda hard to get your mouth around something too tall.   Basically how I approach burger making is to not make a ball, but to take a handful of ground beef and smash it as thin as it will go in a sheet of aluminum foil. (with other patties too).  The sheet ends up more-or-less turned upside down at the grille and the patties "transferred" to the cooking surface.  Peel and stick.  er Stick and peel.    It's the only way I know to get them on there without handling them.  After browning on one side, their ok for spatula duty.  

 

[daveomak]

aklee, mornning....  There is one other way to get the ground meat to stick together....   When you grind it, mix the heck out of it....  Either in the KA mixer or with your hands....   the meat will get very sticky...  form the patties and freeze.....    I personally like eggs and Panko in the mix....   that sticky meat should hold together on the grill....  and like others have said, cook while frozen...  I also like SPOG mixed in the meat.... full depth of flavor...   Dave

 

[bruno994]

X3 on the freezing, I'll make up at least one 4 pack of ready made burgers everytime we buy HB meat, usually a few packs.  I chill them a bit on freezer paper after forming them with the HB press (great buy as well) before I seal, to keep the vacuum sealer from squishing them around.