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Basic Burgers

The Editors
Yield
4 servings
Category
Meat
Course
Main Dish
Preparation Method
Easy Does It
Grill
Sources
Yankee Magazine
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Nothing beats an old-fashioned hamburger, and the best burgers are really quite basic.  

I remember the old days when my mother always added an egg and some bread crumbs to the mix, “to bind it together.” In reality, she was probably stretching the meat to make that extra patty.

Today, I leave out the crumbs. I simply season the ground beef, throw it on the grill, and top it with a selection of cheese, greens, and grilled vegetables—whatever strikes my fancy. From start to finish, I can serve dinner in 20 minutes. 

A word on seasoning: Don’t just dust salt on the exterior of your burger patties. It’s best to put the ground beef in a bowl, break it up, and sprinkle evenly with salt.  Then shape your burgers. Do not overwork ground beef. Once it’s in the shape of a patty, stop!

Which Beef for Burgers?

When you’re making hamburgers, use the cut of beef that best suits your taste and budget.

  • I generally use ground beef (80/20 or 85/15). I prefer a little fat in my burger for flavor and moistness—and it’s cheaper, too. Watch your burger carefully for grease flare-ups and don’t overcook. 
  • For richer taste and more flavor, splurge for ground chuck. Cut from the shoulder, ground chuck ranges from 15 to 20 percent fat, and makes a gourmet burger.

Please comment on what you think makes the best burger! There’s always room for improvement.

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 buns
Hamburger toppings
Instructions

Combine first three ingredients and shape into four 6-ounce hamburger patties.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Grill the patties, covered with the grill lid, over medium-high heat (350 degrees to 400 degrees) 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until beef is no longer pink. Grill the buns 1 minute on the cut side, or until they are lightly toasted. Top with beef patty and your favorite toppings.

About The Author

The Old Farmer's Almanac Editors

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Comments

Cobi-ann (not verified)

4 years 4 months ago

What I do is...get ready for this one...I do approx. 75% medium beef / or 50% lean beef and 25-50% pork. Mix in a bit of sour dough bread crumbs (not much) and an egg. Work a bit and then add worstershire sauce, a bit of Louisiana hot sauce to taste. Add minced red onion, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. We put in a GARLIC SCAPE PESTO (we make from the garlic scapes + basil from our garden with walnuts, olive oil), can mix in a bit of feta cheese in the mixture). Now..mix this all up gently and grill. Top burger with aoli, grilled mushrooms and fried onions, and romaine lettuce. REALLY REALLY SUPER YUMMY.

Amy B (not verified)

5 years 5 months ago

Don't for get the minced onions and add couple eggs Mmm...

Camille Strate (not verified)

5 years 5 months ago

For a bit of a "surprise" twist, I often put Chinese 5 Spice OR Trader Joe's Chili Lime Seasoning in the meat. Both are unexpected...and quite tasty!

Charlotte (not verified)

5 years 5 months ago

Thumb dent in the middle for sure. Lean ground beef with a bit of ground pork for the flavor and added moisture. I like to change it up now and then by adding blue cheese bits into the mixture and cut back on the salt. Wowsers.

Deb (not verified)

6 years 5 months ago

I use extra lean hamburger then add egg, breadcrumbs, horseradish, worstershire sauce, and salt. Delicious!

PaPaRandy (not verified)

7 years 5 months ago

I personally don't put egg in my hamburger patties, I only do that with my meatloaf, but to each their own. I would add one little extra step when forming your patties...take your thumb & make an indentation in the center of the patty, so that when your burger cooks & expands, that indentation allows for the patty to "even out". Try it, you'll see what I'm saying is true. Happy Memorial Day. P.s. I too prefer 70/30 ground beef, it has more taste.

I always do the thumb dent too! Amazing how evenly it cooks. If I want a burger medium rare, I would like the whole patty to be medium rare - not just the center.

Elle (not verified)

8 years 4 months ago

Mama knows that when the meat is "too lean" that there's not enough fat to keep it together. The egg and breadcrumbs do not take away from the deliciousness of the meat. And so if you don't want to add the eggs and breadcrumbs, then buy meat with more fat.

gerald nikitinski (not verified)

11 years 4 months ago

i disagree it falls apart on the grill.you need egg to bind it .i also add minced onion and garlic ,

Robert Sewell (not verified)

13 years 5 months ago

Sounds like a great burger! One Canadian place uses 1 teaspoon BBQ spice to each pound of ground beef. Burgers are best without bread crumbs, eggs, and other additives.