/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>5606433

by throwing everything possible onto them
just take a look at pornburger.me
yes that's an actual site

>>5606433
grind the meat yourself using good quality cuts

>>5606433
http://www.dartagnan.com/The-Ultimate-Burger-Recipe-Kit/KITUB001-1,default,pd.html?dwvar_KITUB001-1_freshFrozenWeight=Fresh&cgid=Fresh_Foie_Gras&cgid=Fresh_Foie_Gras#start=6

I soak a couple slices of crustless bread in milk, then work it into the beef with worcestershire sauce and lawry's.

Keep it fairly simple. There's always the temptation to go nuts and just add every tasty thing you can think of. While that can work sometimes, usually it just gets too much, kind of like when you mix a whole bunch of paints together and it just turns into brown. Also it's annoying trying to eat something that falls apart and covers your hands with sauce.

A good, fresh bun makes a huge difference, make sure it fits well with the size of the meat patty.
Good mince is important, don't go too lean or too fatty. The amount of seasoning/flavours you add to the patty mix should be inversely proportionate to the amount of other stuff going on the burger.
Sauce is another key aspect, too much and it's messy, too little and it's dry.
Personally I prefer to cook in a pan than over a grill, that way they stay moist because the fat doesn't drip out.
Don't put too much green veg on, and stick to something simple like iceberg lettuce.

>>5606485
Also, don't make your patty too thick. It makes it harder to cook and less pleasant to eat. IMO pic related is way too thick.
Another tip is to make your burgers in advance and put them in the fridge for a few hours to help them stick together.

>>5606485
gracias anon

>>5606433
you'll get a damn good cheeseboiga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZuDMKXWU_E&feature=kp

>>5606588
Everything about this was pretty based, but it gets dropped at the american cheese.

>>5606433
Use monterey jack instead of that shitty 'american cheese' like in the picture

>>5607431
monterey jack is equally shitty.

>>5607431
no, use cheddar or pepper jack

>>5606444
Holy crap, the best burger I ever had had foie gras on it. Shit is amazing on a burger. I think it was a fatty beef/bison mixed patty with some kind of mango chutney bbq sauce and foie on top.

Also, a simple peanut butter and bacon crumble burger is purty good.

Just did simple as fuck burgers and they were great
>80/20 beef patty
>good bun, not the cheapest sloppy shit you can get
>pickles
>mayo, mustard, ketchup
>cheddar
>red onion
>salad
Basic as fuck and it's easy to start experimenting from there.

Montreal Steak Spice when you mix your patty meat and 1 egg per pound and a half of meat.

a nice thin slice or two of avocados is really fuckin good with a juicy burga

>there are people browsing RIGHT NOW who add anything but salt and pepper to their burger steaks

>>5607710

Thought that was common sense

Dimple the center of the burger patty on both sides; it'll assure that it doesn't swell too much in the center as it contracts. I'm a fan of a little bread crumb for binder, and I cook to well unless I grind it myself, or watch the meat get ground.

I'm partial to a shallot gastrique, whole-seed mustard, and whatever mushrooms I've picked (shaggy manes are my go-to for this). If you want to cheese it, comte is a nice choice. Baby arugula and/or watercress for greens.

>>5606433
Secret ingredient: Use a real cheese like a mature cheddar. Don't use American cheese.

>>5607746
>using aged cheese that doesnt melt well
top kek

I mix in a bit of bacon grease when I form the patties along with the smallest bit of dried garlic and MSG.

I have never once had anyone turn down seconds when I serve em boigas

>>5607753
I didn't post for the cheddar, but I've done it; shave the stuff thin.

This is the problem with foodies; you're parrots spewing rules, not artists finding new ways forward. Add bacon to everying, right? You'd die a horrible death in a real kitchen.

>>5607753
>cheddar
>doesn't melt

Only in America.

>>5607781
I work in a real kitchen

>>5607787
the more mature a cheese is the less melty it will be

>>5607787
It's because the lardasses are slicing it 1/2cm thick, because they're used to not having nice things.

>>5606433
if you really wanna try something new

take ground beef
separate into pattie size
place small block of cheese in the middle of the pattie
grill as usual

this should create a regular burger with a molten cheesy core. (i'd suggest muenster/pepperjack)

>>5607791
>I work in a real kitchen
Where? Applebees? Aged cheddar is a common option for cheese at any half-decent brewpub. Have you even eaten at any of these places?

>>5607806
This is fun if you're pushing out burgers cooked to well. Anything pink can often (depending on the cheese) have pretty gross results.

>>5607815
that's definitely true, best bet if you're unsure is to sacrifice a pattie and cut it open

>>5607746
>>5607781
>>5607787
>>5607801
aged cheese doesnt have as much moisture making it more prone to clump but more so its the state of the proteins that really fuck it up. in fresh cheese casein proteins are tightly wound in clusters allow for little interaction, as cheese ages it goes through proteolysis where the individual bonds are cut and allows them to unwind and bind with other casein molecules forming a matrix, early in the process the matrix is flexible allow it to melt smoothly but as the bonds grow tighter it forms a stronger network that requires more heat to melt and is less flexible or "melty" when melted This results in more separated fat and clumps

>>5607791
>the more mature a cheese is the less melty it will be

When your burger is done, put the cheese on and put it back under the grill for a bit the whatever you're cooking it on (grill works best because it's above). Boom, easily melted mature cheddar and don't slice it like thickly like >>5607801 said.

>>5607823
I've never suffered from having clumps in my melted aged cheese, maybe you just need to learn how to manipulate your food better rather than relying on shitty muh meltability american cheese.

>>5607825
see >>5607823

>>5607832
it has nothing to do with the cheeses country of origin of how to manipulate the food. Its simple science. Maybe that "mature cheddar" youre buying isnt so mature

>>5607823
Sure, and a thinner slice makes it so there's less heat required to bring the entire slice up to temp, and it balances out the hardness in its state. Nobody wants to bite into a whole block of anything, nobody melts a whole block of anything on a burger. Clumping isn't such a big deal until you're working it into sauces and the like.

>>5607833
Your post says that mature cheeses need more heat to melt, my post says you should use more heat to make the cheese melt. I fail to see your point because it looks like what you posted agrees with my method.

>>5607837
I've melted 5 year aged gouda, thin-sliced. Go do it, stop pretending like "more difficult" means "won't work". Some of us actually execute, rather than theorizing.

Use bison or lamb.

>>5607755

Don't put breadcrumbs or egg with the meat, just put them in the fridge for half an hour so they wont fall apart, adding egg and breadcrumbs just makes the texture and flavour worse and is unnecessary.

Also when forming the burgers don't try to compact them into solid discs or meat, you want the meat to fall apart so once its in the shape of a burger patty leave it and stop compacting it so much.

When you cook your burger use high heat, oil in the pan and flip it every 30-40 seconds continuously until its seared on both sides and either barely pink or just gone pink on the inside, touch the top and see how much give it has to judge when to stop.

>>5607844
At higher temperatures, the proteins in the cheese are more likely to seize up and squeeze out fat and moisture

The older the cheese, the less likely it will melt evenly. Rather it would be more soupy in texture. This is because the protein strands have been broken down by cultures and coagulant, leaving it less likely to form strands when melted. This is why extra sharp cheddar does not melt evenly

>>5607849
As we all know, it starts as milk: a mixture of water, proteins, fat, and a few trace minerals all swished together in a white, frothy soup that gets squirted out the nipples of cows (ain't that appetizing)? Now when cheesemakers convert this milk into cheese, they start by adding rennet, an enzyme found on the interior lining of calves' stomachs. This rennet causes proteins in the cheese (mainly casein) to unravel and link together into a matrix, which in turn traps both fat and liquid in its web.

After pressing out excess liquid, the cheese then gets aged, during which period, it loses yet more moisture through evaporation. The older a cheese is, the less moisture it has. The less moisture it has, the higher its concentration of fat, protein, and other minerals. Luckily, all that fat remains trapped away in its protein net, which keeps it from pooling out in greasy puddles when you warm it.

Melting changes all of this. As soon as you being to heat cheese, its fat begins to soften. Even at warm room temperature, you'll notice that cheese gets softer as it sits—this is all due to the softening of fat.

At higher temperatures—between 130°F and 180°F or so—proteins start losing their grip on each other. The net gets holes in it, and minuscule liquid fat droplets begin to escape. Just like fish finding their way out of a fisherman's net and schooling, as soon as these fat droplets are free they start to congregate and amass themselves into larger and larger pools. Eventually, you're left with a sticky, tangled ball of protein surrounded by a greasy pool of fat. Ick.

>>5608053
I'm sure you've all seen this happen when trying to melt an expensive slice of really well-aged cheddar on your burger.

Without a good ratio of liquid to fat, it's simply impossible to form a smoothly flowing emulsion.

Within a given class of cheeses, the age of a cheese has a direct relationship with the relative moisture content, which in turn has a direct relationship with how easily it melts. With low moisture cheeses, like, say, the 20-month old Comté above, proteins are more tightly packed together, and thus form tighter bonds which must be heated to a higher temperature to melt. At the same time, this high temperature heating causes extra moisture to evaporate. Without a good ratio of liquid to fat, it's simply impossible to form a smoothly flowing emulsion.

>>5607567
sounds like shit, ignore this guys advice

>>5606496

I'm just the opposite. The very best hamburgers I have eaten were quite thick.

Use the freshest hamburger you can find.

Pack the meat into a thick patty with minimal handling. No more packing than necessary. You want a hamburger, not a hockey puck.

Cook over slightly less than medium heat. Watch the side of the patty to see how far it has cooked. When it is half way cooked, turn it over and cook the other half.

Unless you want a third rate hamburger, never press the spatula down to press out the juices.

When it is done, let it rest for five minutes or so on a cloth or paper towel.

First rate hamburger -- thick patty, minimum handling, no pressing down

Second rate hamburger -- thin hamburger

Third rate hamburger -- press the juices out

Fourth rate hamburger -- old meat. Good for the most hockey puckiest of hockey pucks.

The reasons for minimum handling:
1) The more you handle it, the more the muscle and fat separate.
2) (I think more important) If you pack out all the air space, there is less room for the juices to accumulate and so they end up in the pan instead of the hamburger.

>>5606433
i realize that government cheese is shitty but does good, american pre-sliced cheese exist? or do they have to put a bunch of chemicals or whatever to keep them from sticking too much to each other

>>5608281
Kraft makes some deli deluxe slices or something like that which are pretty decent for pre-sliced american cheese. A step above the shitty singles that are wrapped in plastic, but it's still processed cheese. I keep some around to use in grilled cheese sandwiches sometimes.

>>5608304
thats good to know
when my friend bbq's i usually just tell him no cheese because i assume its shitty but ill ask him and maybe inform him of this better cheese if he doesnt already know

>>5608314
boars head also has an american and there are others in the deli case too

Put the cheese inside of the patty

i use a lime chilli powder spice mix to throw in my ground beef.

>>5608616
>if youre a faggot

Anyone got any good, easy sauce/relish suggestions? I feel like that aspect is most lacking in my burgers, and I'm sick of just putting on BBQ sauce or tomato sauce & mustard

>>5607823
>>5608053
>>5608056
Alton Brown please stay

Is Brie good for burgers?

>>5606588
Egg roll? Would that really be an improvement over Potato bread?

>>5609397
I love brie on burgers. Great for creamyness. Avoid if you were banking on a big taste boost (like sharp cheddard)

Pickles go on the side of sandwiches, as spears, not in the sandwich.

I really like blue cheese and bacon on a nice thick burger. Onions, lettuce & tomato are optional.

>>5608052
There are plenty of ways around this. Not that it matters for a hamburger. Gourmet hamburgers are ridiculous.

>>5606433
Op please read this
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/12/the-burger-lab-salting-ground-beef.html
Used to spend 30 minutes mixing crap into the beef.
Now to just smash into patties and put salt & pepper on them just before grilling and they are 200% better.

>>5609397
Decent camembert if you want flavour as well as creamyness,

>>5606433
need tips for making an awesome burger patty for keto eatings. I have insanely lean grass fed ground beef. What do

>>5608650

Tzatziki sauce is pretty damn good on a burger. Also guac is amazing on a burger.

>>5611027
What I do is usually divide the ground beef I have in appropriate proportions, roll them gently to balls and just press them down to burgers.
And then only salt and pepper just before I grill the suckers.

>>5606433
A little bit of white wine never goes astray.

I like blue cheese and bacon crumbles mixed into the burger. Cheese helps keep it moist while also giving flavor. Also a trick i learned when grilling burgers... satuate both sides of your burger with olive oil and let it soak in before grilling. helps keep it from drying out.. also a tip from my dad who used to work in a butcher shop.. let the beef sit out for about 20 min before grilling. This applies to steak also. The shock from being thrown on a hot grill isnt as bad and it keeps the burger/steak moister and more tender

>home made buns
>pickles

Get the gritty beef.

>>5612252
Please...stop

>>5612243

When cooking grass fed hamburgers, if you cook it low and slow and baste with butter as it cooks. Of course, make sure you use minimal effort to pack the patty. And don't press the spatula on it to squeeze out the juice.

Do it right and the results will likely be the best hamburger you ever ate.

>>5607710
nice pic

>>5608650
2 parts mayo to 1 part ketchup, with a splash of vinegar, finely chopped pickles and onion

>>5606433
grind your own mince or ask a butcher to (coresly)grind a particular piece of meat
season properly

make your own bread(i like brioche)

serve with your choice of acompanyments

>>5608650
New Mexican green chili sauce.

>>5607710
>burger
yes salt and pepper is fine
>steak
>not marinading that shit

>>5613115
>marinading
its marinating

>>5606433
Throw anything reasonable onto it like eggs, fries, mashed potatoes

dont hold back OP

>>5613129
almost forgot, use shaarp ass cheddar, and melt it obviously

homemade buns make a hell of a difference

as said before, choose a good meat, grind it or have the butcher do it, and mix it with pig fat, try to use it without freezing it or keeping to long once grinded, melt cheese on the bread when you toast it, and above all keep it simple on the topings and such