Attention barbecue lovers
Here's how to grill a juicier burger
Summer weekends wouldn’t be the same without backyard barbecues. And no backyard barbecue is complete without hamburgers.
Exactly what defines the perfect hamburger may be open to debate, but there’s no denying the desirability of juicy burgers. As grillmasters prepare for another season of backyard barbecues, the following are some ways they can make their burgers more juicy.
Avoid extra-lean meat. Extra-lean meat might be healthier than the alternatives, but 93% lean ground beef is unlikely to produce juicy burgers. When making burgers from scratch, opt for 80% lean. WebMD notes that fat helps to hold burgers together while searing and cooking the meat. The result is a more juicy interior than cooks are likely to get when using lean meats.
Swap beef for lamb. Cookbook author John Holl notes in his book “The American Craft Beer Cookbook” (Storey) that substituting ground beef with ground lamb makes for a juicier burger. Lamb is moist, so unlike lean beef, it can be grilled as well-done without drying out. Lamb also offers a different taste than beef, adding a little variety to a backyard barbecue.
Saddle your spatula. Flipping the burgers too much or pressing them against the grill as they cook can dry them out.
Be conscious of carryover cooking time. Carryover cooking time refers to the length of time temperature in a food continues to rise even after it’s been removed from a cooking area. Beef is among the many foods that continue to cook after being removed from a heat source, so beef burgers can be removed from the grill before they reach the desired cooking temperature. This prevents drying out and ensures that once they’re served, the burgers will be juicy and safe to eat.
Barbecue Chipotle Burgers INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup beer
2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 slices frozen Texas Toast 2 spears pickled okra, sliced
DIRECTIONS
To prepare barbecue sauce, combine beer, brown sugar, ketchup, chipotle peppers and Worcestershire sauce in saucepan; bring to a boil. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes until sauce is thickened; set aside.
Lightly shape ground beef into four 1/2-inch thick patties. Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 8 to 10 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 7 to 9 minutes) until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers 160 degrees, turning occasionally. (Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.) Meanwhile, prepare Texas Toast according to package directions. Cut each piece of toast in half. Fresh Texas toast, buttered, may be used instead of frozen product. For each sandwich, spread 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce over one toast half. Top with burger, another tablespoon sauce and okra slices. Close sandwich. Serves 4.
Cook’s tip: Dill pickle chips or pickled jalapeno peppers may be substituted for pickled okra.
(Recipe courtesy of the Iowa Beef Council.)