Many people love burgers, but not everyone knows how to cook them at home. On average, any amateur culinary specialist makes at least one of 7 mistakes during their preparation. We will tell you how to avoid these mistakes and get the perfect burger at home.
- Mistake # 1 Wrong choice of meat for a burger. The principle “the more expensive the better” does not work here. But other works: the fatter, the better. Our goal is to make burger patties as juicy as possible, and these can only come from cuts with a lot of fat. The ideal ratio of meat to fat in minced meat should be 80% meat and 20% fat or 75% meat and 25% fat. For example, minced meat made from 2/3 shoulder beef and 1/3 of the flank is perfect for a burger.
- Mistake # 2 The abundance of unnecessary ingredients in the burger mince. A bun, mustard, egg, spices, and herbs soaked in milk … All this is good in meatloaf, but not in a burger cutlet. It is enough to add only onions, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the minced meat. Add pepper to the minced meat immediately, but sprinkle the ready-made raw cutlet with salt, otherwise, it may simply fall apart during cooking and may become harsh after cooking.
- Mistake # 3 We make the perfect cutlet. Cook the minced meat yourself by turning it through the largest nozzle. And be sure to cool it before modeling so that the fat does not stick to your hands, and so that the cutlets do not stick to the pan, remove the cutlets in the refrigerator before frying (laying them with pieces of baking paper). It is even better if you scroll the meat chilled in the refrigerator. To keep your patties juicy, do not try to sculpt them perfectly even and thick. Make a notch in the center of each, so it will be both thick and regular when fried. If you cook burgers often, buy a special minced meat press or at least a cooking ring. Make the cutlet a little larger in diameter than necessary, because it will fry anyway. The cutlet with high-fat content is especially lost in size.
- Mistake # 4 Using too fluffy burger buns. When we eat a burger, we want to taste the taste of meat, cheese, sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and … buns, not just the taste of a wonderful soft bun. Therefore, fluffy buns, in this case, are not the right choice. You can even make a pita burger if you want. This dish is less high in calories and tastes as good as a classic burger. A good option is a brioche. Yes, she is lush but squeezed wonderfully by her hands. Remember burger is eaten by hand! Before assembling, cut the bun in half and be sure to fry in a dry frying pan or grill on the crumb side.
- Mistake # 5 Constantly checking the readiness of the burger cutlet. Do not stir the meat while it is cooking in the pan. Do not cut it open to check its readiness, do not turn it over every 15 seconds. Trust me, it will cook in 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness) and without your super-sensitive guidance. If you want to control the process, check the readiness of the burger patty with a special probe or thermometer. This way you will damage the cutlet less and keep it juicy. And fry the cutlet in a very preheated pan or grill, not forgetting about the vegetable oil. Only the cutlet should not float in it!
- Mistake # 6 We use an abundance of sauces and additives when assembling a burger. A generous serving of sauce or even sauces looks incredible in Instagram photos, but in real life, it’s better to limit yourself to three additional elements (tomato/cucumber, bacon, a slice of cheese) and 1-2 sauce. The combination of mayonnaise and ketchup with lettuce, tomato, and onion may seem trivial, but that’s where you need to start! Firstly, you can easily bite off a piece of such a juicy burger, and, secondly, you probably won’t oversalt anything, don’t over-pepper, or spoil it with an inappropriate filling. The harmony of flavors in a burger is equally important for the right meat and buns.
- Mistake # 7 Incorrect assembly of the burger. An approximate assembly scheme for a classic hamburger should be as follows (from bottom to top): half a toasted bun + onion + sauce + cutlet + tomato/cucumber + green salad + sauce + the second half of a toasted bun. Remember that the sauce should not get the bread wet!
