Hamburger; how to get that distinctive flame broiled taste?

No matter what type of ground beef I try, whatever fat content, I always end up with a patty that tastes home made.

Can anyone clue me in on the "restaurant version" of a burger on the grill?

For me, the big jump in flavor (in a pan or under a broiler) was to use much higher heat than I had been using. If you're using a stainless steel pan, heat a bit of oil (with a high smoke point) to where a few drops of water cause it to sputter and crackle. Then add the burger/pork chop/whatever and put a splatter screen on. The extra high heat will brown the meat and add a bunch of flavor.

You can then "deglaze" the pan when you're done cooking the patty - add a bit of wine, stock, or water to the pan and scrape the bottom with the spatula to release all of the tiny almost-burnt bits (if the heat is too high, those bits will burn and turn black instead of a nice dark brown). That liquid can then be used as is or mixed with some arrowroot/corn starch to thicken it for a sauce.

On a grill - high heat, sear the @#$% out of the burger, and keep flipping so the juices don't pool on top and then run off when you turn it over once. Or at least sear both sides quickly and then put the lid down to cook the insides. Hardwood (or hardwood chips inside a rolled up piece of foil on top of the flame tamers in a gas grill) also help.

Teppanyaki said:

On a grill - high heat, sear the @#$% out of the burger, and keep flipping so the juices don't pool on top and then run off when you turn it over once. Or at least sear both sides quickly and then put the lid down to cook the insides. Hardwood (or hardwood chips inside a rolled up piece of foil on top of the flame tamers in a gas grill) also help.

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Problem on the grill is the fat of anything but extra lean creates an inferno, I cook them 9-10 minutes max, flipping every minute.

What seasonings do you use, I only put salt.

MontyBurns said:

No matter what type of ground beef I try, whatever fat content, I always end up with a patty that tastes home made.

Can anyone clue me in on the "restaurant version" of a burger on the grill?

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A patty that tastes homemade is better than any defrosted and microwaved burger you can get from the home of the whopper

oc_in_fw said:

A patty that tastes homemade is better than any defrosted and microwaved burger you can get from the home of the whopper

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I'm looking for more flavor, more of a juicy, meaty flavor, I don't know how else to describe it

Try this

1lb lean ground
1/2 onion chopped
approx 1/2 cup chop mushrooms
1 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper
1 egg

mix it all together well. Makes 4 larger burgers. Try it and let me know how it is on the grill.

Switching to a charcoal grill for me changed everything, no more hockey pucks or imitations of Uncle Owen from Starwars.

Sear the meat on high for 1 min each side then cook for 3 min per side twice (total 14 mins) on medium high, perfect burger. I usually cook bubba burgers with onions, they're awesome but if you're cooking fresh might not cook quite as long but I'd go the same route. The onions help keep it moist and very tasty.

-Stephen

MontyBurns said:

No matter what type of ground beef I try, whatever fat content, I always end up with a patty that tastes home made.

Can anyone clue me in on the "restaurant version" of a burger on the grill?

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Gotta try that, sounds awesome!

-Stephen

dwsteen said:

Try this

1lb lean ground
1/2 onion chopped
approx 1/2 cup chop mushrooms
1 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper
1 egg

mix it all together well. Makes 4 larger burgers. Try it and let me know how it is on the grill.

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I do this:

80/20 beef
1 egg
salt & pepper
minced onion
a little bit of garlic
some bread crumbs
a few shakes of worcestershire sauce

Knead together and form into patties. I make mine very thick so they stay extremely juicy. Then I take my charcoal grill and dump the pre-lit coals to one side of it so I have a really hot spot and then an indirect side. Sear them both sides on the hot spot with the lid of the grill off, then cover and move them to the other side. A few slices of cheddar and a nice roll and I am good to go!

Edit: I prefer charcoal for my burgers. When the fat drips onto the coals and smokes up there is nothing better IMO.

Now im drooling

Using a good ground beef mix makes a huge difference. Going from store bought "ground beef", or even my butcher shop's ground sirloin, to a home made grind made a huge difference. I use 2 parts chuck roast, 2 parts top round and 1 part sirloin. I grind it with my kitchenaid mixer's grinder attachment. Grind it all coarse, then re-grind half of it fine. (You can use a food processor, but have to be careful not to make meat paste.) You can add seasonings to the meat while grinding to mix them in well -- I generally only use salt and pepper.
Then the final trick is to not "squash" the burgers when forming. Using a burger press or the like will destroy the taste and texture. Form the patty gently by hand until it just holds a burger shape. It should be very close to falling apart. Brush some oil on the top side. Grill (oiled side down) it over an insanely hot grill, 3 minutes or so a side flipping only once. Then check doneness and let it go longer on each side if it needs it. (you flip it only once at first because they're very delicate until they've got a bit of a sear -- on a griddle or frying pan this is less critical)

Ground chuck with a little worcestersire sauce is a good place to start IMO

+1 on the Worcestershire sauce. It makes beef taste more like beef. I also put some finely minced onion in my patties, but that's more of a personal taste thing. Don't forget that bit of salt in there, too.

And, for heaven's sake, grill them over coals (charcoal or burned down wood), and a hot fire at that. Just deal with the inferno or cover the grill between flips. Some flame kissing will help.

MontyBurns said:

Problem on the grill is the fat of anything but extra lean creates an inferno, I cook them 9-10 minutes max, flipping every minute.

What seasonings do you use, I only put salt.

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First point: using a little leaner meat (not totally fat-free...you need some fat!) will reduce flare-ups -- as will keeping the cover closed...put on high heat to sear, close lid and cook, flip halfway through, close lid and finish cooking.

Seasoning: salt and lots of fresh-ground black pepper.

Beef + Egg = Meatloaf

DoctorShavegood said:

Here's a good video on flame broiled burgers. He puts the burger directly over flames until charred slightly then moves them off the flames and closes the lid to finish. IMO this method adds that type of flavor versus seasonings.

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Yeah this good stuff.

I dont like to add dry seasonings to the meat as I feel it sucks some moisture from the meet. I will season the patties with salt and pepper though. If you can salt them like you would a steak and let them sit for a while to dry the surface. It'll help you get the sear that you're looking for.

Adding eggs and veggies, to me, feels like meatloaf or meatballs. I just want the beef

I like to add grilled jalapeno's diced up and put into the burger.... grilled and diced onions too. S&P.

Good stuff in this thread ... our recipe mirrors the others posted, though sometimes we'll put onion soup mix in the meat.

The key for me was switching from Kingsford to Royal Oak lump charcoal.

I can get a ripping fire going with that, as was stated above, sear the crap out of the burgers and then set them off to the side to cook indirectly. We made burgers a few weeks back and the kids raved about them. Burgers require some tending ... but the work is worth it.

RE: Eggs

It's one egg and it's a bonding agent. It doesn't turn your burger into meatloaf... All it is doing is holding all of the ingredients together. Try it before ya knock it, gents (though you probably already have if you've ever ordered a burger at a restaurant). You won't even know it was ever there when they come off the grill, aside from your burger not falling to shambles. "Restaurant quality" burger recipes were requested, and you'll find many restaurant quality burger recipes to have egg in them.

The best beef flavor hamburgers come from being cooked on a griddle or pan, rather than a grill. The idea here is to have as much contact with the cooking surface to caramelize as much as the meat as possible when cooking. That's why you will see some chefs press the meat patty down flatter once it's on the grill. I've tried a lot of things and I have to agree with a custom grind or grinding it yourself. One of the best I ever tasted had ground pork belly added to the ground beef mixture because remember.... fat = flavor!