What type of meat do you use for hamburgers?

Cullum · February 2012

I have only used ground chuck 80/20 which is fine, but it just isn't what I'm looking for in burger meat. When I go out to eat a burger let's say at a Fuddruckers, it tastes a lot better than the ground chuck I would make at home. I'm not talking the seasoning part, but the meat itself. Any recommendations as to some other meat to try?

Village Idiot · February 2012

Umami burger

travisstrick · February 2012

Ground sirloin. or this:

THE GRAND BURGER*

‘Tis Grand. Made with our Grand Filet Mignon, custom ground and Chargrilled, served with

a side of Caviar and chopped Red Onions, and a Grand Magnum of imported Moët Impérial Champagne. ............$100.0

travisstrick · February 2012

That burger is from this restaurant.
http://www.mcguiresirishpub.com/MenuPDFs/McGuires_Dinner-Green.pdf

Village Idiot · February 2012

Eating at the mess hall again, Travis?

travisstrick · February 2012

Only the best for us humble grunts.

Village Idiot · February 2012

Only the best for us humble grunts.

Yeah, that's what Moochelle said.

"Please pass the steamed seaweed, Sergeant Major, and make it snappy !

Mickey · February 2012

Very good (IMO) take a brisket and grind it up. WOW..... Travis how is the eye this morning? Stop by or give me a call after the Dr. this morning.

travisstrick · February 2012

Mickey, my eye isn't too bad. The pain meds kept me from sleeping but at least it doesn't hurt.

mustgrill · February 2012

I have been grinding my HB for years. If you want to weigh it out you can to get the most accurate ratio. I have used scales in the past. Taste, it’s all in the fat. I make 80/20. The meat, Chuck, ribeye, sirloin, NY strip, flank, OK you get it. Use any full flavor meat. Cut meat and fat into cubes that will fit your grinder. (I use a Kitchenaid). You can get the fat you need ask the store to save you beef fat. I like to place this mixture in the refrig for about an hour to dry the meat just a bit. Grind two times. The first grind using a course blade. The mix very well by hand do not squeeze, using your hand down to the bottom of the bowl gently roll mixture till mixed well. The second grind, use the smaller blade grind mixture. Some times between the 1^st and 2^nd grind I will add salt and pepper or other spices? Now that’s up to you? I do have a video I made back in Dec 2011; it shows somewhat about this process. My favorite mixture is ribeye, chuck plus fat. This is where scales come in. If you grind and keep a log you’ll by trial and error get close to Fudd’s. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

On this vid I use what is called the scubby or the tail of a filet I had left over in the freezer mixed with chuck. I do think it was 80/20 but more like 90/10 but it was a last minute thing. But it was good. Try it it’s a great way make hamburgers and it will knock the socks off your friends.

mustgrill · February 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVe3PVUFioE

NecessaryIndulg · February 2012

I use ground chuck or ground buffalo. The only ground chuck I use is the freshly ground stuff from my butcher, tho. That pre-packed stuff in the grocery store is S C A R Y . . .

Hillbilly-Hightech · February 2012

The following is an "Egg-speriment" in grinding my own burger that I did awhile back - it was really an eye-opener as far as the differences in taste amongst the different cuts of meat!!!

Anyway, read through it & hopefully that will give you some starting points:

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1134763/burger-grinding-egg-speriment-results#Item_9

HTH,
Rob

boatbum · February 2012

Bison

cortguitarman · February 2012

I use lean ground chuck. Then for the kicker I add ground sausage. I use 1.5 lbs of hamburger and 8 oz of sausage. I also add chopped onions, bread crumbs, eggs, wocestershire sauce and ketchup to the mix. The sausage changes the whole flavor profile. DELICIOUS!

ribmaster · February 2012

Fresh ground 85/15...never frozen.

hogaholic · February 2012

I mix ground venison and beef.

flachick · February 2012

85/15 grass fed ground beef from Whole Foods.

bge30plus · February 2012

We always end up on grass fed beef?

cortguitarman · February 2012

I would love to put venison in my burgers, but the deer seem to go on strike when I go hunting!

I mix ground venison and beef.

bge30plus · February 2012

Do you live in Georgia? If so you can find venison from the locals? Cheap

cortguitarman · February 2012

No, Pennsylvania. The elusive PA whitetail for me.

Ragtop99 · February 2012

I like 85/15 as a compromise between the higher fat 80/20 and the leaner stuff I know I should eat. If I get the 90/10, mixing a little ground lamb or ground pork in adds flavor.

rosco · March 2012

Equil parts brisket, top sirloin, and ox tail, this is by far the best blend. cutting the meat off of the ox tail can be a chore so if you are not up to it use beef cheeks.

tazcrash · March 2012

A couple weeks ago I cut some lean ground sirloin with ground pork (2:1). That was a good burger

washouse · March 2012

Gee I've got to try some of these suggestions. They sound intriguing and delicious. One thing I would add to them is an Panade. A good slice of white bread (no crust) and 1 tablespoon of milk mixed into a paste. This will allow the burger to cook through the center without drying it out. Makes for a moist burger no matter what recipe you use. I'm leaning towards cortguitarman mix. At 75 I don't have to worry about dieing too soon with sausage and eggs overdosing.

I use lean ground chuck. Then for the kicker I add ground sausage. I use 1.5 lbs of hamburger and 8 oz of sausage. I also add chopped onions, bread crumbs, eggs, wocestershire sauce and ketchup to the mix. The sausage changes the whole flavor profile. DELICIOUS!

rosco · March 2012

In my opinion you don’t need to add mayo, eggs, or
whatever to make your meat moist or flavorful.
If you start with good cuts of beef use a cold clean grinder your
burgers will speak for themselves. If
you are grinding at home there is little need to worry about cooking temp
because your meat shouldn’t be contaminated, so you can make a medium moist
burger. Blend a nice fatty meat (ox tail, beef cheek) with a grassy or nutty
meat (brisket, skirt steak) your beef flavor will stand out and you can let
people doctor their burger to their liking.
Some people will buy expensive cuts to grind, I think that I would
rather eat a Rib eye or filet just as a steak.
Filet doesn’t hold up well in a burger because it has very little
flavor. I think my favorite part about
grinding my own beef is the trial and error, it is always fun to try something
new and there is usually an eager group of guinea pigs to sample my burgers.

Hillbilly-Hightech · March 2012

Washouse - I agree w/ Rosco that if you grill a burger on the Egg, you shoudn't need to add anything other than the ground beef to it - it should come out so juicy that the juice drips out when you bite into it.

A few tips for good burgers (brought to you by several of the folks on the forums over the years):

if forming your own patties, lightly toss the meat back & forth between your hands until it naturally forms a ball, then lightly start patting the ball until it flattens out. Don't get into the mistake of squishing the meat together so hard, because that's what makes it tough!!
An addendum to #1 - If you're not at LEAST buying good quality ground beef & forming your own patties, meaning, if you're buying pre-made patties, that's part of the problem anyway. Ideally, you should be grinding your own meat into burger.
After the meat is formed into a patty, take your thumb & press a "divot" in the middle - this will help it from swelling up & becoming bulbous during the cook.
While cooking, resist the temptation to "smoosh" the patties down w/ a spatula. That's old-school backyard grilling, and you have an Egg now, so no need to do that. In fact, once you put the patties on the Egg, close the lid & don't open it for about 3-4 minutes, and then only open it long enough to flip the patties over (while being careful to NOT smoosh them down). Smooshing them squeezes the juice out of them, & can make them tough.
After the 2nd set of 3-4 minutes, if you use cheese, lift the lid again only long enough to place the cheese on, then close & don't open again until 30-40 seconds. If you don't eat cheese, now is the time to take the patties off.

If you follow these tips, you should have delicious, softly textured, incredibly juicy & flavorful burgers!!!

HTH,

Rob

stike · March 2012

+1 rosco and HH: only thing (only thing) that dries out meat is overcooking it.

thebtls · March 2012

ONLY free range ground chuck or ground sirloin.

KingRover · March 2012

ONLY free range ground chuck or ground sirloin.

So many cuts of beef out there, many work well with burgers (short rib, brisket...)
Why limit yourself? The important thing is beef to fat ratio, and leaving out additions like bread, eggs - unless you are trying to step into meatloaf territory.

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