Big Green Egg - EGGhead Forum - The Ultimate Cooking Experience...
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Big Geen Egg Burger advice...

RubmyrockRubmyrock Posts: 266
in EggHead Forum
Raised direct is the ONLY way to go. Do NOT completely shut off vents. Follow these two general rules of thumb and it will make for an easy cook. The only other observation I've made is that smoke can ruin burgers so don't use wood chips or chunks. Anything else wood is great. Take it for what it's worth but I've had more trouble with burgers than brisket until Idiscoveres the ways of the Samuri...
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Comments

  • NetzapperNetzapper Posts: 5
    IMO, smoke is delicious on burgers. Best hamburgers I've ever had in my entire life were in Poulsbo, WA. The fellow made some excellent BBQ (he was a transplant from Florida, I believe). And he introduced, pretty late in the life of the restaurant, burgers. They were seared. And then they were smoked for four hours. And they were the best things on the planet.
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  • 10Driver10Driver Posts: 84
    Yeah the best lunch in the middle of a long smoke is smoked burgers. Even a short .5-1 hour smoke followed by a sear is really yummy.
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  • LitLit Posts: 1,327
    I usually use Persimmon wood for my burgers. Raised direct works for burgers but I wouldn't say its the only way. I sear them low sometimes on the spider or like the burgers I made last week from a ground up point had alot of fat so I cooked them at about 300 for a longer time to render out a little of the fat. The point burgers were pretty good by the wayimage
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  • RubmyrockRubmyrock Posts: 266
    I like smoke flavor too but no one else here likes them.
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  • LitLit Posts: 1,327

    Here's searing some down low on the spider. Saves alot of lump.

    image

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  • michigan_jasonmichigan_jason Posts: 1,098
    Looks great, my problem seems that the drippings make for a nasty smoke flare up and it taints the flavor for me.

    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."

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  • Hillbilly-HightechHillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
    Here's a thread I did on grinding your own burger:  


    And as far as "advice" or "tips" on making your burger better:  
    1. gently toss the meat back & forth from hand to hand till it starts to form a ball.  Then gently start "slapping" the ball to flatten it out - the key word here is GENTLY - for burgers, you don't want densely compacted meat.  Think "light & airy".  
    2. Once the meat starts flattening out, I usually flip it up in my hand so that it looks like a "wheel" and start rolling it like a wheel around my palm, to make it more uniform & round.  
    3. Once you get the patty looking like you want it to - set it down then gently press your thumb into the middle to form an indentation or "divot" - this will help keep the burger from becoming "bulbous" and swelling as it cooks. 
    4. Once you place it onto the cooking grid - shut the dome & leave it alone for about 4 minutes - do NOT start "smushing" it w/ your spatula - you just spent all that time making nice "light & airy" patties, so why would you then want to compact & condense them now (let alone you'd be squishing the juices out of the burger).
    5. After about 4 minutes, open dome, and quickly (but gently) flip, and close dome quickly.  
    6. After the 2nd set of 4 minutes (maybe 3 minutes, 30 seconds), if you enjoy cheese on your burgers, now would be the time to add cheese - add the cheese, shut dome, wait about 30-40 seconds for cheese to melt.
    7. Gently remove burgers, place on bun, add desired condiments, enjoy!!! (no need to "rest" a burger - eat it immediately).
    HTH,
    Rob
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
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  • MountainBoyEgginMountainBoyEggin Posts: 11
    Top 5 open, bottom all the way open will make 400 deg. every time on  a large.  Rev it up to about 600, then throw on the daisywheel.  She may backfire, but will settle down.  Let her get happy, easiest burger cook you'll ever have. 
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