I can't master the simplest of cooks!!! Hamburgers grilled direct! What am I doing wrong?

GATraveller · June 2015

How big/thick are you making them? Maybe a smaller patty will cook faster and cleaner than a oversized beast.

JohnnyTarheel · June 2015

On my LBGE I use the Woo2 to raise it and go 400 direct and perfect everytime..

pescadorzih · June 2015

I cook 1/2lb patties. 350-400 direct. Sometimes, if I am using the XL I will fill only one side of the firebox and create a direct and indirect areas. Cook over the indirect and reverse sear over the direct. Lid stays shut except to flip and cheese them.
Put on buttered and grilled bun.

xiphoid007 · June 2015

The best burgers I ever made on the egg were by accident. I had premade thick burgers that were still frozen. Dinner was on, so I did a reverse sear with the thought of quickly defrosting. I still cooked well, but just used the technique. Best burgers I've ever had!!

Jaime · June 2015

Greg, a close friend of ours mentioned this grill from his younger days. He's thrilled they're back in business. I think you're spot on with this.

swordsmn

GregW said:

I also like using my Portable Kitchen Grill for cooking burgers because you can place the coals on one end and use the other for indirect.
Its made out of heavy cast aluminum and the design has been around since the 1950's. PK also has fanatical customer support like BGE.
The PK makes a great addition to the BGE setup.
http://www.pkgrills.com/

Theophan · June 2015

I don't cook burgers often, and I've had the same problem. I've had a bunch of people tell me that frequent flipping for some reason tends to reduce the flare-up problem, and I'm planning to try that next. 400 or so, but flipping every minute. We'll see.

DalemarBGE · June 2015

after reading this, I don't feel so bad. I can cook briskets, butts, chicken, chops, etc.. but for the life of me, I can't cook a burger worth a crap on my egg. My wife keeps saying "we have a $1000.00 grill and you can't even cook a burger on it?"

nolaegghead · June 2015

Try grilling them hot, raised direct. Leave the lid open so the smoke is diffused. Ideally any fat that drips that can burn actually burns rather than smolder. Also a CI griddle will help you out. I guarantee you'll be cranking out good burgers if you grill or griddle them. Screw the smoking. Don't close the lid.

SmokeyPitt · June 2015

wgjj said:

I got my XL BGE three months ago and,although I love it, have had the same observation. Unbeatable with long and slow indirect cooks but the hardest for me to master has been the simplest burger and steaks as well. What I would like to see is a way to have half the grill cook direct and the other half indirect (or with some type of cool zone) so that you could sear burgers/steaks and then move them to a cooler part of the grill. This would also be handy in cooking two types of food on the grill at the same time. Surely I am not the first to have noticed a need for this. I don't see any "eggcessories" to handle this. Do I need to come up with my own? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

@wgjj
http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/anglebrackets.html

chick533 · June 2015

Get a set of Grill Grates, problem solved

hondabbq · June 2015

I too struggled with burgers for the longest time. Posted a few times here about my issues. I also had flare ups that caused the acrid smoke taste on the burgers. Then along came this guy @SGH that posted in a thread that its ok to cook with the egg open. I switched to cooking burgers with the dome wide open and now I have perfect burgers for our tastes. As stated above by one poster, I just move the burgers around for optimal cooking. No additional costs associated.

Sweet100s · June 2015

Do burgers done on Cast Iron develop enough of the smoke flavor?

Little Steven · June 2015

YEMTrey said:

Thanks for the response's everybody.

I guess I'll start to use cast iron or invest in a baking steel. The one's I cooked last night started off direct at the grid level at around 375-400. Lots of flare ups, acrid smoke, and no joy even standing around the grill. I then added my extended rig on top of the grate and got them hire up in the dome. That was later in the cook, so not sure if it helped or not. And I only put the burgers on, no pressing (flattening) or anything else done. Only open to flip them.
I'll keep on trying, thanks for the input. Cheers!

Just grab a piece of steel from a shop or a metal dealer that will fit. See if you like it first. The baking steel is awesome for pizza and bread though.

Ladeback69 · June 2015

wgjj said:

I got my XL BGE three months ago and,although I love it, have had the same observation. Unbeatable with long and slow indirect cooks but the hardest for me to master has been the simplest burger and steaks as well. What I would like to see is a way to have half the grill cook direct and the other half indirect (or with some type of cool zone) so that you could sear burgers/steaks and then move them to a cooler part of the grill. This would also be handy in cooking two types of food on the grill at the same time. Surely I am not the first to have noticed a need for this. I don't see any "eggcessories" to handle this. Do I need to come up with my own? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

BGE makes these for the medium, large and XL.
http://www.biggreenegg.com/eggcessories/cooking-grids-racks-extenders-pans/small-half-moon-raised-grid/

I have no problem with burgers. Get the egg to ab out 500, put on 80/20 patties about 3 minutes a side for rare, 4 for medium rare and 5 or so for medium.

Ceramicgrillstore.com sells these too to make different zones

XL Ang-L Brackets Half Firebox

or you could use these. I have a set my neighbor lets me use.

Image: http://lifewithgrilling.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/3-Charcoal-Briquette-Holders-in-Kettle-Grill.jpg

MediumRarely · June 2015

wgjj said:

I got my XL BGE three months ago and,although I love it, have had the same observation. Unbeatable with long and slow indirect cooks but the hardest for me to master has been the simplest burger and steaks as well. What I would like to see is a way to have half the grill cook direct and the other half indirect (or with some type of cool zone) so that you could sear burgers/steaks and then move them to a cooler part of the grill. This would also be handy in cooking two types of food on the grill at the same time. Surely I am not the first to have noticed a need for this. I don't see any "eggcessories" to handle this. Do I need to come up with my own? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

This will fix you up. http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/anglebrackets.html

CGS also has reducing rings to decrease the diameter of the fire box.

mark11 · June 2015

pescadorzih said:

I cook 1/2lb patties. 350-400 direct. Sometimes, if I am using the XL I will fill only one side of the firebox and create a direct and indirect areas. Cook over the indirect and reverse sear over the direct. Lid stays shut except to flip and cheese them.
Put on buttered and grilled bun.

I'm just lately been getting a handle on burgers and this is how I've been doing mine. Lump pushed to the back of my XL and most of the cook is done indirect. They go over the flames to get kissed as they approach done then back to indirect to melt the cheese and the buns go over the flames.

thebbb · June 2015

i just got the cast iron platesetter and it works awesome.

Grillin_beers · June 2015

I've never had a problem with burgers. Now, boneless skinless chicken breasts, those were my cryptonite for the first year I had my egg. Just keep experimenting and you'll get it. Otherwise use a weber kettle.

20stone · June 2015

AUCE said:

Lower temp. Direct and do not open the lid until turn time

That plus:

Grid raised up to the felt
Not too much lump - manageable fire lower is better than crazy fire higher

Of course, if you were at Salado, I am not necessarily the leading expert on flare-up management.

Boooooon apppeeettiiiiiit!

I can't master the simplest of cooks!!! Hamburgers grilled direct! What am I doing wrong?

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