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I can't master the simplest of cooks!!! Hamburgers grilled direct! What am I doing wrong?
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Comments
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How big/thick are you making them? Maybe a smaller patty will cook faster and cleaner than a oversized beast.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
-Umberto Eco
2 Large
Peachtree Corners, GA -
On my LBGE I use the Woo2 to raise it and go 400 direct and perfect everytime..Charlotte, NC - Large BGE 2014, Maverick ET 733, Thermopen, Nest, Platesetter, Woo2 and Extender w/Grid, Kick Ash Basket, Pizza Stone, SS Smokeware Cap, Blackstone 36"
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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.SE PA
XL, Lg, Mini max and OKJ offset -
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!!Pittsburgh, PA - 1 LBGE
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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/
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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.
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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?"If you're feelin' puny and you don't know what to doTreat yourself to some meat eat some barbeque
- Robert Earl Keen
L BGE
Auburn, AL -
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.______________________________________________I love lamp..
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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
Which came first the chicken or the egg? I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. -
Get a set of Grill Grates, problem solved2XLBGE, Large BGE, Medium BGE, Mini, 36" Blackstone
Raymore, MO -
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.
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Do burgers done on Cast Iron develop enough of the smoke flavor?
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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.Steve
Caledon, ON
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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.
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
or you could use these. I have a set my neighbor lets me use.
XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas GrillKansas City, Mo. -
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.htmlCGS also has reducing rings to decrease the diameter of the fire box.
Always act so that you can tell the truth about how you act.
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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.
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i just got the cast iron platesetter and it works awesome.Lbge and MiniMax in Southern Manitoba
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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.1 large BGE, Spartanburg SC
My dog thinks I'm a grilling god. -
AUCE said:Lower temp. Direct and do not open the lid until turn time
- Grid raised up to the felt
- Not too much lump - manageable fire lower is better than crazy fire higher
Boooooon apppeeettiiiiiit!
(now only 16 stone)
Joule SV
GE induction stove
Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
Prosciuttos in an undisclosed locationAustin, TX
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