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burgers today - help!

Mole351
Mole351 Posts: 110
edited April 2012 in EggHead Forum

cooking premade burgers today for son's bday party.  not doing anything fancy - just want to cook em and not mess em up.  did my first cook on the egg last night (spatchcock chicken - was great!) but after reading all the info out there on the egg - is funny but am nervous about cooking something as simple as burgers!

 

they are the thin ones you buy at any grocery store...what temp recommend cooking?  don't want them tasting like smoke, so i read to let the lump burn a bit before putting them on. 

 

one issue i had yesterday was the temp would skyrocket if i would open the dome.  i will be doing multiple batches of these as well as flipping them obviously.  is there any way to curb temps for this?  any helpful hints for the cook in general (i.e. - time, etc)

 

any info appreciated - thanks!

Comments

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    The big thing is to not over cook them. Have an instant read thermometer? That helps a lot. Go just to 160F.  If pre-made burgers are thin, I like to drizzle a little tamari sauce on them. Besides offering flavor, and some additional browning, the extra moisture seems to me to give a little longer so inside can be cooked beyond raw.

    If you just have the basic set-up, a grill on the fire ring, there is not much choice but to cook quickly. The side of the burgers facing the lump will be very hot, no matter what the dome temperature. If the dome gets much above 400, it can be unpleasant, because grease flare ups happen pretty fast. Not impossible, just requires lots of quick flipping, and ducking clouds of smoke.

    If you can raise the grill, it is easier to avoid burning. The heat at the grill level then drops by about half.

    If you have a way to place something between the burgers and the lump, there is even less chance of burning. I don't do that, but I do move the burgers around the grill because there are almost always hot spots.

    If you are working over the grill for a good bit of time, the temperature spikes will start to add up. In most cases, they are so transitory as to not make appreciable difference. If you have several rounds of burgers to do, you might want to give the Egg a few minutes to stabilize between rounds.
  • Gato
    Gato Posts: 766
    The thin burgers will not take that long to cook. I would not recommend trying to use an instant read thermo. As you are checking multiple burgers you may start getting flare ups etc. and it will just make you more nervous. Raised grid may be a good idea. Don't worry too much and have fun with it. You will do fine.
    Geaux Tigers!!!
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    + 1 for the raised grid if no other reason than to give you better response time. 
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Gato
    Gato Posts: 766
    And it's easier to get access to the meat
    Geaux Tigers!!!
  • Mole351
    Mole351 Posts: 110
    Wow - thanks all for the insight (and fast replies)!

    Most typically use the grill extender for raised grid? I have firebricks but nothing to set them on other than top of the firebox...
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    While you don't have time today, you can get an inexpensive weber grill that can sit on the fire ring, then use your bricks with the BGE grill on top.  Can't comment on using the grill extender-there is a trade-off between the smaller grill extender cooking surface and the benefit of the height.  Don't know how many you will be cooking-but don't worry they will consume anything and think it's great.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Mole351
    Mole351 Posts: 110
    Well I was planning on going to the grill store before the party to see if he have an excessory I could use. Do the sell just the grates?
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Yes do raised direct. Just put the bricks on the fire ring and the grate on them. Even more important than that, do not use a full load of lump!!! Don't askme how I know that. If you are cooking a ton of burgers, the grease and open dome gets the fire going crazy. Especially if they are pre made frozen burgers. So these are the keys (for me):
    1. Don't load firebox with lump
    2. Raised grid- further from flame and easier to flip burgers
    3. Beer
    4. Have fun
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • I have to throw this in since it's your first cook of this type. You are ripe for flashback when cooking this way. Opening and closing the lid a lot over a hot direct fire is exactly how it happens. make sure to open your daisy wheel  for a few seconds before opening the dome and don't just throw the dome open (unless you are looking for hairless forearms and an eyebrow trim :). Open it slowly so a rush of oxygen does not jump into your egg and give you a nice little surprise. 

    We all cook this way and flashback is a part of cooking on the egg. They are more frightening than dangerous but still good to be aware it them. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • +100 for the warning from Cen-Tex

    Burgers were my first intro to flashback. It is very easy to forget to 'burp' the egg when you are opening/closing often while cooking burgers.

    Enjoy the Egg! As a fellow noob (6weeks in) I can tell you your cooking experience is going to be awesome in the coming weeks.

    Tom
  • Mole351
    Mole351 Posts: 110
    Thanks all. Went great - raised the grate with the bricks and tried to keep around 450. 3 "batches" of burgers and dogs...all came out wonderfully and no burns/overcooks. Was surprised by how many people were genuinely interested in the egg...was kinda the hit of the party (other than my one year old son the party was for obviously). Even had one friend leaving the party hell bent in getting one...apparently ha been tryin to convince his wife for awhile and but had concerns about how long it takes to bring up to temp...once they saw it in action it was a done deal :)

    Definitely see where can get flashback...especially early in cook. Couple times I found myself opening really quickly and thinking after the fact that I shouldn't have done it. Easier to remember later on when the smoke was rolling out.

    Thanks again all!
  • While you don't have time today, you can get an inexpensive weber grill that can sit on the fire ring, then use your bricks with the BGE grill on top.  Can't comment on using the grill extender-there is a trade-off between the smaller grill extender cooking surface and the benefit of the height.  Don't know how many you will be cooking-but don't worry they will consume anything and think it's great.
    Alright, I brought the grill extender out of permanent retirement tonight to do a spatchcock yard bird. I'm getting an AR next week so I'll have better options but after all the mean things I said about the extender, I figured I at least owed it a fair shake.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX