Burger FAIL

outdoorsmin

Made burgers (again) and bacon wrapped tots with Meatchurch seasons. The bacon wrapped tots were awesome, I would image pretty hard to screw up.  However the burgers are the same as last time, grey, mushy and maybe granulated I would say. 

Burgers where 80/20, added Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Did not press down at all besides a thumb print in the middle.  Cooked at 350 for 20 mins on griddle with no placesetter. Did I say, Grey inside, mushy and somewhat granulated. FAIL. 

I would like to get a restaurant quality burger of the bge. HOW? Picture below is of dinner. Too thick and too done?

milesvdustin

20 minutes? Thats way too long. I usually sear hot and fast, just a couple minutes per side. I like them thicker so they stay rarer on the middle.  Leave out the worcestershire sauce. I just for meat patties, sprinkle a smidge of salt and pepper on. Thats it. 

EggNorth

Did you leave the Worcestershire in a while?  I did so once and it turned out mushy inside.   I now just mix onions, garlic powder and Worcestershire (a little watered down) while I heat the egg and that seems to be OK.

Which restaurant burgers do you want to emulate?  I'm sure you don't mean fast food, if so you will have to leave out the meat   

The food on the plate does look good.

outdoorsmin

I've heard 145-150 for internal temp?  I pulled them off at 170-180.

EggNorth

I pull mine off around 150+.   160 is suppose to be the safe point for ground beef, but that seems a little overdone.   No one will eat pink burgers here.

Grillmagic

450/500 direct for 3 to 3/12 minutes (with 80/20 and they should release from a clean grate) then flip until your desired temp for me it's MR about 3 to 3 1/2  4 more minutes with a 3rd # burger. I thermo pen to check looking for 145/150 then rest. 

TexanOfTheNorth

Sounds like your ground  beef may be too lean. 

GregW

I have recently discovered Worcestershire powder. All the flavor without the liquid.
I have also found another secret to add a big beefy taste to burgers and steaks.
http://betterthanbouillon.com/products/product-detail.aspx?productid=9

I baste it on the burger/steak after flipping. And again as I take them off the grill.
It amps up the beef flavor on the order of 1000%

johnkitchens

outdoorsmin said:

I've heard 145-150 for internal temp?  I pulled them off at 170-180.

Way too done. I pull mine at around 140. I know guys pulling them at 120. 

bgebrent

80/20 is great. You need to go hot and shorter time. 400 with 4 minutes a side on your set up.  IT should be about 160. 

Biggreenpharmacist

I never mix any liquid in my burgers. They get mushy, not to mention when mix it in you expose more meat to the air and it oxidizes and turns gray. I handle ground meet as little as possible. Make your burgers, then season both sides and throw them on the egg. Works best for me anyway. 

theyolksonyou

Hell @nolaegghead eats it raw!

Biggreenpharmacist

theyolksonyou said:

Hell @nolaegghead eats it raw!

@nolaegghead eats ground up coon burgers (rare). 

stemc33

@SGH has some cool pics floating around on how to egg a burger. I'll try to find the link

Biggreenpharmacist

@sgh just cooks the whole damn cow in unit 57 and then cuts a burger size piece of meat from wherever he deems best. 

stemc33

Biggreenpharmacist said:

@sgh just cooks the whole damn cow in unit 57 and then cuts a burger size piece of meat from wherever he deems best. 

LMAO.  

outdoorsmin

bgebrent said:

80/20 is great. You need to go hot and shorter time. 400 with 4 minutes a side on your set up.  IT should be about 160. 

4 mins a side, how thick of a burger?  Thanks, Troy

SmokingPiney

Burgers are best seared hot and fast - maybe 2 to 4 minutes a side over hot lump depending on the thickness of the burger.

Steve753

one thing that I have learned by experience is to flip burgers often

Ozzie_Isaac

I'm with @Steve753 .  I flip often.

caliking

GregW said:

I have recently discovered Worcestershire powder. All the flavor without the liquid.
I have also found another secret to add a big beefy taste to burgers and steaks.
http://betterthanbouillon.com/products/product-detail.aspx?productid=9

I baste it on the burger/steak after flipping. And again as I take them off the grill.
It amps up the beef flavor on the order of 1000%

You win. I usually have that stuff in the fridge. Now I have something else to use it for.