Burgers

JohnfromKentucky

When you all cook burgers on the egg, do you keep the dome open or closed?  BGE has a recipe for burgers, but you flip about 2 minutes in and again....so wondering if you keep the dome open?

nolaegghead

I keep it open when I’m grilling.

danhoo

If I'm making cheese burgers, I close the lid after the cheese goes on. 

Langner91

I close the lid.  Less flare up.

bluebird66

Langner91 said:

I close the lid.  Less flare up.

Yep, this is the way I do it also.

RyanStl

bluebird66 said:

Langner91 said:

I close the lid.  Less flare up.

Yep, this is the way I do it also.

Me too

kl8ton

Depends what mood I'm in. 

Langner91

@JohnfromKentucky, I will give you my favorite way to make burgers lately.

Check out GrillGrates.  They work super for steaks, but if you flip them over, they make an awesome surface for smash burgers on the large.  Even just grilling a hand-formed patty works fantastic on the back side of these bad-boys.  I probably won't ever make burgers on the wire grid again.

I have a MMBGE and a LBGE, so I bought the Mini-Max set and added an extra 13.75" panel to replicate what they sell for the large.

I close the lid when I cook this way, too.

Reminder:  The actual green egg was the least expensive part of this hobby!

bbracey21

Closed lid for me. Run around 450° and flip at the 4 minute mark. Cook another 3 minutes then add cheese and cook for 1 more minute. A perfect medium-well for me every time. I use a burger press so burgers are consistent in size & shape every time as well. 

I will say smash burgers is on my list to try very soon. 

littlerascal56

I use my Blackstone for smash burgers. Especially when I need to make 20-30 burgers for a bunch of people. And do grilled onions and bacon on the side.

JohnfromKentucky

bbracey21 said:

Closed lid for me. Run around 450° and flip at the 4 minute mark. Cook another 3 minutes then add cheese and cook for 1 more minute. A perfect medium-well for me every time. I use a burger press so burgers are consistent in size & shape every time as well. 

I will say smash burgers is on my list to try very soon. 

where did you get the burger press?

Smash burgers are steak n shake burgers...just flat burgers. They are ok, not sure what the big deal is with them.

fishlessman

JohnfromKentucky said:

bbracey21 said:

Closed lid for me. Run around 450° and flip at the 4 minute mark. Cook another 3 minutes then add cheese and cook for 1 more minute. A perfect medium-well for me every time. I use a burger press so burgers are consistent in size & shape every time as well. 

I will say smash burgers is on my list to try very soon. 

where did you get the burger press?

Smash burgers are steak n shake burgers...just flat burgers. They are ok, not sure what the big deal is with them.

steak and shake may have started smash burgers but they dont use a hot enough griddle.  no real char develops and thats where the flavor is and thetrick is  a screaming hot quick cook so they char while staying moist inside. dont put oil on the griddle either, you want them to stick

stv8r

Closed as others say to keep the flames down

loco_engr

"Reminder:  The actual green egg was the least expensive part of this hobby!"

No truer words were ever spoken! 

loco_engr

SS burger press from Amazon:

HULISEN Stainless Steel Burger Press, 6.2 inch Round Burger Smasher, Professional Griddle Accessories Kit, Grill Press Perfect for Flat Top Griddle Grill Cooking

YukonRon

JohnfromKentucky said:

When you all cook burgers on the egg, do you keep the dome open or closed?  BGE has a recipe for burgers, but you flip about 2 minutes in and again....so wondering if you keep the dome open?

I cook raised direct on a griddle, 425F, close the lid for 4-5 minutes, flip, 3-4 minutes then throw on the cheese. I use bacon and brie, with a black pepper honey glaze, about a half ounce.

JohnfromKentucky

YukonRon said:

JohnfromKentucky said:

When you all cook burgers on the egg, do you keep the dome open or closed?  BGE has a recipe for burgers, but you flip about 2 minutes in and again....so wondering if you keep the dome open?

I cook raised direct on a griddle, 425F, close the lid for 4-5 minutes, flip, 3-4 minutes then throw on the cheese. I use bacon and brie, with a black pepper honey glaze, about a half ounce.

I do not have a way to raise it yet....sounds like something I need to get

EggNorth

I just cook them direct, not raised, with the lid closed.   Flip a few times so they do not burn.    

jdMyers

JohnfromKentucky said:

bbracey21 said:

Closed lid for me. Run around 450° and flip at the 4 minute mark. Cook another 3 minutes then add cheese and cook for 1 more minute. A perfect medium-well for me every time. I use a burger press so burgers are consistent in size & shape every time as well. 

I will say smash burgers is on my list to try very soon. 

where did you get the burger press?

Smash burgers are steak n shake burgers...just flat burgers. They are ok, not sure what the big deal is with them.

Look at bbqhack.com.  that spatula/press is amazing 

Langner91

JohnfromKentucky said:

YukonRon said:

JohnfromKentucky said:

When you all cook burgers on the egg, do you keep the dome open or closed?  BGE has a recipe for burgers, but you flip about 2 minutes in and again....so wondering if you keep the dome open?

I cook raised direct on a griddle, 425F, close the lid for 4-5 minutes, flip, 3-4 minutes then throw on the cheese. I use bacon and brie, with a black pepper honey glaze, about a half ounce.

I do not have a way to raise it yet....sounds like something I need to get

If you want to try it before you buy something, you can put your grid on 3 equally spaced beer/pop cans which sit on your fire ring. That will give you the "Raised Direct" effect. I did that with Chicken the first time, it convinced me to go buy a raised rig.

JohnfromKentucky

Started up the grill for a 1245 cook time. I'll try those can methods, thanks!

Do I have too much charcoal?



and the fire has started

JohnfromKentucky

Ok, coke cans in place. Though fire is really small...I'll give it some time

Foghorn

Generally speaking , as long as your charcoal doesn’t get in the way of placing your grate, you don’t have too much.

JohnfromKentucky

1pm and it's not up to temp yet (425). It's about 275-300

Foghorn

Vents wide open?

JohnfromKentucky

No, I did open them up more but not wide open.  Should I have done that and then close them down as the temp rose?

It's now about 325

Foghorn

To expedite things, many leave the vents open until they get 25-50 degrees shy of their target temp.  I do that if I'm in a hurry.  I try not to be in a hurry and have at least an hour and just set the vents at approximately the settings I think I'll need for the cook - and then go workout or run and then do food prep.  I'm cooking on a XXL so it takes a while to warm up.

Langner91

My process is something like this:

• Light with bottom vent wide open.
• Once actually lit, let it go 10-15 minutes with dome open, no platesetter if going indirect.  Just let the coals get hot and fire spread out.
• Put in ceramic if doing indirect.
• Close dome and open top vent all the way.
• Start shutting it down as the temperature gets within 100°F of setpoint.  I close a little at a time as it gets closer.

By doing this, I get it heated up faster and I think I get rid of any bad smoke from new charcoal or previous cooks.

I also don't sweat +/-50° on the dome.  It's like horseshoes.

JohnfromKentucky

So opening up the bottom helped speed it up. Burgers cooked and have eaten them now. They were really good! 

Thanks all for the information.

fishlessman

JohnfromKentucky said:

So opening up the bottom helped speed it up. Burgers cooked and have eaten them now. They were really good! 

Thanks all for the information.

unless they changed things, its good to take the top off of the egg, not just wide open for startup. especially when shooting for temps 400 and up

Langner91

I agree.  If he has a new egg, with a rEGGulator, they don't come off.  Opening them all the way is the best you can do.