Temp for a hamburger

Unknown

Hi, just got my egg a month ago, cooked great steaks, (awesome steaks,) smoked 4 racks of back ribs, and wings. My Problem is burgers, I can't seem to cook a juicy burger! Have tried at 300 with 1/4lb patty(I have a very good eye) cooked it for about 15 - 17 min., and dry... also tried cooking at 700 and above for a min., flipping, cook another min., and close all down. Dry!
It is not my burger mixture, always turned out great on my gas grill! Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Unknown

Gayle, two minutes per side, a couple of inches above very hot coals, will get you a juicy burger.

Unknown

Will try burgers again but if dry, will go to the gas bbq for burgers

Fire in the Hole

gayle,[p]Please don't give up on egged burgers![p]I found that getting the perfect burger can be a slight bit trickier than a steak or butt. But the final result is far better than anything cooked on a gasser or in a frying pan, once the technique is mastered.[p]I have tried many of the different methods as were described here in the forum. But, I think I may have settled on one that my family and I feel is the best for our tastes.[p]Quite simply, I found that a low-n-slo method, as opposed to a high-temp sear method, provides for a burger that is thoroughly cooked and not crusty, yet very juicy and quite flavorful.[p]Simply, I start with 75/25 ground beef (leaner beef with less fat tends to be too dry, IMO), mix in a packet of onion soup mix and moisten with some Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. A few well-placed drops of Tabasco sauce (Habanera is my favorite. But the Chipotle version is great just to add some flavor and a touch of smokiness without the heat) to top things off.[p]Scoop out a handful, about 1/4 pound or so, roll into a ball and press into a patty about 1/2 inch thick. Try to not get the patties TOO thick or they will not get done in the middle. Larger or smaller patties work fine, as long as the thickness doesn't get out of hand.[p]Set up the egg for a direct cook with a fairly full load of lump. No higher that the top of the fire bowl and no lower than the holes in the fire bowl should do just fine. Fire up the egg and stabilize somewhere around 350 degrees dome temperature.[p]I place my patties on the grill evenly spaced and away from any obvious hot spots. Close the lid and let the patties cook at 350 for about 7-10 minutes. Check on the patties toward the end of that time and look for signs of juices starting to seep out the top of the patties. The time of the cook is not as important as the flow of juices.[p]Once the juices are beginning to flow, turn the patties being mindful of any hot spots.[p]Once again, close the lid and cook for another 7-10 minutes. Remember, your time may vary. The idea here is to watch for the seeping of the juices. That indicates the inside of the burger is cooking.[p]I check on the patties toward the end of this cook time and if the juices are flowing fairly well I go ahead and open the lid and also open the lower vent to allow the lump to fire up a bit.[p]Now, I use the hot spots and flames from the burning lump to apply a final sear to both sides of the burgers. For me, this is where the final appearance of the burger is made. Up until now, I have only been cooking the beef. I have found that a hard sear early in the process usually means a less done inside later. Yuck![p]Brown the patties to your approval. But do not press on the patties or allow them to cook too long on the high heat.[p]If you desire, place a slice of your favorite cheese on the patties and pull them from the grill.[p]Enjoy!!

Unknown

Fire in the Hole,[p]Wow.....this has to be one of the best detailed explanations of how to cook a good burger. I have yet to cook a version to my liking on a consistant basis. My only concern is the onion soup, never a fan of that stuff but I'll give anything a try when it comes to making a good burger.[p]Thanks,
Howard

fishlessman

Gayle,
when i first got the egg, i also got a thermapen. it ruined burgers for me. i had never taken the internal temp of a burger before and just enjoyed my medium rare juicy burgers. then i found that you had to cook burgers to 160 which makes for a lousy burger. i now take my chances of food poisoning and enjoy burgers cooked medium rare. 375-425 dome temp works for me, but i do cookk them at different temps all the time and i make my burgers much bigger. the hard thing is that with the egg you are trained not to peek, with burgers you need to peek and watch the juices start to flow on top to know that they are done.

Tony

Gayle,
A few weeks back someone posted a receipe for "Butter Burgers" here on the BGE forum. I must tell you that the receipe was so good that I use a variation of it evertime I make hamburgers. Talk about juicy, I promise you it's a juicy burger. We absolutely love them.
With out being specific, I don't have the proportions in front of me here it is:
3 lbs ground beef
mix in:
half a small tub of cottage cheese
some chopped green onions
1/3 stick of melted butter
a couple tablespoons of Lea and Perrin
some black pepper / I do not add salt[p]Form into patties and sprinkle your favorite seasoning on at this time. (I use Tony's Chasherie's <(sp) or Cajun Power)[p]stabilize the BGE @ 400 degrees
toss in a small chunk of hickory out on the outter edge in the back (wait until it starts smoking)
place the burgers on the grill (away from the chunk of hickory) cook for about 3-4 minutes direct with lid closed. Open lid turn patties only once. Add gratted cheddar on top at this time. Close lid, wait another minute open if cheese is melted take the burgers off. (* please note...I have never timed this cook, I just play it by instinct). They come out great everytime.[p]

Essex County

Gayle,
You've gotten some great responses below. I typically cook burgers by feel. That is, I touch them lightly in the center when I think they're getting close. A rare burger will feel mushy, a medium-rare, less so. It's hard to explain beyond that. This is what I did when I used the gasser too. My other suggestion would be to cook em like you did on the gas grill. Even if it means leaving the dome up. But if you're like me, I never had any idea what temp I was grilling at on the gasser. It was low, medium, or high at best.
Good luck with it!
Paul