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Hamburger Questions

Firemedic183
Firemedic183 Posts: 197
in EggHead Forum
I just got my woo 2 today, and had a few questions. Do I cook the hamburgers direct, or raised direct? Should I cook them on the baking steel? How long should I cook them for medium well doneness? Should I leave dome up, or dome down? Is 400 dome temp what i should cook them at? Thank you in advance for your help!
Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
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Comments

  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    1. I always grill everything raised
    2. Baking steel is an option and getting a lot of praise. I have two of them but haven't used them for anything but pizza and quesadillas.
    3. How long for MW depends on the temp
    4. I grill burgers raised direct at between 450 and 500
    5. Dome down

    Just try them different ways and you will figure out how they turn out best for you.  One of the great things about Q and the BGE, most things don't have just one way to do it.

    Good Luck
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,528
    Reverse sear also works for burgers. You can go indirect with a setter at 250 until internal comes up to 130 or so. They don't shrink and they do not drip too much. 
    Pull them and go with a 500 direct to sear the out side. They are juicy with a crust. As in all Reverse sears, dry the surface with a paper towel before you sear them. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • Scottborasjr
    Scottborasjr Posts: 3,494
    @Skiddymarker, dry surface with a paper towel? I'm still a newbie, haven't heard that before, don't you lose rub/seasoning if you do that?
    I raise my kids, cook and golf.  When work gets in the way I'm pissed, I'm pissed off 48 weeks a year.
    Inbetween Iowa and Colorado, not close to anything remotely entertaining outside of football season. 
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  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 6,134
    Ask @travisstrick about those medium well burgers

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

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  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,835
    shtgunal3 said:
    Ask @travisstrick about those medium well burgers

    :-&
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,528
    Scottborasjr said:
    @Skiddymarker, dry surface with a paper towel? I'm still a newbie, haven't heard that before, don't you lose rub/seasoning if you do that?
    IMHO - The idea is to dab it not rub it. Secondly, if you have rub and you drop the meat onto a grid above a lava bed, only salt (a mineral) will survive. Everything else will burn, not caramelize, burn. For burgers, I mix my rub into the ground beef before shaping the patties. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,528
    shtgunal3 said:
    Ask @travisstrick about those medium well burgers
    Not nice - he does carry a BIG gun you know.....
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • Scottborasjr
    Scottborasjr Posts: 3,494
    @Skiddymarker I guess I was asking more about steak then burgers since you said it applied to all reverse sear cooks. Appreciate the feedback.
    I raise my kids, cook and golf.  When work gets in the way I'm pissed, I'm pissed off 48 weeks a year.
    Inbetween Iowa and Colorado, not close to anything remotely entertaining outside of football season. 
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  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    You got a thermapen bud?

    I do 400ish indirect until 155. I'd never do straight direct on a burger. Raised direct is good. I've just always done indirect.


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,528
    Scottborasjr said:
    @Skiddymarker I guess I was asking more about steak then burgers since you said it applied to all reverse sear cooks. Appreciate the feedback.
    Scott - I also dab my steaks, season 'em after the sear. The rub and smoke has done all it can by the time the indirect portion of the cook is complete. Dry the surface to make for a quick crust forming sear. If you don't, by the time the crust forms, the interior might be overdone. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
    shtgunal3 said:

    Ask @travisstrick about those medium well burgers

    Don't do it. You're a young man!
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
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  • Firemedic183
    Firemedic183 Posts: 197
    I did raised direct at 500 dome. The burgers are pretty thick. I have to wait to eat them until SWMBO finishes cooking the sweet potato fries.
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
    I did some tonight and they were great. I grilled them direct with the grate sitting on the fire ring. I used a temp of about 450. I did 3 minutes on each side to sear them. Then I flipped them every 2 minutes or so until I achieved an internal temp of 140 to 145 (medium). My wife likes them well done so I started hers a little earlier to achieve a 150 to 155 internal temp. All this was done with the dome shut and all I did was put season salt on them before the cook. You need to get a thermapen and cook to a specific temp rather than guess on a cooking time. Getting one of those will change the way you cook and what you make will be perfect every time.
    Dave - Austin, TX
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  • Firemedic183
    Firemedic183 Posts: 197
    Terrebandit said:
    I did some tonight and they were great. I grilled them direct with the grate sitting on the fire ring. I used a temp of about 450. I did 3 minutes on each side to sear them. Then I flipped them every 2 minutes or so until I achieved an internal temp of 140 to 145 (medium). My wife likes them well done so I started hers a little earlier to achieve a 150 to 155 internal temp. All this was done with the dome shut and all I did was put season salt on them before the cook. You need to get a thermapen and cook to a specific temp rather than guess on a cooking time. Getting one of those will change the way you cook and what you make will be perfect every time.

    Thank you for the feedback. I pulled the burgers when my thermapen read 155. I absolutely agree...Thermapen is where it is at.
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
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  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    Skiddymarker said:
    Scottborasjr said:
    @Skiddymarker I guess I was asking more about steak then burgers since you said it applied to all reverse sear cooks. Appreciate the feedback.
    Scott - I also dab my steaks, season 'em after the sear. The rub and smoke has done all it can by the time the indirect portion of the cook is complete. Dry the surface to make for a quick crust forming sear. If you don't, by the time the crust forms, the interior might be overdone. 
    I've been reverse searing for years and this is the first time I have ever heard this mentioned. Guess I will have to try it, but I've always been pleased with just putting the steaks on to sear.
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