Hamburger Help???

Lowflyer · February 2015

i should know this, but I don't so I ask for help. @ what temp do you pull your burgers to have some pink inside? I know 160 is the norm, but I need some pink...I seem to overcook mine everytime, they are good but I think they could be better.

SoCalTim · February 2015

Hi, I don't have an answer for you, but what I do have is a joke I once heard .. It goes as follows ' You can't help hamburger unless hamburger WANTS to be helped' ... Ok, I guess you had to be there. lol

grege345 · February 2015

My advice is to always consider the carry over effect. So if your pullin at 160 its probably closer to 165 or higher.

Fouker187 · February 2015

Pullin your meat can be dangerous

stemc33 · February 2015

I'm not sure pink and a certain temp is a simple answer @Lowflyer. Here's an article with pics. My wife likes hers well done and I've pulled at 170° to find it still had pink. My wife will eat unsafe meat as long as it's brown. If it's got just a slight bit of pinkness, she's not eating it. Temperature means nothing to her.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blog/nutrition/2012/05/how_to_avoid_bbq_blunders.html

BRush00 · February 2015

Hey Lowflyer - actually i'm not too sure the tempurate myself, as I've yet to really hit them perfectly. I'm still trying to get it right IMHO. I usually plan to pull around 135, however to be honest, i usually go over (in direct proportion to how many beverages I may or may not have had.... odd that....).

My plan is usually cook around 500, 60 seconds, turn, 60 seconds, flip, 60 seconds, turn 60 seconds, and pull.

When I'm standing over the egg, with a watch and timing everything, I end up with fairly 'medium rare' burgers. when I've slipped up a touch, usually with friends, alcohol and other bad habbits - i usually pull and just barely save them from a well done fate.

Austin Egghead · February 2015

It depends on two things: If I cut the meat from tenderloin tail and grind myself, then I will pull at 130ish, carry over will still be under 140.
Pre-bought I will cook to 165-180.
If you like yours pink then I would pull at between 145 and 155.

THEBuckeye · February 2015

Here's what I do. Almost never fails to a M to MR.

Fresh Ground Chuck w/ Dizzy Cow Lick (like a salt and pepper shake worth)
1/3 Lb. Patties ( I order 1.3 lbs to make 4 when cooking burgers)
450 dome temp
Standard Grate Height
Burgers close to Room Temperature before placing on Egg
4:00 to 4:30 a side (use iPhone Timer)
I've never taken a Burger temp in all my days of grilling from Weber to Egg

henapple · February 2015

@Lowflyer how are you cooking them?

500 · February 2015

Another factor I feel that makes a difference is the fat content in the grind. Leaner hamburger meat can overshoot on temp easier than fattier. Because SWMBO will buy 90 or even 93 percent lean burger meat and expect a medium done burger, really puts me to the test. So for lean burgers, I go raised direct at a lower temp and sort of roast them, so as not to overshoot medium. Not much crust on these type of burgers. Mind you these are the thicker pub style burgers, not thin diner style. If get fattier meat, you can go higher on the temps and get some nice crust on them. I rotate continually and move them around to get on the clean part of the grate to maximize char. I want to try diner style next time and cook them on a cast iron pan.

fishlessman · February 2015

the thermapen ruined burgers for me, just say no to the thermapen

i went back to my old ways, hot grill, wait for juice to puddle up on top of burger, flip burger, wait for juice to puddle up on burger, add cheese for a few seconds and off the grill. i like a large thinner burger with good charring, to get this 450 min grill temp and i slip the burgers into the freezer for 15/20 minutes before grill time

Zmokin · February 2015

SoCalTim said:

Hi, I don't have an answer for you, but what I do have is a joke I once heard .. It goes as follows ' You can't help hamburger unless hamburger WANTS to be helped' ... Ok, I guess you had to be there. lol

I presume the joke is in reference to the ubiquitous box of Hamburger Helper.

As I had to get the MSG out of our food (wife reacts badly to it), I now make "Hamburger Helpless" on occassion. Make it the same as Hamburger helper, but using my own noodles, spices, can o tomato sauce etc. You can find recipes online for DIY "HH" and then modify to your own preferences like I do.

Ladeback69 · February 2015

THEBuckeye said:

Here's what I do. Almost never fails to a M to MR.

Fresh Ground Chuck w/ Dizzy Cow Lick (like a salt and pepper shake worth)
1/3 Lb. Patties ( I order 1.3 lbs to make 4 when cooking burgers)
450 dome temp
Standard Grate Height
Burgers close to Room Temperature before placing on Egg
4:00 to 4:30 a side (use iPhone Timer)
I've never taken a Burger temp in all my days of grilling from Weber to Egg

I agree about taking a temp with the burgers. @THEBuckeye, is right on time and temp per side. If you go hotter your time will be less. I can usually tell by how much juice is coming out of the meat. The MI like hers red so they are only on for about a minute or a 2 per side at 600. I like cooking them hot and fast. If you want to check the tempo and are shooting for medium, I would around 135 to 140. Check out Youtube, there are all kinds of videos on cooking burgers on the egg. Good luck and happy egging.

UncleFred · February 2015

Eggcelsior · February 2015

Austin Egghead said:

It depends on two things: If I cut the meat from tenderloin tail and grind myself, then I will pull at 130ish, carry over will still be under 140.
Pre-bought I will cook to 165-180.
If you like yours pink then I would pull at between 145 and 155.

This. If I grind myself, I treat it like I would a steak in terms of temp and pull at medium rare. If it's store-bought, I add extra moisture in the way of Worcestershire sauce and dehydrated onions. My local grocer grinds up strip steak on the weekends and it has become my go-to. I can take it to 180 and they are still pour-down-the-chin juicy. It must be an 80/20 or 75/25 grind.

Lowflyer · February 2015

Thanks for all the info. Going to have to keep practicing.
@ henapple, 350-375 dome, flip when juices rise, usually put cheese on at 150ish and melt. They turn out great, just seems I leave on too long.

henapple · February 2015

@Lowflyer. .where are you located?

Lowflyer · March 2015

@henapple I'm in Canton/Holly Springs Ga.

DoubleEgger · March 2015

I have always tested the firmness of the burger with the corner of the spatula. I've been cooking them for so long I just go off of feel. Never used a thermometer

SmokyBear · March 2015

I've been doing 4 oz burgers from ground sirloin via raised grid on my Mini in a "reverse sear"..

350'ish for 4 - 4 1/2 min per side. Remove at ~140. Let rest a couple of minutes while you get a CI griddle smoking hot. (I do mine inside on the gas cooktop as the burgers have already gotten plenty smoky on the BGE by this point). Cook on CI for about 45 sec - 1 min per side to get Malliard reaction browning. Remove. Rest for a couple and serve.

These are the BEST burgers I've ever had, bar none. They were just a "barely" bit pink inside (we like medium plus generally) but soft and melt in your mouth goodness.

I think the key is reverse sear to 140 or so, 1 min or so "nuclear" hot on a CI grill..

YMMV.

Good luck!

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