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after 6 or 7 tries... going back to the gas fof burgers! Sorry all! I just can't do it!!

smokn gramma g
smokn gramma g Posts: 144
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
I can not cook a damn burger on this grill! Wrong, I can cook one, it just turns out to be shoe leather! I can't remember who's post it was...very detailed, and I followed it, 5 hamburger cooks and it is still shoe leather! I have never had this problem with my gas bbq![p]All said... I think I will be cooking my burgers on the gas, sooo juicy, and med well! Couldn't do that on the egg! Steaks, chicken, pizza and everything else... on the egg!! [p]Gayle

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Comments

  • michael
    michael Posts: 47
    smokn gramma G,
    wow, i hope to have better luck than you. I am a beginner.
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    smokn gramma G,
    Okay we need to calm down. Get 85/15 burger, make a nice patty. Poke a small hole in the middle, burger doesn't fatten up and cooks more even. Don't push down on patties, I'm sure you knew that.
    Get BGE to 350 and throw them suckers on. Size of burgers determines time.
    1 more time for me.[p]Mike
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  • smokn gramma g
    smokn gramma g Posts: 144
    michael,
    I am also a newbie... have had for abour 4 months now. Cant cook a burger, everything else is awesome!
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  • smokn gramma g
    smokn gramma g Posts: 144
    Car Wash Mike,
    I have always done my burgs that way... some reason comes out wrong on the egg!

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  • Lawn Ranger
    Lawn Ranger Posts: 5,467
    [img]IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/Lawnranger/burgerIMG_1945.jpg[/img][/img]
    <p />smokn gramma G,[p]Don't give up yet. If I can do it...anyone can![p]Mike[p]IMG_2197.jpg[p]burgerIMG_.jpg[p]305.jpg[p]fajitaburger.jpg[p]ob1.jpg[p]chiliburger2.jpg
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  • smokn gramma g
    smokn gramma g Posts: 144
    Lawn Ranger,
    Those look soooo good!
    Do the onions help keep the moisture in?
    Did I tell you the look really gooooood!
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    vdburger3.jpg
    <p />smokn gramma G,
    Helk, he might have fried them. I'm so sorry LR. I know everyone has been missing this pic. LOL.
    I'm trying educate new bge OWNERS.[p]Mike
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  • smokn gramma g
    smokn gramma g Posts: 144
    Car Wash Mike,
    ok, this might sound stupid but what is 85/15? is that 85%beef to 15% fat? I get my hamburg from the grocer! What do I look for? Maybe that is what I am doing wrong!
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    smokn gramma G,
    If they don't have the content ask them.
    That would be correct, I started cutting meat at 13 years old.
    No questions are stupid.[p]Mike
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  • MasterMason
    MasterMason Posts: 243
    smokn gramma G,[p]Are you using a meat thermometer to check internal temps. I have found there is a learning curve on the time differental. Things that used to take 15 mins are done in 10 or less etc..... Once I got a thermapen, I haven't overcooked anything since.
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  • Eggtuary
    Eggtuary Posts: 400
    smokn gramma G,
    I always get ground chuck. At my grocer, that's at least 15% fat, and usually 20%. Turns out great every time.[p]Sometimes my wife forgets, and buys the Laura's Lean stuff. Only 8% fat, or even less! Makes terrible burgers, despite the fact I'm cooking on the Egg.[p]With the higher fat stuff, I make awesome burgers. I have a friend who is one of the cheapest people I know. But he's now considering buying an Egg just because of the burgers I made for him one time![p]Let us know if you try it one more time, but do it with beef containing at least 15% fat. I'll bet you have much better results!
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  • smokn gramma g
    smokn gramma g Posts: 144
    Car Wash Mike,
    ok, so...you know! What is lean, med and reg?
    would I be aiming for lean? Ok, then I go to my butcher and say... "85/15... and they will know? I am so lost, have always bought hamburger in the grocery store, and options are lean, med, regular! And always bought lean.[p]Gayle
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  • MasterMason
    MasterMason Posts: 243
    smokn gramma G,[p]Your probably getting 95/5 then. The regular should be the 85/15 your looking for
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  • smokn gramma g
    smokn gramma g Posts: 144
    Eggtuary,
    Ok, so I just as for ground chuck?? Do i say 85% -15% ??[p]I usually just buy my burger out of the bins! If i fade out !having a hell of a storm here! Have satellite internet!
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  • smokn gramma g
    smokn gramma g Posts: 144
    Master Mason,
    thank you sooo much! Thank you! will try regular hamburger! do they tell you that on the packaging in the states?
    Curious![p]Gayle
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  • MasterMason
    MasterMason Posts: 243
    smokn gramma G,[p]
    Yes they have to list the fat content in the US. There is 95/5, 90/10, and 85/15 grinds.... The first is the lean the second in the fat content. It can actually be a little leaner than listed, but never less lean. They check the grocery stores at random to ensure complience.[p]I managed grocery stores in my previous life...
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  • smokn gramma g
    smokn gramma g Posts: 144
    Master Mason,
    I think I will be looking at my hamburger packaging a little closer! Have never noticed any of that... but then never looked really closely! eye opener!
    Thanks[p]Gayle
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  • okesmokie
    okesmokie Posts: 150
    smokn gramma G, It’s the other way around with me. I cooked burgers last night for the first time on my egg and they were the best I have ever had and that no bull. You experts what did she do wrong? I can’t imagine any being dry cooked on the egg. I’ve had gas grills for 40 years and there is no comparison to the egg as far as I am concerned.

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  • okesmokie
    okesmokie Posts: 150
    smokn gramma G,
    I cut meat for 35 years. Just by regular ground beef if they don’t list the fat content. 80/20 is the way to go for a juicy burger. Stores are required to list the fat content on their package. I know Wal-Mart and all the big chains do. Maybe not the maws and paws, but is a requirement of the USDA…..okesmokie

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  • Haggis
    Haggis Posts: 998
    okesmokie,[p]Costco lists content also. Unfortunately theirs (at least at my store) is 88/12 and its tough getting a decently juicy burger from that.
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  • icemncmth
    icemncmth Posts: 1,165
    okesmokie,[p]I would think that if the burgers were dry then someone is using lean or extra lean meat...[p]Or they are just cooking them too long...but I would bet it is the meat...
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  • Bobby-Q
    Bobby-Q Posts: 1,994
    smokn gramma G,
    Are your burgers coming out Med Well and tough as shoe leather?[p]Toughness is a result, usually, to how long you cook it and at what temperature. The best indicator for this would be the internal temperature of the meat.[p]I'm guessing you are inadvertantly overcooking your burgers because of the differences between your cast iron gasser and the EGG. I doubt it is the Canadian Beef you are getting, last I heard, y'all weren't on the fat craze that we have down here. Get yourself some sort of thermometer for meat and do a test. Cook your burgers on your gas grill and see what the internal temp is. Now cook them the way you were doing them on the EGG and see what the temp is.
    I could be wrong, but I'm thinking you will find your difference and solution there.
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  • Herm
    Herm Posts: 206
    Car Wash Mike,[p]That's maybe my favorite picture on this forum. Makes me so hungry every time I see it.[p]
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  • DobieDad
    DobieDad Posts: 502
    Bobby-Q,[p]I had the same problem. It took me three months, and finding and reading this forum, before I discovered I was over cooking my meats.[p]The difference between a gasser and the Egg is efficentcy. The Egg transfers heat to burgers much better than a gasser, and I had to learn to pull them off much sooner. [p]I can't imagine going back to the gasser for burgers, or much of anything else, really.[p]DD
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  • Cornfed
    Cornfed Posts: 1,324
    smokn gramma G,[p]This is somewhat silly advice, but is something else you can try if you just want to convince yourself that there's nothing magical about a burger which for some reason makes it harder to cook on your Egg than the other stuff you've been successfully cooking.[p]Just buy a pack of those thin pre-formed burgers from your supermarket. I usually stay away from those since they're so thin and I like a little heft to my burgers. Also, there's a markup for the convenience of having someone pack your chopped meat for you into patties. But they're still very cheap so just buy a 4 pack or something for like $3-5, heat your Egg to like 400 or 450 or something, season with salt and pepper, then grill direct for a few minutes per side. I dunno, maybe 5 minutes on the first side then 3 or 4 on the second or something like that.[p]Serve these on small, heavily dressed buns with pickles, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, and ketchup and mustard for nice little not-too-meaty burgers.[p]I realize this is irrational and avoiding the problem at hand, but it almost sounds like you're tempted to believe there's something magical about burgers which makes them impossible to do well on the Egg vs. all the other food you're cooking so well. But I think you know this should not be the case, and I think this simple little mostly fool-proof method of cooking up some wimpy burgers may demystify the process for you and disabuse you of the notion that burgers are for some reason inherently difficult to cook on the Egg.[p]Once you do this and see that at least simple wimpy burgers are just as easy on the Egg as they are on the gasser, go read the posts below and make some nice big juicy burgers like the ones in the Lawn Ranger's post. I like forming larger patties from 80/20 or 85/15% burgers, seasoning with lots of salt and black pepper, then grilling direct over a really hot fire like 500-550. Flip once and then I often add a small "dwell" or roasting step to finish cooking them at more gentle temps.[p]Good luck,
    Cornfed
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  • Dawgtired
    Dawgtired Posts: 667
    smokn gramma G,
    I didn't read all the responses, so forgive me if this is repetitive info. I'm sure all the responses are good, they always are. This message board is amazing and the egger's have always been most helpful to me. My advice is to get an instant read thermometer that is accurate and pull the burgers @ 135. This recommended temp is from Bobby Flay and I have found this to be THE BEST for a juicy, yet safe burger. Good Luck!!!

    If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

    Ronald Reagan

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