# Shrinking Burger



## kbreit (Dec 8, 2008)

A problem I've had with burgers (my mom too) is whenever we BBQ burgers, they shrink.  It starts the size of the bun and ends about 2/3 the size of the bun.  Any suggestions?


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## SierraCook (Dec 8, 2008)

It could be the percentage of fat in the ground beef.  The more fat the more the hamburger will shrink.  The solution is to use a leaner ground beef or make the burgers larger to accomodate the shrinking.


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## Maverick2272 (Dec 8, 2008)

Exactly what Sierra said, the loss of fat as it cooks causes it to shrink. You can use a leaner meat but I prefer to just make em larger than the bun to begin with. I also like to add in other bonding agents like an egg, some bread crumbs, and spices and seasonings.


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## attie (Dec 8, 2008)

kbreit said:


> A problem I've had with burgers (my mom too) is whenever we BBQ burgers, they shrink.  It starts the size of the bun and ends about 2/3 the size of the bun.  Any suggestions?



I have a piece of 1/4" thick stainless steel plate with a handle welded to it as a weight. If you could find anything with a bit of weight in it such as a cast iron plate the problem will be solved


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## buckytom (Dec 8, 2008)

i know that aussies are pretty tough, but i still prefer to eat hamburgers, not steel or cast iron.


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## RobsanX (Dec 8, 2008)

buckytom said:


> i know that aussies are pretty tough, but i still prefer to eat hamburgers, not steel or cast iron.


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## bowlingshirt (Dec 8, 2008)

It's the fat that's cooking out.  Personally, I would go with making the patties over-sized and not using a lean ground beef.  The lean ground does not make for a good hamburger.


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## Andy M. (Dec 8, 2008)

The fat does melt out during cooking, along with water in the meat.

All meat fibers contract with the application of heat.  This contraction forces juices out of the cells where it can be lost when you press a burger while it's cooking.  This is why you rest cooked meat before eating or carving it.  The rest period allows the meat to relax and reabsorb those juices.

All this to say it's the contracting muscle fibers that cause the burger to shrink.


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## anni (Dec 8, 2008)

I make them a bit larger than I want and after shaping them, I make an indentation in the center.  This prevents them from getting "puffed up" in the middle. 
Lately, I've been eating turkey burgers. Not quite the same as a nice juicy 80% lean hamburger though.


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## JohnL (Dec 8, 2008)

Another vote here for 80 percent lean, nice ground chuck. Always make them a bit larger than the bun, they'll fit when you get done cooking them. Just don't cook em to death!


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## kbreit (Dec 8, 2008)

JohnL said:


> Another vote here for 80 percent lean, nice ground chuck. Always make them a bit larger than the bun, they'll fit when you get done cooking them. Just don't cook em to death!


Well of course not 

Yeah, I'd rather get a fattier meat and let it burn off than go lean.

Thanks for the advice everyone.


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## Bacardi (Dec 12, 2008)

I agree with everyone...

Use more than you think you need, make an indication and never press the burger ever to get it to cook faster...


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## sketch182 (Jan 25, 2009)

I have a slightly different view.  I go for a lean meat, but I add olive oil and any other spices/additions that I feel like.  The olive oil keeps the meat moist and what is left in the burger is more healthy than beef fat.  I find that shrinking is minimal since the olive oil takes little volume, unlike beef fat that is solid and shrinks/melts when heated.


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## Bacardi (Jan 25, 2009)

sketch182 said:


> I have a slightly different view.  I go for a lean meat, but I add olive oil and any other spices/additions that I feel like.  The olive oil keeps the meat moist and what is left in the burger is more healthy than beef fat.  I find that shrinking is minimal since the olive oil takes little volume, unlike beef fat that is solid and shrinks/melts when heated.



IMO, if I'm going with more expensive lean meat, I'd fore-go the EVOO and enjoy the health benefits of low fat...Even though OO has some healthy EFAs, they die and turn toxic at 350f...


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## sketch182 (Jan 26, 2009)

Bacardi said:


> IMO, if I'm going with more expensive lean meat, I'd fore-go the EVOO and enjoy the health benefits of low fat...Even though OO has some healthy EFAs, they die and turn toxic at 350f...


There are many theories about using oils at high temperatures.  The common theme is that the higher the temperature, the more they lose their beneficial properties.
I'm mostly interested in replacing solid fats with an oil that has a less harmful effect and has to be better than fat solids.


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## Alix (Jan 27, 2009)

If you are making them yourself, make them slightly bigger than you want and put a nice thumbprint divot in the center of each one. Not sure why it works but it keeps them from shrinking as much.


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## GB (Jan 27, 2009)

The thumbprint is a great technique, but it does not do anything to keep the burgers from shrinking. It is there because without it the burger bulges in the center. When you put the indentation in the middle then it will still bulge a little, but it will even out with the rest of the burger.


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## Alix (Jan 27, 2009)

So why do my burgers not shrink as much then GB? I thought the thumbprint thing was about keeping the burgers level so they seemed to fill the bun better. Am I out to lunch?


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## Scotch (Jan 27, 2009)

Use leaner meat and make bigger patties and don't cook beyond medium.


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## GB (Jan 27, 2009)

Alix said:


> So why do my burgers not shrink as much then GB? I thought the thumbprint thing was about keeping the burgers level so they seemed to fill the bun better. Am I out to lunch?


I think they are shrinking just as much, but you are shrinking an equal amount so you don't notice it


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## Noodlehead (Jan 27, 2009)

Add a little water to your meat whether its lean or a fattier cut.


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## Erinny (Jan 28, 2009)

I usually make mine bigger than the bun too and add stuff like egg, bread crumbs, steak sauce, sage, oregano, garlic powder and seasoned pepper. Makes them really tasty and they can shrink without any problems of them being smaller than the bun.
I like more hamburger than bread, any way.


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## Caslon (Jan 28, 2009)

I buy the frozen burger patties and can't figure out why bread companies still make
hamburger buns Wimpy sized (Popeye) or huge. The patty is too big for the standard
Wimpy buns and too small for the huge hamburger buns.   Jeesh.


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## RobsanX (Jan 28, 2009)

Caslon said:


> I buy the frozen burger patties and can't figure out why bread companies still make
> hamburger buns Wimpy sized (Popeye) or huge. The patty is too big for the standard
> Wimpy buns and too small for the huge hamburger buns.   Jeesh.



The same reason you get 10 hot dogs and 8 buns...


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## Alix (Jan 28, 2009)

GB said:


> I think they are shrinking just as much, but you are shrinking an equal amount so you don't notice it



*Sigh* The guy has a birthday and all of a sudden hes a comedian.


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## sketch182 (Feb 5, 2009)

Shrinkage factor is due to moisture loss and the goal is to control it. Seinfeld reference is intended.


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## Michael in FtW (Mar 6, 2009)

Caslon said:


> I buy the frozen burger patties and can't figure out why bread companies still make
> hamburger buns Wimpy sized (Popeye) or huge. The patty is too big for the standard
> Wimpy buns and too small for the huge hamburger buns. Jeesh.


 
Yeah - you would think the bakers and the frozen patty makers would coordinate and get the sizes right. But, I would guess the bakers are making the standard size - the patty makers are the ones at fault. Of course, hot dogs and their buns were not the same size - the weiner makers had to make their doggies a little longer to fit the bun to get that "bun length" dog.

I bet you really find yourself in a quandry when you buy a package of 10 hot-dog weiners - and a package of buns only has 8 buns!


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## sketch182 (Mar 6, 2009)

Michael in FtW said:


> Yeah - you would think the bakers and the frozen patty makers would coordinate and get the sizes right. But, I would guess the bakers are making the standard size - the patty makers are the ones at fault. Of course, hot dogs and their buns were not the same size - the wiener makers had to make their doggies a little longer to fit the bun to get that "bun length" dog.


 
Where we live, we can buy a number of bun sizes for burgers and dogs, so the size of the patty/wiener is not a concern.


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 8, 2009)

Alix said:


> So why do my burgers not shrink as much then GB? I thought the thumbprint thing was about keeping the burgers level so they seemed to fill the bun better. Am I out to lunch?


 
No, you're not "out to lunch". This method does work. In fact, I just recently heard of it via Rachael Ray. And it DOES work. And no - I myself haven't been shrinking.  I have, however, only used it with turkey and chicken burgers so far.  Perhaps it performs differently with beef.


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