# Burger Patty additions



## stephvanassche (May 3, 2011)

When making home made burger patties.... is it ideal to use an egg and flour to combine the mince and flavours?


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## Andy M. (May 3, 2011)

I try to keep burgers simple.  Ground beef and some seasoned salt.


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## Rocklobster (May 3, 2011)

A lot of recipes call for egg and breadcrumbs along with other  flavorings. I have never tried flour.


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## roadfix (May 3, 2011)

I keep it simple too.  I buy very cheap ground chuck ($1.59/lb), not lean at all.  Ball them to tennis ball size, put them between wax papers, and press down using a large canned food item to form the patty.  Salt/pepper them and slap them on the hot grill.  Juicy.


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## pacanis (May 3, 2011)

I've never tried flour either, but I have breadcrumbs. I make hamburger patties all sorts of ways, from meatloaf style (with egg) to stuffed with cheese to plain jane. Lately I have been seasoning the burger before forming into a patty, rather than when it's on the grill (or in the pan). I've been chopping onion and mixing that in as well. I like onion better in the burger than laying on top, unless the onion has been sautéed.


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## Caslon (May 3, 2011)

One thing about making hamburger patties is that they fall apart while cooking.
So...which of the ingredients mentioned binds them better?  Egg?


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## Josie1945 (May 3, 2011)

Welcome to DC.

Josie


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## Andy M. (May 3, 2011)

Caslon said:


> One thing about making hamburger patties is that they fall apart while cooking.
> So...which of the ingredients mentioned binds them better?  Egg?



Egg will work as a binder but you really shouldn't have a problem with burgers holding together.  You could try either oiling the grill grate just before you put the burgers down or spraying a touch of oil on the burger before putting it on the grill.  Also, don't try to move the burger around before it unsticks from the grill.


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## PattY1 (May 3, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> I try to keep burgers simple.  Ground beef and some seasoned salt.




I make them simpler then you. I just use Ground Beef. Everyone can add the condiments of choice. If I waned Meat Loaf, I would make Meat Loaf.


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## betterthanabox (May 3, 2011)

I have put eggs and bread crumbs to them, I really just prefer to keep the meat plain with a little salt and pepper. I don't have a lot of trouble with them falling apart. I have found that happens when you move them around too much.


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## Uncle Bob (May 3, 2011)

Ideal???? No ~~~ Wrong??? No ~~~ Do what you like


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## taxlady (May 3, 2011)

PattY1 said:


> I make them simpler then you. I just use Ground Beef. Everyone can add the condiments of choice. If I waned Meat Loaf, I would make Meat Loaf.



My sentiments, exactly.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 3, 2011)

If the ground beef is too lean, it will fall apart while cooking.  If it's too fat, the burger will shrink like crazy.  Look for 70/30, or up to 80/20 ratios.  Any less fat than 20% will be too lean.

That said, however, leaner ground beef has a more pronounced beef flavor.  The fat tends to dilute the flavor.  But the resulting patties are dry in texture and mouth feel.  This is where the egg comes in.  To keep hamburger from shrinking, add 1 large egg per pound of hamburger.  You won't be able to taste any difference, and the pattie will be juicer.  This is for fatty ground beef.  

But, that same egg will bind together ground beef that is too lean, and make it juicier as well, and again will add no flavor to the beef.

A little trick to making patties.  Try to make the pattie round, and with smooth edges.  Make the center thinner than the outer rim.  The burger will always shrink a little toward the center, making it bulge if the initial pattie is the same thickness all the way across.  That bulge can make it so the hamburger is undercooked in the middle, and overcooked on the outside.  By making the center thinner, you insure that the pattie will be cooked evenly everywhere.

If you add flour, or breadcrumbs, or chopped veggies, then you are creating a Salisbury Steak, instead of a burger.  It can still taste great, especially with gravy.  It doesn't stay together well though, and is very hard to grill as it easily falls apart.

After I'm through with the properties of flour and fat in my blog, I'll go into the subject of meats more thoroughly.  Don't be afraid to try different things with your burgers.  You might find a seasoning that your really love.  me, the close it tastes to steak, the better I like it.  A little salt and pepper, and cooking over charcoal makes me the burger that I crave.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## roadfix (May 3, 2011)

Burger Wars!


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## babetoo (May 3, 2011)

meat, garlic powder, paprika and lots of pepper. i buy fairly lean and have no problem with them falling apart. but like the others said do what you like.


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## jet (May 3, 2011)

betterthanabox said:


> I have put eggs and bread crumbs to them, I really just prefer to keep the meat plain with a little salt and pepper. I don't have a lot of trouble with them falling apart. I have found that happens when you move them around too much.



The eggs and breadcrumbs also help to keep the burgers moist, but is more frequently done with meatballs or meat loaf.


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## betterthanabox (May 3, 2011)

I use lean beef and don't add anything and have no trouble at all with them falling apart of being dry. I think it is all in how you cook them.


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## danpeikes (May 3, 2011)

just salt and pepper on the meat but toppings is where you can get creative.
Check out what I made for dinner tonight:
Peikes' Cookbook: Burger of the week







I will start from the bottom and work my way up:
Bottom half of a toasted bun, soft crumb but a little harder crust so it does not fall apart
Mayo mixed with spicy brown mustard spread thinly.   This provides a "waterproof" layer as well as some richness and a little bit of sharpness
Fresh raw spinach for some earthiness and crunch
Sauteed mushrooms for some more savory earth flavor
1/2 lb all beef patty seasoned with just fresh ground black pepper.  I do not add salt as kosher meat is pre-salted
Sauteed onions for sweetness
Ketchup because I love ketchup because it is sweet and tangy all at the same time
Top half of the toasted bun


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## buckytom (May 4, 2011)

my mom used to make something called an irish hamburger.
yes, for seriously anal folks, it was closer to a small, indidual sized meatloaf. but if you tell me my mom is wrong, we're gonna have a problem.

anywho, she used to saute some minced green peppers and minced onions in butter, let it cool, then mix them into to ground 80/20 chuck along with hand torn pieces of really dense white bread. they were pan fried and served the usual way, on a bun with/without cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

they were something really special. i've tried it and i haven't been able to figure out how she was able to keep the bread and veggies from disintegrating into the meat. you could see bits of onion, pepper, and chunks of bread in every burger. both the texture and extra taste were what was so special about them. tasty and really tender.

my guess is that she didn't compress the ground meat very much so as to make the burger compacted and tough, also mashing the extra ingredients.

it seems, as andy mentioned,  you need a good technique for cooking them so they don't fall apart,  but it's even more important to cook them well especially with extra ingredients.


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## Bolas De Fraile (May 4, 2011)

Tom mate I have a cheap burger press, because I'm cheap I save up all the little bits of left over soap and when I have enough I dip them quickly in hot water and "burger press" them, the bits stick together a treat. I hope this helps.
I am the prince of anal traits, I save butter wrappers in the freezer to grease my baking tins a cover my fowl breasts for roasting!


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## buckytom (May 4, 2011)

burger, rinse, repeat. lol.


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## Bolas De Fraile (May 4, 2011)

Rinse, your having a laugh I would have to buy toothpaste then.


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## buckytom (May 4, 2011)

i've taken a knife and cut open a tube of toothpaste, then licked it to completion just to get enough to have my teeth feel clean. now that's cheap.


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## Bolas De Fraile (May 4, 2011)

buckytom said:


> i've taken a knife and cut open a tube of toothpaste, then licked it to completion just to get enough to have my teeth feel clean. now that's cheap.


Cheap your having a laugh, I do that then use the metal to replace the glass in ordinary sunglasses so the look like those expensive reflective designer ones.


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## Somebunny (May 4, 2011)




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## pacanis (May 4, 2011)

Speaking of toppings...
Here's a "burger" I made last year. I saw it on a TV show and found the recipe online. It's called a Double Coronary and is served at the Vortex Grill in Atlanta.

"It’s half a pound of sirloin with lettuce, onion, 4 slices of American cheese, 5 strips of bacon, and 2 fried eggs.
The buns have been replaced by 2 grilled cheese sandwiches."

Not for the purists  And yes, it was ridiculous to eat


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## CraigC (May 4, 2011)

Although we make specialty bugers on occasion, our go to is 80/20 chuck. We add garlic powder, onion powder, S&P, worchestershire and an egg or two depending on the amount of meat. Since we prefer sliders, I use an ice cream scoop (with lever) to get the same amount for each slider. Martin's potato dinner rolls are the buns.

Craig


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## Andy M. (May 4, 2011)

buckytom said:


> ...anywho, she used to saute some minced green peppers and minced onions in butter, let it cool, then mix them into to ground 80/20 chuck along with hand torn pieces of really dense white bread. they were pan fried and served the usual way...




BT, I know what you mean.  My mom used to add raw chopped onion and and parsley to burger meat then form them by hand.


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## Caslon (May 4, 2011)

danpeikes said:


> just salt and pepper on the meat but toppings is where you can get creative.
> Check out what I made for dinner tonight:
> Peikes' Cookbook: Burger of the week
> 
> ...



Sure hope no traces of animal fecal matter were in those rare cooked burgers of yours.  
Delicious and juicy looking tho.


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## taxlady (May 5, 2011)

Caslon said:


> Sure hope no traces of animal fecal matter were in those rare cooked burgers of yours.
> Delicious and juicy looking tho.



Seems unlikely. Danpeikes mentioned that the meat was kosher.


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## luvs (May 5, 2011)

i like plain burgers, though burgers made in a meatloaf sorta fashion make for a yummy burger, too. cutting the beef w/ crumb or bread, egg, i've done that. they're looser than a traditional burger, though delicious!~


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## Bolas De Fraile (May 5, 2011)

These are an equal mix of ground beef,pork and veal, some are stuffed with feta cheese. I have said this before we have a local source for the tails and trimmings from the prep of fillet steak portions for supermarkets 3lbs for about $16. I coarse mince it and just season with pepper the burger press them, then a great tip I learned here dust with onion and garlic powder.


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