Summer is here! And that means it is time to grill! Actually, at my house, it’s grilling time all year long. That’s just one of the many perks of living here in Southern Utah. Cooking outside is a great way not to heat up the house you are paying to cool with your air conditioner during the summer.
Today I am going to share with you my method for cooking the Perfect Burger. I have cooked a lot of burgers in my time, and tried a huge selection of spices, seasonings, sauces, and more to create the best burger I could. My burger seasoning journey was a long one and I am happy to say it has come to a simple and delicious end.
Let’s get to it: First, light your grill and get it pre-heating to 450 degrees.
To start, let’s talk ground beef. Very lean ground beef can make for a tough, bland burger. I like to use 85/15 ground beef and don’t recommend anything higher. 80/20 will make a great burger as well.
Take your beef, put it in a bowl, and mix it up by fluffing it and breaking it up. This will help your burger be even more tender.
I use either wax paper or parchment paper to press out and shape my burgers.If you don’t have either one of those, tin foil works great too. You will see why I prefer the previous two in a moment.
Ball your ground beef lightly into approximately 1/4lb servings and place them on your paper. Yes, I know we haven’t seasoned yet, we will get there.
Gently press into burgers about 1/4 of an inch larger than the buns you are using. Ground Beef with a higher fat content will shrink more that lean ground beef, and this will make sure your burger will not end up a tiny little puck in the center of your bun.
I use my hand in a cupped shape for the edges of the burgers.
Remember, I said the end of my journey was Simple and Delicious? Simple is the key to delicious.
I use a medium grain pink Hawaiian Sea Salt. Sprinkle the Sea Salt liberally on your burger. Don’t worry, your burger won’t be crunchy with Salt when we are done.
Let the salt just rest on the surface, don’t press it in. Seasoning number 2? Fresh cracked black pepper. I take whole kernels and grind them up with a few pulses in a Magic Bullet. Then sprinkle on your beef.
Don’t worry if the pepper seems a little coarse, the big stuff will fall off when cooking.
Flip the meat over and repeat on the other side.
Cut the paper around the burgers for easy transport and placement on the grill.
Your grill should be up to the temperature at this point. I use a natural lump charcoal grill called the Big Green Egg, but this will work on any grill. I like the added flavor of the charcoal grill, just use what you prefer or what you own.
Place your prepared burgers on the grill. You should hear a nice sizzle with each one. This heat will sear the burger and seal in the juices.
Close the grill and let them cook! Don’t open the grill again until you are ready to flip at about 5 minutes. Keeping the lid closed will start cooking the meat from the top a bit.
5 Minutes in, give them a flip.
Cook for about 2 more minutes then add cheese for those cheeseburger fans. Close the lid again.
Cook for 1 minute, then remove from the grill and let the burgers rest for a couple minutes. This lets the the juice redistribute through the meat.
That’s it! Top with your favorite condiments and side dishes and enjoy!