I Luv Hamburgers

[rafterbr]

Whenever I am at a restaurant and nothing appeals to me, I go to my old standby a hamburger.  For the benefit of the thread police, this topic is dedicated on how to make a hamburger, where to get a good hamburger lakeside and I think Pizzas would also be a great fit.  My restaurants had some of the best hamburgers in the area.  I use to have whole cows ground into hamburger meat and we used 85 to 15 mixture for the patties.  A hand formed patty is the best and each morning we would prepare balls of a third a pound of meat.  When the order for a hamburger was received the cook would hand form the ball and use a press to shape it.  A large sesame bun was used and the freshest lettuce, tomatos, and onions available were used.  We used large russet potatos for the fries and they were freshly cut for frying.  A 80 to 20 mixture has to much fat in it and a 90 to 10 ratio can make the patty to dry.  A 90/10 can work if you use a very greasy grill.  I have ate hamburgers at several lakeside restaurants and never got a great one but several were acceptable.  Unfortunately I found some of the lakeside restaurants are mixing soy with the meat to cut down on costs.  I have never cooked pizzas but I like a good one!   

[slainte39]

Be careful here as I just responded to someone on another thread who thinks hamburgers are unhealthy and can´t understand why anyone would eat them.

I´m with you, a good hamburger is a reliable food when you don´t find anything else on the menu that appeals to you or you are unsure of the quality of some things, but I love them as just my first choice for a meal out at a restaurant.

[DuckieHoomever]

I've never shared this before, but I do two things that I've never seen/read in making burgers at home.

First, growing up I learned that sometimes it helps to put dried bread crumbs in the mix to help hold in moisture, and sometimes to keep the leaner ground from falling apart while cooking. I've found that using stovetop stuffing mix works wonders instead. (I prefer Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Chicken flavor myself.) It works well for me.

Second, since I broil my burgers (top heat) rather than grilling (bottom heat) and I like 'em thick, I shape them like half-formed donuts - about twice as thick around the edges as in the middle - concave. That way, the juices collect in the middle of the cooking burger rather than draining into the pan/fire. Also, it eliminates the problem of a burger being burned around the edges and undercooked in the middle. When I flip them, I drain the juice puddle into the other burger's puddle. As the burgers shrink while they cook, as they are wont to do, they end up the same thickness all the way through.

I leave it to others to debate ingredients and such. (Well, for me: liquid smoke and freeze-dried chives are a must.)

[Jubob]

I think the best hamburger is at the butcher shop next to Super Lake. I like to have them run it through the grinder again to make the grind finer. A friend swears by the hamburger in San Juan Cosala at Agustin's brother's butcher shop. Agustin owns Viva Mexico and the butcher shop is across the street. Two blocks west of the plaza. The price is good as well.

 

 

[Mainecoons]

Quite like the burgers at Bruno's and Cocinart.

Liked the one at Food Lake Container but the flies are just too much there.  Haven't been back because of that.

[tomgates]

I don't put anything in the burger and don't handle it much. I gather about 6 oz and gently push it together and form a patty about 3/4" thick. I put a little divit in the center so when cooking on a griddle or charcoal grill, I don't press it. Cook about 5 minutes a side, adding a salt  on both sides. I like the smaller Bimbo buns, the ones 8 to a pack.

Tony's meat is good as it comes. I also have a meat  grinder and have ground ribeyes and brisket into burgers and those are a real treat.

[ComputerGuy]

Good solid recipe, Tom. I usually add something. Depends how crazy I feel. Italian dried soup mix, maybe Worcestershire and garlic powder...

I might recommend the new brioche buns that Bimbo came out with: they have some flavour and don't disintegrate as rapidly as their regular ones. Also, WalMart has sesame seed buns in the bakery that are dirt cheap and also hold up longer against the mustard, mayo, relish, etc.

[slainte39]

Although closely related , this thread is conflating hamburgers in restaurants, served ready to eat with buying ground beef and preparing at home.  Never make hamburgers at home so the restaurant critiques are what interest me.  In the cow country,  it´s ground beef until you make a patty, cook it, and slap it on a bun, then it becomes a "hamburger".

It´s like I occasionally hear some N. A. speaking Spanish, going into a carnecería and asking for carne asada and the carnicero politely says "lo siento señora, vendemos solamente carne para asar". 

Regarding prices in restaurants...…..I have a lot of kids and grandkids that live in GDL, and they are amazed at how cheap everything is in restaurants here in the lake area compared to GDL, including hamburgers. Me too. but I´ve learned to live with it.  

[pappysmarket]

38 minutes ago, slainte39 said:

t´s like I occasionally hear some N. A. speaking Spanish, going into a carnecería and asking for carne asada and the carnicero politely says "lo siento señora, vendemos solamente carne para asar".

...Always polite they are. And they're really good at not smirking or breaking out laughing like I probably would. Even for "tiene huevos?". Must be born with it...