Perfect the Patty

Grilling season is officially here and we want you to be the grill master in your neck of the woods.  Blow your family away with best burgers in town.  Here are a few tips to make the perfect patty.

Pick up the right meat. 

Look for meat with at least 18% fat content regardless of the type of meat whether it be turkey, hamburger or lamb.  Lean and extra-lean meat can result in tough, dry burgers.

Keep the meat moist. 

Dampen your hands a little before you start making your patties.  This will keep your hands from getting sticky, form the patties faster, keep the moist and prevent it from getting overworked.

Keep the patties cold. 

Keep your patties cold before you cook them.  Unlike other meats that tend to cook better when brought to room temperature, patties stay together and stay juicier longer if they are cold.  So keep those patties cold for as long as possible.

Only once!

Only flip your patties once.  If you are constantly turning your patties the meat will dry out and get tough.  On the other side, if you flip your patties too soon they will stick to the surface.  Here are some general guidelines for patty doneness: Rare = two minutes each side; Medium-Rare = three minutes per side ; Medium = 4 minutes per side and Well-done = five minutes per side.

Let the patties be! 

Don’t press the patties while you are cooking them.  When you press the spatula on each patty all you are doing is pressing the patty’s natural juices out.  Taking all the moistness and flavor with them.  Once on the grill the patties perfect themselves and stop pressing them!

Give it a rest. 

Like all meat, resting allows the juices that have collected on the surface of the meat redistribute for the maximum flavor and juiciness.  Let them rest for about 10 minutes and you should be good to go.

We hope these tips help you create the perfect patty this barbecue season. Thanks for stopping by to see what is “fresh” on the block.