Cook Like a Man: Master Your Kitchen with 78 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Brand Fritz

Author:Brand, Fritz [Brand, Fritz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2017-05-16T04:00:00+00:00

The Bacon & Cheese Burger SERVES 5

Here is where we separate the men from the boys. There are plenty of big mouths out there, all claiming to make the best burger around, so when the time comes to show your burger-making skills, you better have a good understanding of what makes a good burger. I really suggest you invest in a hand crank or electric mincer so you can buy decent cuts of meat in the quantities required and grind them to your liking.

There is no right or wrong way to make a burger. Different strokes for different folks. Some prefer the pure taste of beef with just salt and pepper; others prefer to add spices to enhance the flavor. Some add eggs and things like breadcrumbs as filler to keep the meat together. You probably grew up with one kind of burger and fervently believe that it’s the best way to make a burger, but I urge you to explore other methods and learn something that may improve your own recipe—or at the very least show you where and how your recipe blows the others out of the water. Here are the most important things you need to keep your eye on:

CUTS AND TYPES OF MEAT

The first thing you need to decide is what kind of meat to use. A pure beef burger is a beautiful thing, but adding some pork certainly adds to the flavor. I like to go with a mixture of 70 percent beef, 30 percent other meat from time to time. In terms of cuts, I usually go for chuck or rib meat, or topside if I can’t find either of those.

If you are unsure, ask your butcher what he recommends for burger making.

FAT-TO-MEAT RATIO

Getting the ratio of lean meat to fat is crucial in getting the flavor and texture right. In meat, fat is where the flavor and juice is, so make sure you add enough to your recipe. I generally tell the butcher to prepare a ratio of 70 percent lean meat to 30 percent fat. Your butcher should have extra fat in his shop—he trims it off while processing carcasses and primal cuts and typically uses it to make sausages or burgers. If you try the 70-30 mix and you find it too fatty, adjust the ratio to your liking. These are your burgers, after all.

METHOD OF COOKING

Most dudes would think that the best way of cooking a burger is on the grill, and it certainly is a mighty fine way of cooking (taking into account that larger amounts of beer need to be consumed to counter the heat).

The problem I have with cooking burgers on the grill is that a lot of the fat drips down into the flames, gone forever. Sure, you get some smoky flavor, but I don’t think that’s a good enough reason to let all that flavorful fat fall through the grates.

I believe that the most flavorful crust you can get on a burger is by cooking it in a pan.

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