Best burger ever!

[clifffaith]

We obviously have been doing ourselves a disfavor by only buying "burger tower" burger patties. I think over the course of a year we only go through two packages of the pre-made patties. They are convenient for pulling a pound's worth of burger out for lasagna or casseroles a few times a year, and over the course of a year we'll barbecue burgers a dozen times or so. During summer months we make sure to buy no less than 15% fat content, because otherwise the patties stick to the grill, but we buy 10% during winter months.

This week we are at Carlsbad Village Resort. Cliff dumped his Mexican leftovers in the middle of the restaurant floor last night, so we thought we'd get him a $3 burger at the afternoon cookout the resort was having. They smelled so good we decided to save my Mexican leftovers for a shared lunch bite tomorrow, and both have a burger. OMG, I have never had a more flavorful burger patty, and so juicy too. Definitely didn't come as pre-made patties, and the fat content might have been as high as 25%. We'll have to go back to making patties from scratch. I am very particular about not wanting to see even a hint of pink in my burger, and the young man doing the grilling did an excellent job.

 

[Eric B]

IMHO, the quality of the beef makes a major difference and great burgers don't come in tubes. We started raising our own cattle 9 or 10 years ago with Angus, then shifted to Scottish Highlands, which take longer to mature but are worth the wait. Nothing compares to a burger from a three year old steer that you dry aged for 3 weeks or so before the beef was ground, medium rare, with a bit of bacon jam on it.

 

[Beachclubmum]

IMHO, the quality of the beef makes a major difference and great burgers don't come in tubes. We started raising our own cattle 9 or 10 years ago with Angus, then shifted to Scottish Highlands, which take longer to mature but are worth the wait. Nothing compares to a burger from a three year old steer that you dry aged for 3 weeks or so before the beef was ground, medium rare, with a bit of bacon jam on it.

and the burger's name was____________


(just had to smile at how well you know your burger!)

 

[Eric B]

As a general rule, I name them after management at work. Makes it easier in the end....

 

[Sea Six]

Our daughters-in-law are forcing us into experimenting with the veggie and grouper burgers. We'll see how it goes Thursday night! I will still get the beef!

 

[CO skier]

IMHO, the quality of the beef makes a major difference and great burgers don't come in tubes.

I inherited a Kitchenmaid grinder a few years ago. Started buying chuck roasts on sale for $3.99/lb. and double grinding them for burgers and meatballs. DEFINITELY better than "tubed" ground beef for burgers and meatballs.

Fresh ground 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef in the case or at the meat counter (not the plastic tubes) is OK for taco seasoned mix, because I would just spoon out the rendered fat, but the BEST taco meat is from homemade double ground strip steak trimmed of the gristle and fat. Strip steak meat is often on sale for less per pound than "tubed" ground beef.

Frozen "Burger Tower" beef patties are the worst choice. Lots of area to oxidize and freezer burn over time in the freezer. Yech.

Many chain grocery stores offer fresh "ground chuck" in their counter meat department. Give it a try and grill up some burgers. The taste difference is phenomenal, and maybe that is what the OP was tasting. Is fresh ground chuck from the meat case or counter (if you cannot grind your own?) worth a $1 or two more per pound. Definitely.

Note: Grilling burgers made from 90/10 ground beef is a waste of money and time. It needs to be at least 80/20.

 

[Talent312]

There is a place for all God's creatures.... right next to French fries.

 

[Bucky]

When home all we use is 80/20 ground chuck for our burgers. When we are at the beach on vacation we get the ground chuck and ground sirloin and mix them. Makes a wonderful burger. We do it while at the beach when we have family with us because it has to be fresh. Too much trouble for just two burgers. Frozen beef will not pass these lips on a burger. Other cuts like something we are going to put in a slow cooker are fine frozen but, not ground beef, for us at least.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I know it is difficult to find, but if you ever have the opportunity be sure to try ground Buffalo. It is very tasty and very lean.

Usually can be found at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and other places.




.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

IMHO, the quality of the beef makes a major difference and great burgers don't come in tubes. We started raising our own cattle 9 or 10 years ago with Angus, then shifted to Scottish Highlands, which take longer to mature but are worth the wait. Nothing compares to a burger from a three year old steer that you dry aged for 3 weeks or so before the beef was ground, medium rare, with a bit of bacon jam on it.

Do you make the bacon jam yourself? It sounds delicious and I’m now craving a burger

 

[Eric B]

Do you make the bacon jam yourself? It sounds delicious and I’m now craving a burger

I get it from tbjgourmet. It is very tasty....

 

[pittle]

Hubby accidentally bought these about 2 years ago, and now it is all we ever use. You would never know that they are precooked. You can microwave, heat in a skillet or on a grill and they are always perfect. We have cooked them for friends and now they are hooked too. Hubs cooked them on the electric grill for a cul-de-sac BBQ last summer and now one guy says that is all they use. One gal stocked up because she has a teenage boy who can "zap" a couple in the microwave and make his own after-school snack without such a mess. My "foodie" brother was skeptical, but bought some and loves them. He told me last week, that one of his friends calls them Joey burgers. They cooked them for a group - he said it was perfect because it did not take much time and you could cook more as needed quickly. You can get them at Sam's or Costco.

 

[joestein]

I really like PAT LA FREIDA burgers. They are 80/20 mix of Chuck, Brisket and Short rib. They sell 4 burgers to a pack at Shoprite for $8? $9?. I think the burgers are 6oz each. Really good.

They are ground by PAT LA FREIDA and then vacuum packed fresh and delivered to the store. I also like that I can buy it when I do my weekly shopping and they are still good 4 or 5 days later. Unlike fresh ground meat which would be completely gray by then.