Once grilling season hits, big beef burgers are perennial favorites.
Of course, aficionados are always eager to debate what makes the best burger.
Is it the beef? Ask five people which ground meat makes the best burger, and you’ll likely get five answers.
Recently, I came across recipes that called for a mix of beef cuts such as beef brisket, skirt steak, hangar steak and sirloin steak. One recipe suggests cutting the meat in 1-inch cubes and grinding it yourself.
That’s fine and dandy, if you have a meat grinder.
If you have a KitchenAid mixer, you can get a meat-grinding attachment. If you have a food processor, you can come close to mimicking a real grinder by placing small chunks of well-chilled meat in the work bowl fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times to get the proper grind, but don’t process it too much or the meat will get mushy.
Is it the ratio of fat? Most grilling books and experts say a burger needs some fat to keep it moist. The general rule calls for 8 0/20, meaning 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat — a typical ratio for ground chuck. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use ground round, which is 8 3/17. And really, I’ve never had a bad sirloin burger, which is even leaner, with about 11 percent fat.
Is it the grilling technique? If you press down on the burgers, the grilling gurus will frown on you. When you press down, you’re pressing out the juices.
Just put the burgers on the grill, and give them a good sear over high heat on both sides, about 3 minutes for a 3/4-inch-thick burger. Once you have seared both sides, slide the burger to medium heat and finish grilling to desired doneness.
Big burger, big cash!
The granddaddy of burger contests is the Build a Better Burger contest sponsored mainly by Sutter Home Winery in Napa Valley, Calif. This year, the contest cook-off, now in its 21st year, takes place in Chicago.
Entries are accepted through Aug. 31. The grand prize for the beef burger is $100,000, plus the trip to Chicago to compete. The contest seeks creative recipes packed with flavor. You also can enter an alternative burger for a shot at a $15,000 prize.
In the beef category, the patties must have at least 75 percent beef (not veal); alternative burgers can be made from any ground foods. You can enter as many burger recipes as you like.
For rules or to enter, go to .
Porcini Mushroom Burgers
From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Serves 4 generously.
Ingredients
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms or favorite wild mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (or mix of favorite ground meats)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
4 thick onion slices
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Favorite sliced cheese, optional
4 hamburger buns or favorite rolls
Lettuce or shredded lettuce
Directions
Remove the meat from the refrigerator; set aside.
Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl, and pour hot water over them to rehydrate. Let stand about 20 minutes. Once they are rehydrated, drain and squeeze out the excess water and roughly chop.
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
In a mixing bowl, gently combine the mushrooms, ground chuck, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and garlic. You can use other favorite seasonings.
Shape the mixture into desired-size patties of equal size and thickness; make them at least 1-inch thick. Make an indentation in the center of the patty about 1/2-inch deep, which will help the burger keep its shape and not create a dome.
Oil the grill grates. Place the onion slices on a platter and brush oil on each side. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Place the patties on the grill, and put the onion slices alongside.
Grill the patties about 4 minutes per side, depending on desired degree of doneness. Flip them once; they should easily release from the grill. Cook on the other side about 4 minutes more. Flip the onion slices when you flip the burgers; they should have some nice grill marks and be slightly soft.
At this time, you can put the buns on the grill to lightly grill.
Just before the burgers are done, add a slice of cheese if you like and close the lid so the cheese melts.
Let the burger rest several minutes before serving. Place the burger on the grilled buns; top with grilled onions, lettuce and condiments of choice.
523 calories (44 percent from fat), 26 grams fat (10 grams sat. fat), 32 grams carbohydrates, 39 grams protein, 784 mg sodium, 110 mg cholesterol, 4 grams fiber .
