Perfect Hamburger For You

Hamburger is one of the most international snacks. Some manage to place the origin of the hamburger in the Roman Empire, but in reality, the invention must be recognized by the Americans. It was the German immigrants who brought the mincemeat fillet they used to prepare in Hamburg to America and it was there that it took its current form to become one of the quintessential gastronomic icons of the 'American way of life' and, of course, globalization.

These are the four things you should keep in mind:

The Meat

This is no secret: the better the meat, the better the hamburger. That said, it doesn't make much sense to use Kobe beef to make a sandwich or make mincemeat.

To choose the meat you have to follow a clear rule: the ideal is that it has between 70 and 80% protein and between 20 and 30% fat. This is important because lean meats are too dry.

For burgers to be done well they should not be too big. Between 120 and 150 grams is the ideal ratio.

The chefs recommend to choose minced meat from the shoulder of the cows, which corresponds to their cut known as 'chuck' , the area of ​​the musculature that these animals use most and that, because of this, is more tender. In our country, this is more or less equivalent to the needle, the shoulder, the trowel or the brazuelo, meats with enough fat, ideal to chop and make hamburgers.

In Spain, many chefs choose to mix beef and pork, and some add eggs or bread, but if the veal is good there is no reason to smear it. The important thing, in any case, is to escape from the hamburgers already prepared, which, with few exceptions, come from bad cuts of doubtful origin. It must also be taken into account that for hamburgers to be done well they should not be too large. Between 120 and 150 grams is the ideal ratio.

The Bread 

The hamburger bun is usually one of the most neglected parts because we just buy the one we find in the supermarket, without worrying much about its texture, flavor or size. The first thing to keep in mind is that our bread should perfectly cover the meat, in a ratio of 1:1. Also, it must have a certain consistency, so that the sandwich is not completely undone.

In the US they use very different hamburger buns such as the 'soft potato bun', the brioche or the kaiser roll. If we don’t want to make our bread at home, which is also an option, the ideal is not to be scratchy and opt for a slightly decent brand and a lot that, if possible, do not take months in the supermarket line.

The Elaboration

The first question we must ask ourselves is where we want to cook our hamburger. Although barbecue burgers sound very appetizing, the truth is that the vast majority of chefs prefer to cook these grilled.

As explained by George Motz , author of the book and documentary 'Hamburger America', the juice that gives off the meat is the best flavor enhancer that the hamburger and the iron can have (or, failing that, pan) allows us to have the steak cook on it’s fat, something impossible on the barbecue. To achieve a juicy hamburger we should never make it more than four minutes on each side.

To make the meat almost crispy on the outside and juicy inside it is important to cook these at the right temperature. About 45 minutes before cooking, we must leave them out of the fridge.

When we are ready we must heat the iron between 150 and 200 degrees (almost full). This is necessary so that the Maillard reaction takes place a complex chemical process (described by the French scientist Louis-Camille Maillard ) between the amino acids and reducing sugars of the meat that gives the hamburger its characteristic 'umami' flavor and it's color golden.

To achieve a juicy hamburger we should never make it more than four minutes on each side, if we make it three it will be to the point, and if the meat is good and we like it to be very raw with two per face it is enough.

The Complements

This is the part where there are more discussions. Lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, cheese, bacon, pickles. All the complements can work but, if the meat is good, the cooks recommend that we do not go throwing everything.

The bacon can kill the taste of the hamburger, so it must be very crispy and should never be too much. With respect to cheese, the ideal is to choose a variety that is founded when coming into contact with hot meat (to facilitate this, we can add it on the plate itself, once we make the first round of the hamburger) and it is not too strong. In the US they use American cheese or cheddar, which are the most classic.

It is better not to smear the ketchup sandwich if we want to notice the taste of the meat. In the US it is very common to also use ' relish' , a pickle of finely chopped pickles, slightly sweet.

What follows is a list of expert tips to ensure every burger you grill will get that “What’s in these?!” reaction from your family and barbecue guests. Jot down the hacks you’re most excited to try and get stoked to grill the best burgers of all time at all of your cookouts!