It’s that time of the year for people to head out to their backyards, prepare the fire extinguisher, fire up the grill, and make some of the best hamburger patties known to man. Or maybe the neighborhood.
Whatever.
The point is that everyone needs some help to make a hamburger patty right. Some of the finest cows have given their all for you to be able to enjoy a tasty afternoon burger. We believe it is necessary not to disappoint them.
The beginning of a hamburger patty takes place on the wood cutting board. Only neophyte cooks use a metal or cheap plastic cutting board. That is where the mashing and mixing of ingredients takes place. If you are going to cook outdoors, lay your hamburger down on a carved out piece of that nature. A maple cutting board may be very appropriate depending on where you live.
Whatever you do, don’t spend a lot of time handling the food! People have to eat it, and the less it is fondled, the better. Some experts say you should put the patties back in the refrigerator, but I’m not seeing why that is so important. You will be bringing the meat outside to the delight of hordes of flying and crawling insects, all who have designs on getting their fair share.
If you choose to be the cowardly type who cooks them inside in a frying pan, then we have some other advice for you. You still may need the fire extinguisher depending on where you bought your hamburger. Grease fires are among the most common household accidents. But unlike the grill, you will have to remember to heat the pan before cooking the patties.
Some experts recommend putting a “dimple” in the center of your patty. First of all, it is not a dimple it is an imprint of your fat thumb. Second, how this helps the meat cook is beyond me. Attempt this at your own risk.
Naturally you will want to season your meat with onions, salt, pepper, and other such flavorings. My mother kept it simple. She used one egg per pound of hamburger, some breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Tasted like cardboard, but it was a safe play.
The rule of non-dimple thumb is to only flip your patty once. The reason they give is that it will make your end result tougher. But this has to also include the quality of meat you buy. There are some cuts of hamburger you could put in a blender and they would ruin the blades. So maybe an extra flip or two may actually improve the texture.
OK, back to cutting boards. We talked a bit about this earlier, and any real American wouldn’t think of using any type of cutting board other than wooden. Wood Cutting Boards is a great place to shop for wholesale cutting boards, mainly made of wood. There have to be standards, and this web site has them, as well as a variety of styles and shapes, including a walnut cutting board for the affluent among you.
If you choose to use another material, please do not complain about how our tips did not work.