GGB
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2010
- Messages
- 456
- Location
- Kansas
- Tractor
- John Deere 2032R, John Deere Z930M, John Deere 455, John Deere XUV825i w/Deluxe Cab & Roll Down Windows, Snow Blade
I am in the 80/20 chuck crowd. I insist on some fat in my burgers and I like a hot charcoal fire. My "normal" burger recipe is 2 tbsp worc sauce, fresh ground black pepper, garlic salt and a couple tbsp Lipton onion soup mix per pound of meat this makes 2 burgers.
I'm with Car Doc and everyone else on using 80/20. And my Dad used to use a version of the Lipton's onion soup mix recipe. Really gives a tasty kick to a burger.
A new trick I picked up from one of the food programs on TV is to use your thumb to make an impression in the middle of one side of the patty if your guests prefer their burgers more well done. It seems to let the patty cook more thoroughly in about the same time as your other burgers that you want cooked on the rare side, and the impression goes away as the burger gets close to done. But I still use a thermometer to check the temperature-I just haven't ever been able to consistently get them right otherwise.
I also let my burgers and steaks rest before serving. Otherwise you just loose too much flavor.
Charcoal is still my favorite but I use our propane grill a lot. I have a small chip box sitting on the lava rock for smoke, usually with hickory chips for grilling or apple if I'm smoking.
Back to the OP-when our BBQ team needed to season a new smoker, we'd spray the interior with a can of vegetable oil before firing it up the first time. It was a lot easier than brushing, and would let you get into spots that weren't easy to brush without getting covered in drips from the brush.
Okay, so now I'm hungry!