Steakhouse Burgers, and neigh messin' (sorry).

If food be the foundation of life then burgers are one of it's building blocks.  A good burger is the cornerstone of....  Ok, let's forget the 'building' analogies and get back to the Meat.

If you want a good burger or a great burger, and you don't want to have to pay through the nose for it or run the risk of being very disappointed by some so called Steakhouse (or Bar and Grill) chef's attempt, then you've just got to make it yourself.  It's the ONLY way to guarantee that what you are eating is what you want to be eating and that it will taste like you want and expect it to taste.
 Note:  If you even think about using shop bought mince then leave this website now - this is NOT for you.

There are MANY ways to make a burger and I'm sure there's more than one right way, but here's my way.  This is for Steakhouse burgers, which are thick and juicy.  We will cover the thinner 'diner type' burgers at another time.

First of all, start with some fatty, cheapish steaks.  These are shoulder steaks, but some steaks just won't work.  Rumps steak may be cheaper, but it has very little fat to talk of.  Ribeye and Sirloin are even better, but do you really want to grind up a good sirloin or ribeye for a burger?   Shoulder is a nice tasting piece of meat and just the right balance of lean to fat.  About 80% lean to 20% fat is about right.

In the beginning, steak - just steak.

First thing to remember when making your burgers is to keep the meat cold at all times.  You do not want the fat starting to warm up, rendering and spoiling your finished burger.

Cut the steaks into smaller 1inch chunks, something that will fit easily into your grinder/mincer, then grind it with the largest aperture for the coarsest mince.  Only pass the meat through the mincer one time.

Grind it up.

Catch it in a metal bowl that has been chilled in the fridge/freezer and as soon as you are done, cover the bowl with cling film and put it in the fridge right away.  Now clean down your mincer and clear away your workspace - then have a cuppa coffee and a seat and dream of Burger Heaven.

Now you need to prepare your own 'secret' seasoning mix.  Here's mine and sorry, I'm not telling you yet, I hardly know you for Pete's sake.

Seasoning secrets and well chilled meat.

Sprinkle half the season over the meat and fold it through with a fork, but don't over mix the meat and cause it to lose texture.  Then sprinkle the second half over and then carefully mix through again.

Seasoned meat - note that it is still coarse and open textured

Quickly re-cover the bowl with cling film and chuck it back in the fridge for at least an hour or more.


(Update - Jan 10th 2016) TO BE CONTINUED!!