Basic Burger

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Basic Burger

Simple, basic beef burger
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 burgers

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Grill/frying pan

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb ground beef No less than 80/20.
  • 1 tbsp salt Adjust to taste
  • 1 tbsp pepper Adjust to taste
  • 2 tbsp all purpose barbecue spice rub Adjust to taste

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, add ground beef and spices. Mix with hands until incorporated, as if you were mixing a meatloaf.
    Gradually add spices to the mix if you are having an issue getting it consistent.
  • Divide the mix into 4 equal parts. Roll each section into a ball with your hands.
  • Take the ball and either using your hands, a burger press, or some other creative method and form a patty.
    A thicker burger will take longer to cook. Inversely, a thinner burger wont take very long.
  • Turn on your grill or frying pan onto a low or medium low setting. You don't want these to burn because the outsides will cook but the middle will be pink. This should also prevent the meat from burning while cooking.
  • Cook the burgers for no more than 10 minutes, then flip. There's no need to constantly flip the burgers. With the temp on low, let the equipment cook the meat.
    These times are estimates and are going to be dependent on your equipment. 5-7 minutes should be appropriate though. If you're unsure, stab the middle. If it oozes pink, then its probably not done. If your satisfied with the level of pink, then its cooked.
  • Once cooked, either put it on a bun or omit the bun. Its your choice.
  • Add condiments of your choosing. I would go with cheese, a really good barbecue sauce and a good mayo.

Notes

If the burgers are still pink after 10 minutes on each side, throw them in the oven at 350F for a few minutes. 

There are many ways to make burgers and probably a million different recipes, both online and in print, on how to do it. The above is my go to recipe. This is really going to end up being more of a formula than anything. I intentionally went light on the spices, but this is really more of a “spice to taste” kind of deal.

I find it interesting that the definition of a “burger” changes depending on where you go. Some consider the burger to represent the patty only – as in a hamburger patty. In other places, a burger represents the sammich (sandwich for the uninitiated) as a whole. I’m of the ‘burger is a patty’ school of thought. Although, having said that, does that make the term ‘burger patty’ redundant?

In any event, I feel like the best burgers are either done on a flattop or on a grill. You just cant beat the flavor of smoke permeating the beef and the juices that flow throughout the patty. I did see online the other day someone made a burger in the instant pot. With the right flavor profile, I think this could work pretty well. You wont get the char or grilled “look”, but if that’s an issue, throw it on a skillet or something at the end.

This recipe is meant to be simple. To be fair, you really don’t need to do any more than add a little salt and pepper to some ground beef, mix it together, form a patty and then cook it to the desired doneness. I find that adding spice rub just adds more flavor.

Another thing that sometimes irritates me when reading food blogs is that often times the authors will recommend items that often times work really well – but also come at a steep price. For those of us without funds (or sponsors), I feel that keeping the cost down while still getting value is something that needs explored. Having said that, I can’t make burger patties to save my life. I’ve tried the indentation/hole in the center trick, along with other methods, and its not worked out. So awhile ago (9 years according to my Amazon order history), I ordered a burger press.

According to Amazon, this is the “Weston Hamburger, Crabcake and Sausage Press, Makes 4 1/2″ In Diameter Patties, 1/4lb to 3/4lb, Basic Model”. It’s adjustable and easy to clean. The other thing I like is that the size of the burger you’re going for is marked on the adjustment.

When I make burgers, I usually use at least a lb of beef and will freeze whatever I don’t cook at the time. I also try to look for deals on meats and can usually find a manager special on ground beef somewhere in town. The meat in the pictures below I found last week on manager special for $1.28 for about 1/2 lb of beef. This recipe also works well for smashburgers, if you’re looking to eliminate the burger press and just want an easy option. I’ve been doing a lot of smashburgers lately. Its a very convenient and quick method to get a delicious burger to a plate. How you decide to form your patty is up to you.

For your viewing pleasure…

Some additional tips: You can actually cover the burgers with a lid of some kind, if you’re using a pan, so that the excess heat doesn’t escape. This will help reduce the cooking time. It’s a great method for melting cheese also. They actually make a cover that you can put over burgers to melt cheese and such, as I’m sure some of you have seen on a variety of cooking type shows. Also, low temp is the way to go. It may take longer to cook, but there’s less chance of burning if you keep the temps low.

For some final thoughts. As I’m writing this post and making these burgers, I started thinking about how I’m approaching building these recipes and such. One thing you may already be picking up on is that I’m not super focused on the more fancy aspects of presentation. What I mean is that I don’t have really fancy salt shakers or crackers, Im not using fancy plates (before you ask – its a paper plate). I feel like my presentation should reflect a certain real life aspect to what we all do every day. Many of us don’t have (or need) fancy salt shakers or fancy plates. It doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice the taste of our food. You can get as fancy as you like, or not. Granted, the food needs not look gross, but it also doesn’t need (and often wont) look too pretty to eat. This is a pretty low budget operation.

Now go make a burger.