The Perfect Burger Patty

The Perfect Burger Patty
Written by Teena Travis

I have spent a great deal of time and effort in pursuit of the ‘Perfect Burger’.

It is my opinion that there are few things quite as wonderful as sinking your teeth into a juicy, flavorful, perfectly cooked, round patty of deliciousness. After much trial and error, I believe I have finally discovered the steps to the creation of that perfect burger patty!

Step 1: The Meat

Start with putting twenty ounces of high-quality grass-fed beef or buffalo in a large bowl. Do not skimp on the quality of the meat! This is important! When building a house you need a good foundation – it is no different with the burger patty. This is the centerpiece (both figuratively and literally) of the burger.

Step 2: Tenderize the Meat.

Mix one teaspoon baking soda and half a teaspoon of cream of tartar with one tablespoon of water in a small dish and pour the mixture over the beef. This is going to tenderize the meat.

Step 3: Season Your Meat.

I like things on the salty side, so I use: one teaspoon salt, half a teaspoon pepper, half a teaspoon onion and garlic powder, and half a teaspoon cumin. But this is your burger so go bold and don’t be afraid to branch out and discover what makes YOUR perfect burger.

Step 4: Time to Mix!

Now it’s time to mix it all together. I cannot express the importance of this – DO NOT OVERWORK THE MEAT! This will result in a dry hockey puck of a burger patty. Just give it a quick mix and then back away from the beef!

Step 5: Create the Patties.

Separate into five equal patties. If you wet your hands a little beforehand, the meat doesn’t stick to them and you can roll balls and flatten them out lovingly into burger patties without much of a mess. Make sure the thickness of each patty is equal so cooking time does not vary. Also make sure the edges of the patty are relatively smooth and free of open edges. Use your thumb to make a shallow hole in the top of the patty. This will prevent the burger from over plumping.

Step 6: Time to Cook!

Cook your patties either on the grill or on the stove. For a medium patty, grill or pan fry each side for about four minutes. DO NOT PRESS OR FLATTEN! Let the meat and the grill do their magic. You are going to have the desire to overly flip and flatten the patty – fight the desire, I promise you, it’ll be worth it.

After four minutes on each side, there you have it – the perfect juicy, flavorful, perfectly cooked burger patty. Happy Eating!