What To Grill For Memorial Day
Well, what else? Burgers, of course!
May is BBQ Month, and Memorial Day beckons us to the backyard to prepare all kinds of delicious things over the open grill.
If you’re looking for the best way to cook your own homemade burgers that are even better than takeout from your favorite burger joint, you’re just in time to learn how to make this BBQ THING!
Let’s start with the meat.
Best Beef For Burgers
If you have access to a friendly butcher, what I like to do is purchase a couple packages of bone-in beef short ribs and a whole chuck roast or brisket. I ask that very friendly butcher to grind these for me and I use this as the beginning of one super burger. Or you can grab a package of ground chuck and mix it with medium ground beef. We want fat in our burger because fat equals flavor!
I season the meat mixture with garlic powder, onion powder, soy, and Worcestershire sauces. No salt and pepper yet.
I form the meat into balls, about the size of a baseball. If you own a burger press, this is the time to pull it out of the drawer!
I lay the balls on parchment paper. When I have a layer of balls, I use a spatula to flatten each ball into a patty. Then I move the parchment paper to a baking sheet.
I continue until I form all the patties, layering each parchment paper sheet on top of the first. When I’m finished, I wrap up the patties in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge.
You can do this 1 to 2 days in advance. Note: Still no salt!
Now for the condiments. Mustard, mayo, and ketchup of course. I add my so-much-like-a Big-Mac sauce, a bowl of Ranch dressing…‘cause why not, and a bottle of hot pepper sauce. One has to know one’s audience!
For veggies I layer a platter with lettuce leaves, tomato slices, red onion rings, and dill pickle slices.
If you want to make your own, here’s a link to a quick pickle recipe.
Jorj's Pretty Pickles
Get Jorj’s quick and easy pickle recipe here.
Best Burger Ingredients
All the cheeses work here. I even like a combo of cheeses on my cheesiest burger. I’ll also set out bowls of caramelized onions, sauteed mushroom, bacon slices, coleslaw, and pickled jalapeno slices.
For the buns, I choose brioche buns. I brush the tops with melted butter and warm them in the oven while I’m grilling the burgers. Or, if you like them toasted you can grill them while you are resting the burgers.
Now to the grilling. Remove the number of burgers you are going to grill from the fridge. If you are not going to use them all, you can freeze the rest at this point. Because we have not seasoned the meat with salt, we have not dried out the beef so you can expect a juicy burger when you cook them up.
Heat your grill to high heat. When it is screaming hot, reduce the heat to medium high.
NOW it’s time to season both sides of the patty with salt and pepper.
Place the patties on to the grill and let them cook until just charred on the bottom. You will know when they are ready to turn with the patties release from the grill without sticking.
Cook on the other side for a couple of minutes. For a medium rare burger that is about 2-inches thick you need about 8 minutes.
Check out my video on how to tell when your meat is cooked:
How to test your burger for doneness
Now all that is left is to top the cheeseburgers with cheese and let them melt a bit. Serve the patties on the warmed buns and let everyone add their favorite toppings.
Now this is a burger, BABY!
Best Beef Burgers
Serves
Makes 6 Burgers
Time To Prepare
20 minutes ’til it’s ready
Ingredients
For burgers:
- 1 pound beef brisket, ground
- 1 pound (boneless) beef short ribs, ground (can substitute with chuck roast)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For burger sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 6 burger buns (I like brioche buns.)
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
Directions
Place the ground meat into a bowl. Season with Worcestershire, soy sauce, onion, and garlic powder. Use your (so very clean) hands to gently mix everything together.
Form into 6 patties. Place each patty onto a platter or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Make the burger sauce by placing mayo, relish, chili sauce, grated onion, vinegar, and sugar into a bowl and stirring them together until smooth. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Heat an outdoor grill, indoor grill pan, griddle, or cast-iron skillet on high heat.
Season each side of the burgers with salt and pepper.
When the grill or grill pan is smokin’ hot, place the burgers onto/into the pan. Here’s the secret: you don’t want to move the burgers until they are ready to release from the heat. So, give it a few minutes, like 4 or 5. Then, slide your spatula under the burger. If it sticks, give it a bit longer. You’ll know when it’s ready. Then flip and cook on the second side.
Use your finger to press down into the center of the burger. If your finger leaves an indentation, the burger needs some more cooking. When the burger bounces back when you poke it, it’s ready to go. The more spring, the more cooked.
You can check your burgers by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center. Medium-rare burgers have an internal temperature of 145°.
Transfer the burgers to a platter and let them rest while you toast the buns. Burgers will keep cooking once you remove them from the heat, which means you want to take them off the heat a bit before your desired doneness is achieved.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Brush the inside of each bun with butter. Place the bun, butter-side-down onto the element. Toast the buns (watching carefully) until just golden. Place the buns onto a platter.
Place the burgers onto the bottom buns and generously slather them with sauce. Crown the burger with the top bun and chow down!
