Fun Food Holidays™
May 28th, 2025 is National Hamburger Day

The trick to a perfect, juicy hamburger is to use meat that is 15-20% fat. Also don't just use ground beef, try to buy meat that is specifically labeled as ground chuck. It's a more flavorful cut and not the "bits and pieces" of cuts that are found in ground beef. Meats with less fat have a tendency to become dry and crumbly.

If you want to cut the fat and use a leaner grade of chuck, you'll need to replace some moisture that the fattier cuts provide. Add an egg, soy sauce, or barbecue sauce.

Be gentle when mixing the shaping the patties. You do not want to overwork the mixture or it won't hold together. If you do overwork it, put it in the fridge for 20 minutes and try again.

When ready to cook, make sure your grill, pan, or broiler is preheated.

Pan cooking: Heat over medium-medium high heat (will depend on the type of pan you use and your stove). You will know the right temp by adding a few drops of water to the pan. If they sizzle without immediately evaporating, then the temp is right.

Grilling: Cook the burgers directly over medium heat.

Broiling: Set the oven rack about 4 inches from the heat source.

When cooking, flip the burgers once - and only once. Do not press on the burgers while cooking (ie to flatten them out). You will only press out the necessary juices and end up with a dry burger. Cook the burgers about 4 minutes per side. The final "safe" temperature of a burger is 160 degrees F.