Guidelines for Making Better Burgers
From Burger Parties (Ten Speed Press 2010) by James McNair and Jeffrey Starr
Because any ground meat dries out quickly, buy it freshly ground from a reliable butcher on the day you plan to use it; or purchase boneless meat, and grind or mince it just before cooking.
To grind meat at home, cut the meat and any attached fat into 1-inch chunks and place it in the freezer—along with the grinder or food processor bowl and blade—for about 30 minutes. Partially freezing the meat not only is a safety measure but also firms the meat for easier grinding and makes the lean and fat less homogenous, producing moister, less dense patties. If using a meat grinder, put the chilled meat through the cold grinder fitted with a 1-inch blade. If using a food processor, place small batches of chilled meat in the cold processor bowl and pulse just until the meat is minced; avoid overprocessing.
To incorporate flavor into every bite, thoroughly mix seasonings into ground ingredients. Contrary to popular culinary myth, salting ground meat a few minutes before cooking will not draw out the moisture and create a dry burger. For our tastes, 1 teaspoon of kosher or coarse sea salt to every pound of meat is a perfect ratio, but if you’re adding other salty components, reduce the amount of salt you use.
If making beef burgers, keep in mind that the lower the fat content, the less flavor and the tougher the cooked patty. Ground chuck, usually around 24 percent fat, or other fatty cuts make the best patties.
When using lean meats, add a little ground fat, a bit of chilled wine or broth, and extra seasonings to keep the patties moist and flavorful.
Throughout the patty-making process, the colder you keep the mixing bowl, meat, wine, broth, and other ingredients, the better.
For a lighter texture and tender patties, handle the mixture as little as possible when mixing in seasonings, and mix with a spoon, because using your hands will warm the fat and lead to a drier, denser burger. Rinse your hands under cold running water to cool them before forming patties, and handle the meat as little as possible to prevent compacting.
Cook patties shortly before serving, and let them rest under a foil tent for a few minutes for the juices to redistribute.
Brush the hot grill rack with vegetable oil before adding patties, to help keep them from sticking. Alternatively, brush the patties with oil before placing them on a hot grill rack.
Place patties directly over the heat source if you want them well charred on the outside and moist and juicy inside. But when grilling patties with a high fat content or dripping marinades, offset them from the fire to prevent flare-ups.
To keep all of the delicious juices inside, avoid pressing down on the patties with a spatula during cooking.
When topping with cheese, wait until the patties are almost done. Close the grill lid after adding the cheese, to melt it more quickly.
Burgers taste best when the buns are hot and the cut sides are lightly toasted on the grill during the last few minutes.
Once everything is ready, assemble the burgers quickly and serve immediately.
For easier eating, cut each burger in half before serving. If they are loaded with toppings, you may wish to insert a skewer into each burger half before cutting them, to hold everything in place until your guests are ready to pick them up and chow down.
James McNair's Tips for Creating Winning Recipes
Here are some tips that may increase your chances of being selected as a BBB finalist, and many should also prove helpful in entering other recipe contests.
Read the annual contest rules very carefully before working on a recipe.
Check recipes that have won the contest in previous years. They are examples of how to write winning recipes, and will also show you what has already been done and shouldn't be repeated.
Stay up to date. Read food magazines, newspaper food sections, food blogs, and the latest cookbooks, and watch cooking shows on television to keep up with what's going on in the world of food.
Be creative and "think outside of the box." Keep in mind, however, that "original" does not equal weird, so make certain that the flavors of the ingredients all work together. Avoid being too trendy just for the sake of being different. Creative uses of traditional burger ingredients often work best.
Choose a good name. "Aunt Betty's Burgers" or "Daddy's Favorite Burgers" aren't going to get a second look, but "Black Thai Burgers" or "My Big Fat Greek Burgers" will definitely grab the evaluator’s attention. Descriptive straightforward names such as "Cajun Andouille and Shrimp Burgers with Fiery Tasso Mayonnaise" or "Caesar Salad and Flank Steak Burgers with Garlic Crostini" will also get noticed.
Preference is given to recipes that list ingredients, including the buns and condiments, in the exact same order that they are used.
Include every detail of building the burger in step-by-step directions, and double-check that you mention the ingredients in the exact same order that they are given in the ingredients list. If you list "6 sesame hamburger buns" followed by "1/4 cup softened butter" in the ingredients list, direct people to "Spread the buns with the butter." Don't say "Butter the buns," which is out of order. At BBB we now allow some leeway for ingredients being slightly out of order, but preference is given to those who do it right.
Don't make a screener or judge count when reading directions by having them combine "the first 6 ingredients" or "the next 14 ingredients," but call for each ingredient. Frankly, we find this way of writing recipes annoying and they are not likely to make the cut to the next tier.
Don't end up being disqualified by saying, "Serve burgers with condiments of choice and/or on bun of choice." This is your recipe and should be submitted exactly as you want it and would prepare it at the Cook-Off, so specify the exact buns and condiments to use. And don't forget to specify exact amounts of each item used in the ingredients list.
Use enough seasoning. Salt enhances flavor, so no matter how creative and interesting they sound, recipes that don't add enough salt to the patties won't even make our first cut. And don’t forget making certain that each component of the recipe is well seasoned; a slice of garden-ripe tomato tastes even better when sprinkled with a little salt. BBB is judged by food professionals, including a lot of chefs, who are looking for the tastiest burger. The most frequent complaint from the judges in the past was that the patties and other components were under-seasoned.
Use fresh ingredients whenever possible. We’re more inclined to consider recipes that call for fresh garlic instead of garlic powder or fresh herbs instead of dried.
Toast or heat the bread! In the final round of selections, unless everything else is superior to the other recipes that we’re considering, we cast aside those that assemble the burgers on cold buns.
The use of Sutter Home wine does not sway us in choosing the best recipes. On the other hand, these are the folks putting on the contest, so it's nice to include their wines when appropriate. We definitely rule out a recipe that calls for wine produced by another winery or for a variety of wine that Sutter Home doesn't make, as that shows that you haven't done your homework for the contest.
Before submitting your recipe, either electronically or by mail, be sure that you have followed the rules exactly. Re-read the rules several times and double-check your written entry against them. For mailed entries, be sure to use the correct size of paper (BBB accepts only 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheets), staple pages together when more than one page is used, and be sure to put your name and contact information at the top of the page. For all submissions, be sure that your contact information is complete and correct.
Now, if you're selected as a finalist, here are a few tips that may boost your chances of winning the top prize.
No matter how great the recipe, on Cook-Off day it all comes down to how well you can cook under pressure. Increase your odds of receiving that big check and chubby trophy with the same answer to the old joke about how to get to Carnegie Hall—Practice! Practice! Practice! Invite your family and friends, and stage your own Cook-Off "rehearsals" at home to prepare for your "performance for the critics" in California. Remember that it's too late to make any changes to the submitted recipe, but you can perfect your cooking techniques.
Good recipes have been done in at the Cook-Off because the finalists hadn't actually cooked their submissions on a grill before. The 2003 Grand Prize winner didn't have a grill on the balcony of her high-rise co-op in Jackson Heights, New York, so she made several trips to the home of friends with a grill to prepare her recipe before heading to Napa Valley.
At the contestant's meeting before the Cook-Off, check the ingredients and equipment provided by Sutter Home carefully to make certain that everything meets your expectations. As soon as you arrive at the Cook-Off, re-check the ingredients and equipment before starting to cook.
Stay calm and focused. Don't be distracted by other contestants, visitors watching you from behind the ropes, television cameras, reporters, or photographers.
Watch the clock. Have a game plan for completing everything on time, and stick to it.
Keep a positive attitude. This is a competition where the judges can see you working and interacting with your fellow contestants, so don't turn us off before we even get a chance to taste your creation.