Now that spring is here again, we’re probably all anxious to get outside and fry up some food. If you have a charcoal or gas grill at home, you know just how delicious it is when we prepare our food on there. Where it’s grilled asparagus, peppers or ribs, having a cold drink with a plate of hot food is one of the best feelings in the world. Of course, when it comes to grilling out, there’s really nothing that beats a well-made burger.
Although we all have our own approach to making great burgers, few people can question the cooking acumen of master chef Gordon Ramsay. While anybody can get a store-bought burger and slap it on a grill, it takes some finesse to take a burger from good to truly great. Fortunately, we have the complete grilling guide for you here—and it’s easy enough for anyone to do.
Here’s what you need:
- butter
- burgers
- salt
- pepper
- oil
- toppings (cheese, lettuce, onions, tomatoes)
- condiments
- buns
Here’s what you do:
1. Although you may think the grilling process starts when we fire up the grill and put meat on it, it actually starts earlier for those who are really serious about their burgers. As Gordon says: “For me, the secret of a burger is in the blend.” Rather than buying a cheaper pre-made burger, go to your local butcher and have him make you a nice meat blend. In Gordon’s recipe, he uses a combination of ground chuck, ground beef and beef brisket. Finally, make your mix and your patties the night before and set them in the fridge (be sure to use an egg to bind the meats together).
2. Now that you’re prepared, get your grill piping hot while you season your burgers. When you’re getting ready to grill, pull your meat out a little bit early so that it can relax—throwing ice cold burgers on the grill is the best way to undercook a burger. When they’re ready, season them liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the burgers with oil and roll the seasoning around the edge of the burger as well for extra flavor!
3. Once the grill is very hot, carefully place your burgers on the grill about two-thirds of the way up. After you’ve put them in place, shut the lid. The big secret of cooking great burgers is to move them as little as possible once they’re in place! The more times you move them, the more likely they are to get damaged and the more likely they are to lose their juiciness. If you’ve followed these steps correctly, they won’t stick and they’ll cook fine with the lid closed.
4. At this stage, you can also lightly oil and salt your buns to toast them as well. Similarly, you can also take some thick slices of onion, season them the same way, and throw them on the grill as well. When you’re done, shut the lid again. Be sure to take the buns off quickly, however (and cook them on both sides).
5. After three and a half to four minutes, you can flip your burgers carefully. For an added blast of delicious flavor, use a pastry brush and rub a little bit butter on top of your burgers as well. Doing this while it’s on the heat lets the butter caramelize around the meat and adds another boost to an already delicious meal. To go even further with it, you can use flavored butters for different styles of burger.
6. After another three to four minutes, you can flip the burgers again. Season them one more time over the heat and close the grill again. About 30 seconds before the burgers come off, lay a slice of cheese on top of your burgers while they’re still on the grill. In the meantime, dress the rest of your burger—put wet condiments on the bun followed by lettuce and tomato.
7. Finally, take your burgers off and throw the caramelized onions on top, capping it all off with the other half of the bun. With that, you’re ready to eat! The key to this recipe is to do everything in order so that when the burgers are done, so are the condiments, the buns and the toppings! You may want to use a toothpick to hold these burgers together as they’re bursting with flavor.
The above recipe will cook a burger so that the inside is perfectly pink medium to medium-rare. If you want yours done a little more, simply leave them on the grill for longer. Above all, enjoy the process and let us know what you think. Happy grilling!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
