Learn more about how a homemade burger is made and how it differs from industrialized preparations, write down a recipe and see tips.
The recipe for a homemade burger usually includes a good blend of meats with a reasonable percentage of fat, salt and black pepper or some other type of pepper for seasoning, depending on the customer’s taste.
On the other hand, a frozen beef burger is made with frozen or chilled ground beef, but also with various preservatives, flavorings and seasonings.
If you’ve come this far, you’re probably looking for more information on how to get the first burger right, regardless of what type of burger you’re going to make (homemade, gourmet, etc.). Is that it? Keep reading!
How to make the best artisanal burger?
To get it right, you need to pay attention to the details: carefully choose the blend that will be used, do not use the frozen mixture, but rather the cold one and, after seasoning the meat for your future burgers , wait a while to divide the portions.
Also, press the center of the discs lightly with your thumb to keep them in shape while you fry each one and never place them on the grill , frying pan or griddle without preheating the equipment.
Before you get to the moment where the two halves of bread come into play, let the preparation rest too!
And what is the best meat for a burger?
Many tasty recipes use a mix of beef chuck and brisket or are made with just flank steak, but you can explore other possibilities for burger meat blends and even create your own mix.
Just be careful because, to make it really tasty, the ideal is for your blend to have 20%-30% fat. Calculate it carefully.
Have you prepared the blend and the meat is cold, but not frozen? Let’s get started!
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 500 g of ground and chilled meat with the ideal fat percentage for a good burger
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Preparation method
- In a bowl, pour the ground meat and add the seasonings.
- Mix well
- Let the meat rest for a few moments before shaping the burgers.
- Separate the meat into 4 portions and shape them into a bag, making circular movements with the palms of your hands.
- Toss the shaped portions from one hand to the other to make them firmer.
- When frying the meat, open it into a disc shape.
Note that there are not many seasonings used in a burger. In fact, there are two main ones: salt and some type of pepper to taste, usually black pepper.
And what else goes into a homemade burger? At least cheese, condiments ( homemade mayonnaise , seasoned mayonnaise and other types of mayonnaise and sauces ) and some of the famous “toppings”, complements between the meat and the bread!
Let your creativity speak.
6 cheese suggestions to accompany a burger
The choice of cheese used in each preparation of one of those artisanal burgers will depend on the gastronomic experience you want to have or provide. Take note.
- Dish: goes with everything, melts well, is always a good choice
- Mozzarella: add to the recipe if you go all out with the seasonings or condiments
- Cheddar: stronger, to combine with specific toppings, such as bacon
- Gorgonzola: for those who like strong flavors, it goes well with sweet toppings
- Provolone: if you want to bring a smoky touch to your recipe
- Brie and Gruyère: These are often used in gourmet burger joints and have more complex flavors and textures.
Is your mouth watering yet? Wait, there’s more!
12 topping ideas for homemade burgers
Now, check out some topping ideas to complete the explosion of flavor.
- Arugula or mixed leaves
- Avocado
- Guacamole
- Caramelized onion
- Sweet and sour cucumber
- fried egg
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Crispy bacon
- Tomato
- Red onion
- Fried onion
- Grilled pineapple
Well, all that’s missing is the bread…
9 types of buns to eat with a burger
Make your own bread or buy it at the bakery, choosing from classic, unusual, rustic and artisanal options, among others. Here is your list of the most common options for you to prepare with a little butter on the grill!
- Traditional hamburger bun
- Classic Brioche
- Potato or cassava bread
- Wholemeal or rye bread
- Ciabatta
- Australian bread
- Corn bread
- Pita bread
- Gluten-free rice or almond bread
Note: make sure that the two strips of the chosen type of bread can “support” the amount of toppings and condiments in your recipe, in addition to the meat disk, of course!