The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!
Two or three generations of people are accustomed to taking a frozen beef patty
and cooking it, and wondering why it comes out dense and dry. .
You don't have to discontinue frozen patties entirely. BUT they must be
defrosted first, fluffed up with a fork, seasoned (salt, pepper and a dash of
Worcestershire is good) , --and gently patted back together. Don't squash them
with a spatula while cooking. Turn only once.
And the best ground round to buy is with 15% fat ! Keeps it moist. Pure
ground sirloin is disappointingly dry.
I had a neighbor who kept complaining about all other hamburgers, but loved
mine. I said, I'll give you a test, here are two hamburgers, tell me which you
like best. He said, Obviously, it's This one (not frozen)--where did you buy
the meat?
When I told him it was the same package of meat, just one was cooked from
frozen patties that had not been re-shaped--well, he couldn't believe it.
Some restaurants advertise bigger 1/3 pound burgers, but they pad them with
bread crumbs,--which doesn't help at all.
Don't cook frozen patties !!
Nancree

>(Nancree) writes:
>
>The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
>DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!
>You don't have to discontinue frozen patties entirely. BUT they must be
>defrosted first, fluffed up with a fork, seasoned (salt, pepper and a dash of
>Worcestershire is good) , --and gently patted back together.

Mystery Meat Redux... holy shit !!!!



---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

>(Nancree) writes:
>
>The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
>DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!
>You don't have to discontinue frozen patties entirely. BUT they must be
>defrosted first, fluffed up with a fork, seasoned (salt, pepper and a dash of
>Worcestershire is good) , --and gently patted back together.

Mystery Meat Redux... holy shit !!!!



---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

Mince up some onion finely and mix it into the burger.

Nancree wrote:
>
> The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
> DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!
> Two or three generations of people are accustomed to taking a frozen beef patty
> and cooking it, and wondering why it comes out dense and dry. .
> You don't have to discontinue frozen patties entirely. BUT they must be
> defrosted first, fluffed up with a fork, seasoned (salt, pepper and a dash of
> Worcestershire is good) , --and gently patted back together. Don't squash them
> with a spatula while cooking. Turn only once.
> And the best ground round to buy is with 15% fat ! Keeps it moist. Pure
> ground sirloin is disappointingly dry.
> I had a neighbor who kept complaining about all other hamburgers, but loved
> mine. I said, I'll give you a test, here are two hamburgers, tell me which you
> like best. He said, Obviously, it's This one (not frozen)--where did you buy
> the meat?
> When I told him it was the same package of meat, just one was cooked from
> frozen patties that had not been re-shaped--well, he couldn't believe it.
> Some restaurants advertise bigger 1/3 pound burgers, but they pad them with
> bread crumbs,--which doesn't help at all.
> Don't cook frozen patties !!
> Nancree
>
>

Mince up some onion finely and mix it into the burger.

Nancree wrote:
>
> The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
> DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!
> Two or three generations of people are accustomed to taking a frozen beef patty
> and cooking it, and wondering why it comes out dense and dry. .
> You don't have to discontinue frozen patties entirely. BUT they must be
> defrosted first, fluffed up with a fork, seasoned (salt, pepper and a dash of
> Worcestershire is good) , --and gently patted back together. Don't squash them
> with a spatula while cooking. Turn only once.
> And the best ground round to buy is with 15% fat ! Keeps it moist. Pure
> ground sirloin is disappointingly dry.
> I had a neighbor who kept complaining about all other hamburgers, but loved
> mine. I said, I'll give you a test, here are two hamburgers, tell me which you
> like best. He said, Obviously, it's This one (not frozen)--where did you buy
> the meat?
> When I told him it was the same package of meat, just one was cooked from
> frozen patties that had not been re-shaped--well, he couldn't believe it.
> Some restaurants advertise bigger 1/3 pound burgers, but they pad them with
> bread crumbs,--which doesn't help at all.
> Don't cook frozen patties !!
> Nancree
>
>

On 8/23/2004, nancree wrote:

>The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
>DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!

<snip>

> And the best ground round to buy is with 15% fat ! Keeps it
>moist. Pure ground sirloin is disappointingly dry.

My ideal hamburger is a 50/50 combination of round and chuck
coming in at around 15% fat (a little higher because of the chuck).
I always buy and use it the same day. I never freeze it. I know
that some posters here grind their own (Sheldon, for example),
which I'm sure makes for a superior result, but I've never quite
gotten into it that much.

I don't always prepare my ideal hamburger. In recent years, as
a small nod to dietary issues, I often use the low fat ground beef
(e.g., the 4% or 7% fat), and I have learned to like it (sort of), much
like when I switched from regular milk to non-fat milk. The first time
I tried non-fat milk, it seemed thin and watery with its odd "bluish"
ring at the surface of the glass, but, given a little time, I got used
to it, and regular milk almost tastes too rich for frequent consump-
tion.

My only real issue with the low fat beef is that it comes prepackaged
from the distributor, and the packages (at least in my stores) don't
say what cuts are used. The store meatcutters will tell you if you
ask, but I still think the package ought to include this information.

What really puts me off are these 3 pound opaquely wrapped
packages of ground "beef" that look to me like Duraflame logs.
I suppose they are technically beef, but what exactly they are
is a bit of a mystery. I once bought a 1 pound version of this
product (7% fat - or so the package said). I crumbled it, pan fried
and tasted a bit. It wasn't terrible, but the raw product was on
the damp side. I fed the rest to the dog, who thought it was great.
The dog lived.

On 8/23/2004, nancree wrote:

>The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
>DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!

<snip>

> And the best ground round to buy is with 15% fat ! Keeps it
>moist. Pure ground sirloin is disappointingly dry.

My ideal hamburger is a 50/50 combination of round and chuck
coming in at around 15% fat (a little higher because of the chuck).
I always buy and use it the same day. I never freeze it. I know
that some posters here grind their own (Sheldon, for example),
which I'm sure makes for a superior result, but I've never quite
gotten into it that much.

I don't always prepare my ideal hamburger. In recent years, as
a small nod to dietary issues, I often use the low fat ground beef
(e.g., the 4% or 7% fat), and I have learned to like it (sort of), much
like when I switched from regular milk to non-fat milk. The first time
I tried non-fat milk, it seemed thin and watery with its odd "bluish"
ring at the surface of the glass, but, given a little time, I got used
to it, and regular milk almost tastes too rich for frequent consump-
tion.

My only real issue with the low fat beef is that it comes prepackaged
from the distributor, and the packages (at least in my stores) don't
say what cuts are used. The store meatcutters will tell you if you
ask, but I still think the package ought to include this information.

What really puts me off are these 3 pound opaquely wrapped
packages of ground "beef" that look to me like Duraflame logs.
I suppose they are technically beef, but what exactly they are
is a bit of a mystery. I once bought a 1 pound version of this
product (7% fat - or so the package said). I crumbled it, pan fried
and tasted a bit. It wasn't terrible, but the raw product was on
the damp side. I fed the rest to the dog, who thought it was great.
The dog lived.

"Kent H." > wrote in message
...
> Mince up some onion finely and mix it into the burger.
>
> Nancree wrote:
> >
> > The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
> > DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!
> > Two or three generations of people are accustomed to taking a frozen
beef patty
> > and cooking it, and wondering why it comes out dense and dry. .
> > You don't have to discontinue frozen patties entirely. BUT they must
be
> > defrosted first, fluffed up with a fork, seasoned (salt, pepper and a
dash of
> > Worcestershire is good) , --and gently patted back together. Don't
squash them
> > with a spatula while cooking. Turn only once.
> > And the best ground round to buy is with 15% fat ! Keeps it moist.
Pure
> > ground sirloin is disappointingly dry.
> > I had a neighbor who kept complaining about all other hamburgers, but
loved
> > mine. I said, I'll give you a test, here are two hamburgers, tell me
which you
> > like best. He said, Obviously, it's This one (not frozen)--where did
you buy
> > the meat?
> > When I told him it was the same package of meat, just one was cooked
from
> > frozen patties that had not been re-shaped--well, he couldn't believe
it.
> > Some restaurants advertise bigger 1/3 pound burgers, but they pad
them with
> > bread crumbs,--which doesn't help at all.
> > Don't cook frozen patties !!
> > Nancree
> >
> >

2 or 3 generations? I have never once in my life cooked a frozen hamburger
patty. Heck, I have never even bought a patty.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

"Kent H." > wrote in message
...
> Mince up some onion finely and mix it into the burger.
>
> Nancree wrote:
> >
> > The real secret to making very good hamburgers is this:
> > DON'T start with frozen beef patties !!!!
> > Two or three generations of people are accustomed to taking a frozen
beef patty
> > and cooking it, and wondering why it comes out dense and dry. .
> > You don't have to discontinue frozen patties entirely. BUT they must
be
> > defrosted first, fluffed up with a fork, seasoned (salt, pepper and a
dash of
> > Worcestershire is good) , --and gently patted back together. Don't
squash them
> > with a spatula while cooking. Turn only once.
> > And the best ground round to buy is with 15% fat ! Keeps it moist.
Pure
> > ground sirloin is disappointingly dry.
> > I had a neighbor who kept complaining about all other hamburgers, but
loved
> > mine. I said, I'll give you a test, here are two hamburgers, tell me
which you
> > like best. He said, Obviously, it's This one (not frozen)--where did
you buy
> > the meat?
> > When I told him it was the same package of meat, just one was cooked
from
> > frozen patties that had not been re-shaped--well, he couldn't believe
it.
> > Some restaurants advertise bigger 1/3 pound burgers, but they pad
them with
> > bread crumbs,--which doesn't help at all.
> > Don't cook frozen patties !!
> > Nancree
> >
> >

2 or 3 generations? I have never once in my life cooked a frozen hamburger
patty. Heck, I have never even bought a patty.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Kevintsheehy wrote:

> What really puts me off are these 3 pound opaquely wrapped
> packages of ground "beef" that look to me like Duraflame logs.

And when bought at Sam's or BJ's or whatever always seems to
consist of a thin layer of red ground beef from today wrapped
around layers of brown ground beef from yesterday (or before).
Eventually I just banned meat from these places from appearing
in my house.

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