A piece of meat in a crispy bun with some vegetables and sauces - grilled burgers are becoming a more and more popular option during the summer season. And they taste even better prepared in the open air - you can fully enjoy both their taste and smell, while spending time with your friends and family in the garden.
A piece of meat in a crispy bun with some vegetables and sauces – grilled burgers are becoming a more and more popular option during the summer season. And they taste even better prepared in the open air – you can fully enjoy both their taste and smell, while spending time with your friends and family in the garden.
How should you prepare meat for grilling burgers?
A real grill master will be able to prepare not only succulent grilled steak, but also delicious, juicy grilled burgers. In order to achieve such results, you will need to follow a few basic rules.
- Lean meat is generally not recommended for grilled burgers. However, if you have no choice, try to add some olive oil or other oil, as fat is the main flavour enhancer in this case. This is why it is a good idea to mince the meat yourself so that you know exactly what’s in it and can modifythe ingredients if necessary.
- Burgers should only be made of meat, and possibly some fat. Chopped onions are sometimes added, however traditional recipes don’t recommend this.
- It is often recommended that meat for grilling should be brought to room temperature before cooking, making it easier to prepare juicy and succulent meat dishes. However, this is different in the case of burgers, which should be taken out of the refrigerator just before frying. This will stop the meat from falling apart on the grill.
- Forming meat for hamburgers is also very easy. You can use special burger presses to do so or shape them in your hands. It is important that the raw meat is slightly larger than the bun – it will then shrink slightly during frying and turn out to be perfect.
- The last part is frying the burgers on the grill. This is a very quick process, and usually takes about 8-10 minutes if you consider grilling them on both sides. You can easily check if the burgers are ready to be tossed over, by sliding the inder the meat. If it comes off the grate easily, then it’s ready, if not – let it lie for a minute longer and try again.
Marinating burgers for grilling
How should you prepare hamburgers for grilling? How should you marinate the meat? If you are interested in the above, then we have good news for you – nothing could be easier. You will not have to prepare any marinade, like in the case of pork neck or skewers, or prepare minced meat the day before. All you have to do is add salt and pepper. This is best done before the burgers have been formed, but if you forget to do this, you can also season the meat directly on the grill.
What meet should you choose for burgers?
Grilled burgers can be made from a variety of meats and not only – veggie burgers provide a tasty alternative for people who don’t eat meat. Find out what type of meat and other food can be used to make delicious burgers to put in a crunchy bun!
Grilled pork burgers
Pork will work well in this case. You can choose from a fatty pork shoulder or neck, or mix such pieces with ham or tenderloin. The most important thing is to make sure the final mix has the right amount of fat, that is around 20%.
Beef burgers
Beef burgers are the most classic option. Beef is the most popular choice for burgers because of its distinctive, unmistakable flavour. Choose either entrecote, shoulder, brisket or roast beef as the main ingredient, or create your own mix. Some connoisseurs also appreciate a combination of beef and pork – to find your favourite burger recipe, you should experiment with different combinations.
Chicken and turkey burgers
An ideal low fat alternative. If you fancy a good burger, but are looking for a lighter option, then chicken or turkey burgers could be the perfect choice – also in this case choose a fattier version. So instead of reaching for lean breast fillets, go for chicken legs instead. To avoid excessive calories, try eating the burger with a salad instead of a bun.
Veggie burgers
Veggie burgers can be made from various ingredients, including beans, nuts, grains, seeds or fungi such as mushrooms or mycoprotein No matter what ingredients you choose for your veggie burgers, the flavour will depend on the fat and spices. Salt and pepper aren’t enough – choose your favourite seasoning mixtures in order to achieve your favourite tastes. These will make every vegetarian barbecue a great success!
Catering equipment for grilling burgers
The above tips for preparing grilled burgers applies to both outdoor parties and working in commercial kitchens. However, while for the former a standard charcoal barbecue grill will do, in the latter case you will need professional equipment.
A professional catering grill will be necessary if you serve high quality meat in a restaurant, food truck or seasonal grill bar, for example in seaside towns. Among the choice on offer you will find both gas and electric grills with various different features, so you should easily be able to choose the right model depending on your needs. Remember to adjust the size of the grill to the size of your bar and the number of guests, so that you will able to prepare numerous portions at once if necessary.
Also choose the best barbecue accessories and heating devices, in order to keep your ready-made dishes at serving temperature for as long as possible.
How to grill burgers – summary
Steaks, sausages and skewers are to name a few of the perfect grilling options. Grilled hamburgers are an equally attractive option, not only tasty but also easy to prepare. So they could easily become your signature dish or even main offer for your catering business.
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