Date Cooked: September 5th, 2008
Page: 448
I really wanted to use the grill and I wanted something simple to put together so I figured what could be easier than hamburgers. The ‘Best’ book is pretty simple with regards to hamburgers. Ground beef, salt and pepper, that’s it. I kept thinking there needed to be more but the book really emphasizes the quality of the ground beef and from which cut of beef it is ground from. I of course didn’t heed this information because I already had extra-lean ground sirloin thawed in the fridge. Wow, I won’t make that mistake ever again.
There was a variation in the book for adding blue-cheese and since we still had some (got to love Costco), I mixed it in with the ground beef and seasonings. The ‘Best’ book has this wonderful method for forming the patties and for pressing a divot in the middle to help them cook evenly. I tossed them on my nice hot grill and listened to the beautiful sound of the meat searing on the metal grills. I paid very careful attention to the cooking times recommended and made sure not to press the burgers to keep them juicy. They cooked up nicely and looked great. I brought them inside to serve up with the rest of the meal.
After dressing the burger the way I like (which is pretty minimal), I took my first bite. I was expecting a nice juicy flavorful burger. What I got was a flavor and texture akin to pressed cardboard. The only flavor was in the second bite when I got a nice chunk of blue cheese. I’ll be honest, these were downright horrible. I can only assume that they were dry because the ground beef was extra-lean. The ‘Best’ book recommends a meat mixture with a fat content that puts it between regular and lean. It also recommends the use of ground chuck since it is a more flavorful cut. In fact it specifically states that sirloin produces a bland burger. But I figured their bland might still be decent. I won’t assume I know what I’m doing. I’ll heed these instructions in the future.
So my past two attempts from the ‘Best’ book have been dismal. Let’s see if I do better with the next one.
Posts
Yeah, I've made the extra-lean mistake too. That's a lesson learned the hard way. I can still feel the dry graininess stuck in my throat -- gak!
ReplyDelete*sigh* I feel kind of bad to find your entries so entertaining - and sometimes, grinning uncontrollably on your expense. :) I cheer for you and wife, and foremost, your two sons, who seem to be such trooper! They'd be awesome in kitchen once they are all grown up. Eh, at least, the blue cheese helps, right? :)
ReplyDeleteYep, i've made that mistake too! The fat not only keeps it moist, but gived it so much more flavour too!!
ReplyDeleteHey - at least you know for next time!
Indeed, burgers need at least the medium ground for juicyness. I do love thee blue cheese and burger combo.
ReplyDelete