I have a cooking question - please help?

[stinkerbelle]

Actually - my brother does - he just emailed this to me. But being that I very rarely eat red meat - I'm not sure how to answer his quesiton - can anyone help?

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Tonight I'm making dinner for a friend, and he wants hamburgers. Not like pre-made frozen burgers, but like the ground meat that you make into a patty and grill. (He adds onions, celery, garlic, etc) Anywho, what kinda meat do I buy? Lean ground? High fat? Low Fat? I don't want to buy the wrong kind. And, for two people, how much do you buy? Two pounds?
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thanks so much!

 

[Christine]

Well, when making hamburgers or meatloaf, I prefer one of the "fattier" blends because it makes the hamburger tender. The very lean blends can give you a tough, chewy burger. I would go for an 80/20 ratio blend. Not sure what that is as far as chuck, sirloin, etc. but usually the label will give the percentage.

Edited to add: when using this blend, make the burgers MUCH bigger than you want them to be. As the fat cooks off, they shrink.

 

[Serena]

I agree. I used to only use the leanest hamburger I could get, and my hamburgers weren't as good as they could be. Two pounds would be more than enough for two people.

 

[stinkerbelle]

My brother and I thank you both!

much appreciated!

 

[monkeyboy]

FAT = FLAVOR

 

[DemonLlama]

80/20 is the best for burgers, and depending on how big those burgers need to be for the appetites, two pounds is way too much. One pounds for two burgers should be more than enough.

I use onion powder and worchestershire sauce mixed into the meat to make an amazing over the grill taste.

Be sure not to make the patties too thick or the outside will be crispy and the inside bleeding. About 4-5 inches across and 3/8 an inch high is ideal, but to get it really even, he would need a hamburger press. (Tupperware made one years ago that has a plastic circle and a press with handle that helps me get them about right, but this doesn't help too much for dinner tonight!)

 

[pkasbohm]

i agree with both of the pp. I usually get the 80/20 or 90/10 and if they will only eat one burger a piece then i think 1 lbs. would be enough. I would also make them bigger. Also, if you are making them on the grill you might try to get them as thin as possible because if you make them thick you might get a burger that is done on the outside but really pink on the inside. hope i helped!

Pam

 

[mickeyboat]

I can usually get 3 burgers per pound. Two pounds will be more than enough.

Denae

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

reading this, I can think of nothing else but having a BIG Fat, juicy, sloppy burger for dinner!! From the grill of course!

Wishing everyone a a "magical" day!

 

[Big V]

Say NO to flat burgers! Make about 3 burgers per pound and start the grill on high, (if it's a gas grill) and then turn down to low. Results = Nice Juicy THICK burger!

 

[Serena]

LOL, I made hamburgers for my h and his brother one night. I made them 1/2 pound a piece. They were wondering why they only needed one sandwich to feel full. They were thick and juicy and good. Or so I was told.

 

[stinkerbelle]

thank you all!!! my brother loved all the advice

and, this doesn't happen often folks...I REALLY want a buger right now!