Page 1 of 3

Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 6:39 am
by Ridge83
Throughout the lock downs I spent much of my time trying to perfect my home fried burgers. I never really liked the cost attached to visiting the chain stores, on top of the very questionable hygiene practices of those in charge of "cooking" the food. The thing that really did it for me was the push for $15 dollars an hour (now the push for $25 dollars an hour in some locations),given most of said staff at any number of locations lacked much in the way of hustle to take the order let alone get it bagged up with any degree of accuracy. So instead of complaining to the manager that allowed the staff to carry on in such a way (I have voiced complaints before,with little to no changes made). I decided that instead of being a "Male Karen" that I would rather spend my time,energy,and money frying up burgers at home.

To be honest it's been nice cooking more at home and not having to put up with the expected bs.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 7:51 am
by Ridge83
On to the meat of the thread...
I've been a fan of 80/20 chuck for burgers, I'd been forming the patties using a patty former but have moved on to the smash method. I don't put pepper on the burgers while they're cooking. I don't like the flavor of burnt pepper. I try to stick to at least a 3 or 4 ounce meatball placed into a hot pan and pressed down as thin as I can get it. I'll add salt to the uncooked raw side of the burger and after flipping I'll hit the crusty side of it with more salt (just a small pinch on each side). When the patties are ready to take out I'll set them on a clean plate, then add a dash of pepper and cover it with some aluminum foil to let them rest and take on the flavor of the pepper. I'll then cut as many pieces of wax/parchment paper to wrap the burgers with after they've been constructed. The buns are softened from the residual heat and it reduces the amount of clean up. Plus it's just a reminder that you don't have to pay some mass marketing clown for a simple meal.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:01 am
by sikacz
I support better wage, a living wage. That said, I don’t think a burger is worth the prices asked. The inexpensive burger are trash and I can make just as good a burger as the $7-$8 range gourmet type burgers. I’ve recently started using the broil function more on our oven. I’ve used it a variety foods and it works great. The outside gets the texture and slight char on the edges and the inside remains moist. I might try it on my burgers next. I prefer the lean 93 hamburger meats. I’ll post back with the results when I get around to trying it.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:10 am
by sikacz
I made some broiled chicken breasts with skins and bone. Coat with cooking grade olive oil, salt and black pepper. Start with broil 10 minutes bone side up. Turn broil 10-12 minutes skin side up. Let sit 5-10 minutes and it’s delicious!

I used to buy the broiled chicken from stores, not anymore! LoL.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:22 am
by highdesert
I also like the 93% lean/7% fat ground beef on the rare occasion I buy it. Since I don't eat a lot hamburgers, it's usually cheaper for me to go out, there are two local burger joints that are good. I don't go to the chains. Burger places out here use a sauce usually a variation of Thousand Island Dressing on their burgers, I always tell them to hold the sauce.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:32 am
by cooper
Yes. A burger thread. My favorite is my wife's venison burgers on a brioche bun with sweet potato fries on the side. We just put a little Nature's seasoning on each side before frying. Local meat locker put a little too much fat into the ground venison last year, so it's probably 85/15. Ground venison is very lean--great to cook with (spaghetti sauce, tacos, etc.) but not so good for burgers. Something a little leaner like 93/7 is about right.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:13 am
by FlyGuy
Home Made Burgers...YUMMO!
My Wife freezes bacon slices then throws them into the Ninja and mixes that with the hamburger meet. A little salt and straight to the the grille. A good ol' slice of cheese
on a toasted Hawaiian Sweet Roll and voile!

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 5:09 am
by Ridge83
sikacz wrote: Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:01 am I support better wage, a living wage. That said, I don’t think a burger is worth the prices asked. The inexpensive burger are trash and I can make just as good a burger as the $7-$8 range gourmet type burgers. I’ve recently started using the broil function more on our oven. I’ve used it a variety foods and it works great. The outside gets the texture and slight char on the edges and the inside remains moist. I might try it on my burgers next. I prefer the lean 93 hamburger meats. I’ll post back with the results when I get around to trying it.


I hadn't thought about about putting them under the broiler,might try that before long.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 5:09 am
by Ridge83
cooper wrote: Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:32 am Yes. A burger thread. My favorite is my wife's venison burgers on a brioche bun with sweet potato fries on the side. We just put a little Nature's seasoning on each side before frying. Local meat locker put a little too much fat into the ground venison last year, so it's probably 85/15. Ground venison is very lean--great to cook with (spaghetti sauce, tacos, etc.) but not so good for burgers. Something a little leaner like 93/7 is about right.
Venison also makes a fine hotdog chili.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 7:56 am
by Wino
Prime beef makes better chili than venison and about 10-20x cheaper per pound. LOL

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 8:20 am
by Ridge83
Wino wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 7:56 am Prime beef makes better chili than venison and about 10-20x cheaper per pound. LOL
Not if you harvest it yourself or are donated some of the meat from family members.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 8:27 am
by sikacz
Ridge83 wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 8:20 am
Wino wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 7:56 am Prime beef makes better chili than venison and about 10-20x cheaper per pound. LOL
Not if you harvest it yourself or are donated some of the meat from family members.
A friend gave me some venison sausages. He regularly hunts. They were delicious!

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 10:40 am
by cooper
I didn't grow up eating venison. No hunters (or even gun owners) in my family. I love it.

How much does venison cost? Depends on how you calculate it; somewhere between zero and infinity, depending on your assumptions.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 10:46 am
by highdesert
I bought some nice sweet Mayan onions yesterday, sweet onions and are great on hamburgers. When I buy a burger out, I have then hold the onion because they use yellow or white onions which are cheaper and bitter.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 10:56 am
by tonguengroover
Buffalo burgers I like. Also Llama burgers are tasty too. Venison is ok.

Spicy moose sausage for breakfast is amazing.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 11:17 am
by highdesert
First time I ever had buffalo was at Tommy's Joynt in San Francisco, it used to be their specialty. I enjoyed it. Just checked and it's no longer on their menu. Funny I never had buffalo when I lived in Montana, I did have venison.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 11:24 am
by cooper
tonguengroover wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 10:56 am Buffalo burgers I like. Also Llama burgers are tasty too. Venison is ok.

Spicy moose sausage for breakfast is amazing.
Wait, llama burgers? We have 2 llamas. For me that would be like eating the dog. No judgement, though, I've had camel burgers, and they're great. Llamas are just South American camels.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 1:54 pm
by tonguengroover
cooper wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 11:24 am
tonguengroover wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 10:56 am Buffalo burgers I like. Also Llama burgers are tasty too. Venison is ok.

Spicy moose sausage for breakfast is amazing.
Wait, llama burgers? We have 2 llamas. For me that would be like eating the dog. No judgement, though, I've had camel burgers, and they're great. Llamas are just South American camels.
Hehe, yeah that was when I was in Peru. Kinda wild down there.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 1:57 pm
by Rust
It's been a long time since I gave any thought about how we make burgers.
You have to start with good stuff. We have two separate sources for locally raised, grass fed, professionally butchered beef.
Cheese is usually Tillamook cheddar.
Pepper is fresh ground.
Walla Walla sweet onions are my favorites for burgers.
A cast iron skillet puts a nice crust on it. The gas grill outside works fine, too.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 3:44 pm
by SubRosa
I cooked burgers on the grill a couple nites ago.

You might try my trick doing so;

I slice rings of Habanero peppers, and top each patty with one ring whilst cooking.

When time comes to flip, sacrifice the old ring to the fire gods and use another ring on the remaining side.

The smoky flavor permeates the meat without the heat.

Most of the time, a pepper to two at the store will be free, as it seldom hits the scale with enough weight to trigger it.

SR

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 3:45 pm
by tonguengroover
SubRosa wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 3:44 pm I cooked burgers on the grill a couple nites ago.

You might try my trick doing so;

I slice rings of Habanero peppers, and top each patty with one ring whilst cooking.

When time comes to flip, sacrifice the old ring to the fire gods and use another ring on the remaining side.

The smoky flavor permeates the meat without the heat.

Most of the time, a pepper to two at the store will be free, as it seldom hits the scale with enough weight to trigger it.


SR
Ha!

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 9:39 am
by highdesert
Rust wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 1:57 pm It's been a long time since I gave any thought about how we make burgers.
You have to start with good stuff. We have two separate sources for locally raised, grass fed, professionally butchered beef.
Cheese is usually Tillamook cheddar.
Pepper is fresh ground.
Walla Walla sweet onions are my favorites for burgers.
A cast iron skillet puts a nice crust on it. The gas grill outside works fine, too.
Walla Walla onions are great, I haven't seen locally but I've eaten them when I was in Oregon. Flavorful onions, perfect on hamburgers. And Tillamook is quality cheese, I even toured their creamery in Tillamook and watched them make it.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:29 am
by tonguengroover
I prefer red onion myself. But definitely the Tillamook extra sharp cheese. Or that Vermont extra sharp white cheddar.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:36 am
by highdesert
tonguengroover wrote: Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:29 am I prefer red onion myself. But definitely the Tillamook extra sharp cheese. Or that Vermont extra sharp white cheddar.
Red onions are good, that's my backup if I can't find sweet onions. They're supposed to be the healthiest onion too.

Re: Burgers... and other food items that are best made at home.

Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:54 pm
by CDFingers
Been reading the thread. Lately for me it's fresh pasta al pesto with basil and garlic from the garden. Dark and gnarly local olive oil. Fresh.

CDFingers