I want your tastiest hamburger recipe (and if you don't mind throw in your best potato salad as wel

I'm not much of a cook...actually I suck terribly and have no clue what to mix with what to get a nice taste. It's a beautiful day and I want to make some bbq'd hamburgers and potato salad. Problem is...I got nothing! I usually make my hamburgers with just ground beef, salt, pepper, bread crumbs and egg and they just taste BLAH and boring (same goes for potato salad).

Does anyone have anything they can throw out there in terms of a yummy recipe? Thanks in advance!

Michelle

Originally posted by Michelle129th
I'm not much of a cook...actually I suck terribly and have no clue what to mix with what to get a nice taste. It's a beautiful day and I want to make some bbq'd hamburgers and potato salad. Problem is...I got nothing! I usually make my hamburgers with just ground beef, salt, pepper, bread crumbs and egg and they just taste BLAH and boring (same goes for potato salad).

Does anyone have anything they can throw out there in terms of a yummy recipe? Thanks in advance!

Michelle

The absolute EASIEST WAY to make burgers taste good is to mix

Salt, chili powder, garlic powder and pepper... smash the burgers down (you don't need egg/breadcrumb for hamburgers, they're not meatballs) and sprinkle generously on both sides...

Then grill them!!! it will leave a yummy crust. Please keep in mind this is the easiest way and there are so many ways to make a burger amazing that take longer!

Ever tried a Greek burger? Add a little oregano or italian spice to the recipe above.

Serve with tzaziki, feta cheese, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and kalamata olives (if you like). You will die

1 lb of lean ground beef
Salt pepper and garlic salt as desired
one cup of bread crumbs
1 egg
mix and form patties

You could always add onions
or whatever youd like to make it interesting


Best Burgers

here you go Michelle. Enjoy and get hungry

www.youtube.com...

It's usually the meat. Start with a good ground sirloin or other cut of meat. If you grind your own, add a slice of bacon or two to give it some flavor. Salt pepper and garlic powder is all i usually season beef with.

You can also try a little yellow mustard mixed in or cooked on the burger. It will end up tasting like an in-n-out burger if that's your thing.

donatella...that greek burger sounds SOOOO good!!! I'm definitely going to try it! I never think of stuff like that...i'm definitely not an out of the box thinker when it comes to cooking.

Michelle

reply to post by Michelle129th


Personally, I use 10kilos of green chilis and 1 meatball.

Maybe some chjili sauce, but the sweet sort, as I don't like it too hot.

(waits in anticipation for some really awesome recipes!!!)

reply to post by Michelle129th


There is some burger gold in here...Burger Recipe Awesomeness

Ahhh... pomme de terre at it greatest. Potato Salad Crazy

i like my hamburger plan jane grilled..so i have nothing for hamburgers..

potato salad:

peel, dice and boil 1 Idaho potato per person.
add in as many eggs to boil about 1 per every 3 potatoes
I put the pots/eggs in the pot of cold water, turn on high heat and set timer for 21 min. (egg is perfect)
Potato should be as soft as if you were making mashed potatoes.

While that's boiling

Chop up 1 big onion put in bowl ( I use food processor for this)
Add in one jar of diced green olives (DRAINED)
1-2 stalks of celery diced very fine (optional-if you don't like celery skip)
1-2 TBS of dried Dill Weed
Salt pepper to taste

When eggs and potato is done peel and dice the eggs and drain the potatoes (I let them sit about 5 min to cool before adding to onion/olive mix)
Add to the onion/olive mix
Squirt in a bunch of Frenches mustard (I guess about 2-3 TBS, I don't measure this, it's just a guess)
4-5 Big spoons of Hellmans or Best Foods MAYO
Mix up

The potato salad should be a lemony color when if done with right amounts of mayo/mustard
Not too much mayo or mustard but just enough to taste a hint of each and to thoroughly cover salad.


Hope this works for you...whenever I make it people almost always want the recipe for it..this potato salad recipe and my baked beans are HEAVEN!!! I could eat the whole bowl!

here is one of my favorite hamburger recipes

1 lb ground beef
pinch of salt and pepper
a shake of garlic and onion powder
a few big spoonfuls of pickle juice (out of jar of pickles)

mix it up and cook em

the burgers are juicy and tasty thanks to the pickle juice

SO SO GOOD

Originally posted by staple
It's usually the meat. Start with a good ground sirloin or other cut of meat. If you grind your own, add a slice of bacon or two to give it some flavor. Salt pepper and garlic powder is all i usually season beef with.

You can also try a little yellow mustard mixed in or cooked on the burger. It will end up tasting like an in-n-out burger if that's your thing.

Staple I think you are onto something there. I usually use cheapola hamburger. I may try getting some good ground sirloin for next time. And the mustard thing sounds yummy too! I mix dijon mustard into tuna and that's soooo delicious (most people think it's gross but it's really tasty)

Michelle

Get some Montreal Steak seasoning (from spice aisle at supermarket) and sprinkle on both sides of hamburger patty and grill over open charcoal.

For potato salad boil potatoes, drain, cool, add mayo, fresh chopped dill, diced cucumber and a little fresh grated carrot for color. Chopped hard boiled egg and onion can also be added.

Enjoy!

Hands down best burger I have ever made is the following:

Man Burger!

2lbs ground beef (lean is good but not too lean)
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 TBS Tabasco
2 TBS honey
1 TBS garlic salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp black pepper
6 ounces blue cheese or swiss cheese ( cut into 6 1 ounce pieces)
6 large burger buns or kaiser rolls
Roasted red peppers (jar style) (optional)
6 portabella mushrooms grilled (delicious if grilled in foil with some butter) (optional)

Combine ground beef, onion, Tabasco, honey, garlic salt, red pepper, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Divide into 6 portions and form patties around the 1 ounce pieces of cheese. Grill 8-12 minutes or until done to your satisfaction. Place burgers on bun or sliced roll and top with mushrooms and roasted peppers or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

P.S. If your not big on spicy stuff cut the Tabasco back to 1-1 1/2 TBS and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper. They aren't super spicy but they sure do have a kick!

reply to post by Michelle129th


package of meatloaf mix (3 different meats on one tray, as sold in supermarket)
two eggs
seasoned bread crumbs
mustard
garlic
ketchup
salt
pepper
paprika
horseradish

you should toss in the spice ingredients to suit your/family taste; some people LOVE pepper while others don't want to know about it.
the Horseradish is a key ingredient. use generously and make sure it is well mixed in. Horseradish has been an ingredient in many award-winning Burger recipes. it brings a subtle punch to the palate that makes guests go "mmmmmmmmm". notice i used a lot of mmm's there.

get your BBQ pre-heated. pre-heating your cooking surface is always good business. after you place Burgers on grill DO NOT 'smush' or smash them under the spatula or flipper. you will lose the tasty wonderful juicy goodness. let the burger cook, don't keep moving it about. most i will do is set/cook; change position of burger on grill/cook, the flip/cook to desired doneness (?) a/k/a = rare, medium, well

what you put on top of your Burger (mmmm, burgers!) is of vital importance. Yellow cheese? Get that out of here! there are maybe 50 different cheeses to choose from in a better supermarket. Experiment. Try different cheeses. even if you only go Provolone or Swiss, try something different.

it is also nice to have fried sliced onions, mushroom, bacon, whatever as a Topper. mmmm, toppers! it's the junk that Burger King puts on top of the Whopper that makes it fun.

also experiment with 'sauces' to put atop Burger. Ketchup & Mustard is fine for children. slap a cup of Mayo in a dish and attack it with 4 or 6 different spices, maybe toss in some relish or pickle juice, stir well. with a little experimentation you will find your own favorite 'secret sauce' that McDonald's will try to steal (beware the Hamburglar!)

last but not least, Bread. don't come home with white bread or boring Kaiser rolls. there is all sorts of great breads and rolls in Bakeries. treat yourself, expand your horizons.

a nice slice of pickle, some chips, maybe a cold beer....mmmmmmmmm! Have Fun!

PS: for excellent recipes, check out the back & sides of product boxes. the manufacturers use only the most tasty excellent recipes because they want you happy with their product and buying it repeatedly. kid you not, there is even a few Cookbooks on the market that are nothing but the recipes from food boxes. my Mom is a wonderful cook, and a lot of her best dishes are recipes from product boxes that she has been using since before i was born.

PS: you ever in No.NJ give me a shout. i'll BBQ you a Burger that will will make you want to write poems to the cow!

i recommend that folks avoid buying ground beef at the market.
in large commercial plants they take bits from multiple cows to ground down into hamburger.
i encourage you to start buying larger, bulk, pieces of beef and grind yourself.
that way you're ensuring that your ground beef comes from a single source which makes eating a rare to med rare burger far more safe then doing so with pre ground, beef.

my favorite burgers are made at home with course ground ribeye and fat at about a 75/25 ratio.
simply seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled over coals. good quality beef and simple preparation will help redefine a great burger.

i avoid all the garlic/onion powders and binders that others throw in. there is no reason to do so when great beef is used.

i'm a huge fan of a caramelized onion jam on my burgers. caramelize down a few, large, sweet onions in a bit of butter(or my favorite, bacon fat), on med low heat. it'll take about 30 mins, when a golden, caramel color forms, deglaze with balsamic vinegar. that makes a beautiful topping for simple burger. i like it on a ciabatta bun with a garlic aioli and a slice of raw tomato.

shxt i'm hungry.

my 2c

reply to post by Michelle129th


I used to use a host of different spices but the one I found that works for EVERYTHING savory is Mc Cormicks Montreal Steak seasoning.

Get your grill good and hot. Form your burgers then hand pat them back and forth like patty cakes about ten-15 times, this breaks the surface fats and coats the burger and the hot grill will seal this when seared,

Throw em on the grill turning as few times as possible without burning. Try not to cook it too long on your last flip season generously then do not flip again so you don't burn the seasoning,

This all seems simple but you will have the best burger ever by following these steps.

Fixings come up with whatever to taste,

Originally posted by Michelle129th

Originally posted by staple
It's usually the meat. Start with a good ground sirloin or other cut of meat. If you grind your own, add a slice of bacon or two to give it some flavor. Salt pepper and garlic powder is all i usually season beef with.

You can also try a little yellow mustard mixed in or cooked on the burger. It will end up tasting like an in-n-out burger if that's your thing.

Staple I think you are onto something there. I usually use cheapola hamburger. I may try getting some good ground sirloin for next time. And the mustard thing sounds yummy too! I mix dijon mustard into tuna and that's soooo delicious (most people think it's gross but it's really tasty)

Michelle

For me, I don't like using the leaner ground beef when I make burgers. I like a little fat in my burgers so they are nice and juicy. I have tried using ground sirloin but found the burgers were dry.

reply to post by Michelle129th


Hi Michelle,

Since your not much of a cook, I'll give you what I think are the easiest recipes for both.

For your burgers, use 80/20 mix of ground beef. As someone else said alittle fat in the meat is good.
Mix your burger meat with Lipton Onion soup mix. Make your patties and let sit in the fridge for about an hour before cooking.

For your Potato Salad. The best recipe and one that usually everyone enjoys is the Classic Hellmanns Potato salad recipe which you can find on there website.

These arn't fancy or gourmet, But there easy and yummy.

Good luck to you.:

OK. These are "Michael Burgers," for which I am (cough) famous in these here parts.

THE HAMBURGERS PROPER

1 lb of the leanest hamburger you can buy (9% fat around here)
1/2 yellow onion chopped up very fine
2 heaping tablespoons of chopped garlic - fresh is best, but you can cheat
AMPLE Swanson's "seasoned pepper" (1/2 black, 1/2 red appx)
2-3 Tbs your favorite BBQ sauce. (try Sweet Baby Rays)
1 DROP of "Dave's Insanity Sauce" per 1/4 pound of burger, so 4 DROPS total*
Grilled, of course

* This stuff is seriously hot. Most people have problems with more than 4 drops per pound though Texans, Texicans, and Mexicans can probably handle hotter. You might start with 2 drops until you can gauge the reaction. It's one thing to be macho hot, and another if your guests simply can't eat the food.

ALSO, when you knead the combination into burgers, if you have say a wedding ring on, take it off. The hot sauce gets between the ring and your skin and you will be very uncomfortable. Wash hands thoroughly afterwards. DON'T RUB YOUR EYES or you'll be sorry. I make 1 burger per 1/4 pound.

ON THE BUN:

Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard - bottom
Dill Pickle relish - bottom layer 2
One extremely thinly sliced round onion. (Walla Walla sweet or similar) - layer 3
Marie's Thousand Island Dressing - top
Extremely thin tomato slices - layer 2 - need a VERY sharp knife for this and the onion to get it to 1/32nd inch or less

Some people like a layer of homemade hot guacamole* as well, but I save that for the chips because the bun is getting pretty awkward by this time.

* Homemade Hot guacamole

1 large Haas soft avocado scooped out
quarter cup sour cream
2 DROPS Korean hot sauce (size of lady's baby fingernail) or one DROP Dave's
Dried onion
Garlic Powder
Dry red pepper flakes
All mushed up

Serve with Tim's Cascade Potato Chips and cold beer.

The wood you use will help flavor. I collect local mesquite for most of my cooking. I good sack of charred hickory mixed in with the mesquite works well for all around cooking. I don't use lighter fluid because I can taste it on the food. I prefer to use 90% rubbing alcohol to get it going. It burns off clean and per volume is much cheaper.