Watching a Ravens game is very much a sacred ritual for me. I have to have my man cave set up just right. I have to have the right beverage and of course, I have to have the right food. So of course several times a season I fix up some hamburgers for the crowd. They're usually pretty good, and nobody complains. I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino that I could be doing better. So he came up with just a few simple hints that should really help.
Fat Content: 70/30 for burgers medium rare to medium well. More fat for well done, less for rare
The Grind: it should be twice ground through a medium blade
The Blend: you want to use both lean muscle and fatty muscle.
Lean: chuck, round or brisket
Fatty: short rib or bacon
Shaping : it’s good to get a patty press. And let the burger fit the size of the bun, neither too small nor too big.
Cooking : grilling or cast iron skillet
Turning: flip the burger no more than four times, and do not press down.
Serving up: put a leaf of lettuce face up on the bottom bun. Put the burger on top of it. This keeps the burger juice from leaking into the bun, where it loses flavor.
-Al Spoler
