Burger mix

[VSS]

Please explain to me how you squish such neat burgers with that thing

I practically handstand on mine and they don't even up like that

I did get a lever type one which is incredible but a big lump to keep around

It takes very little pressure. Just a gentle push.
If you press burgers too hard you will spoil the texture / eating quality.
Texture is everything with burgers. If you get it wrong they turn into sausagemeat, which is not the same thing at all.
If you get the mixture right, and add the ingredients in the right order, and don't over mix it, and run it through the mincer again after mixing, and don't press them too hard, you won't have any problems with them falling apart during cooking, but they'll still retain the open texture that is characteristic of a burger.

 

[weblyish]

It takes very little pressure. Just a gentle push.
If you press burgers too hard you will spoil the texture / eating quality.
Texture is everything with burgers. If you get it wrong they turn into sausagemeat, which is not the same thing at all.
If you get the mixture right, and add the ingredients in the right order, and don't over mix it, and run it through the mincer again after mixing, and don't press them too hard, you won't have any problems with them falling apart during cooking, but they'll still retain the open texture that is characteristic of a burger.

I shall endeavour to follow your guidance and produce the most zen burger

But I know ere long my mincer will clog and my hands will become hot and greasy and the burgers will not lie flat and I shall make burgers of wrath once again

 

[VSS]

I shall endeavour to follow your guidance and produce the most zen burger

But I know ere long my mincer will clog and my hands will become hot and greasy and the burgers will not lie flat and I shall make burgers of wrath once again

I suppose it is a bit zen, really.
I'm quite passionate about my lovingly hand crafted burgers.
They've won prizes, too!

 

[Devon Stalker]

Im after making some venison burgers at some point and wanted a push in the right direction. Usually I mince and use salt + pepper for seasoning but always found they crumble before they're anyway near a bap.

So what im after is recipes and tips for grinder settings/what to mix in with it! Pictures wouldn't hurt either

Two options from me:

Easy one - buy some weschenfelder mix, it’s good.
Make your own - for venison, because it’s so lean I have started mixing some breadcrumbs with milk and then adding it in. Really works well as a binding and moistening agent. The resulting burgers are super juicy if you get the proportions right. Poss add an egg to but not essential.
Plus spices etc. to taste.

Hope that helps.
A

 

[VSS]

Thanks for that - now I've moved to using trays, I'll give that a go as it'll be much easier to handle

4 × quarter-pounders to a pack, on poly trays. Chilled to almost frozen, then vac packed:

 

[Sanjay]

One thing people haven't mentioned is salting your meat overnight before grinding to help with a better bind - it's a step I do for all my sausage/salami/burger making, especially if i'm using frozen pork back fat (pre-frozen meat doesn't bind as well as fresh, I find). Just weigh your salt percentage and dry spices and mix well through the meat, then refrigerate overnight. The added time with the salt helps the myosin development which is what should be binding the patty/sausage together.

 

[shakey jake]

One thing people haven't mentioned is salting your meat overnight before grinding to help with a better bind - it's a step I do for all my sausage/salami/burger making, especially if i'm using frozen pork back fat (pre-frozen meat doesn't bind as well as fresh, I find). Just weigh your salt percentage and dry spices and mix well through the meat, then refrigerate overnight. The added time with the salt helps the myosin development which is what should be binding the patty/sausage together.

I think what you are doingnis great for sausages but i wouldnt say its a true burger, more a sausage patty.
Im sure they taste good but i dont think its the same

 

[Sanjay]

I think what you are doingnis great for sausages but i wouldnt say its a true burger, more a sausage patty.
Im sure they taste good but i dont think its the same

Can understand how you'd read that from my description! I find that it means I don't have to double grind the meat and gives a nice coarse texture - though I still use a relatively fine die (5mm) for the grind. I'm part of the only salt/pepper/fat brigade though so it's easy to keep it simple, and that if you don't overhandle the resulting mix they are still nice and tender but hold together when cooking. I think most tough/dry burgers come from people overmixing the minced meat and shaping them too agressively.

 

[shakey jake]

Can understand how you'd read that from my description! I find that it means I don't have to double grind the meat and gives a nice coarse texture - though I still use a relatively fine die (5mm) for the grind. I'm part of the only salt/pepper/fat brigade though so it's easy to keep it simple, and that if you don't overhandle the resulting mix they are still nice and tender but hold together when cooking. I think most tough/dry burgers come from people overmixing the minced meat and shaping them too agressively.

The fact that you are trying to develope myosin, great in a suasage but its not a burger in my opinion

 

[sauer]

Coarse plate for burgers minimal mixing

Fine plate for sausages and mix hell out of it