How do you cook hamburger?

Answer 1

There are several methods; the most common two are grilling and pan frying. Before cooking, it is best to shape the meat. Good Hamburgers are made from high-quality ground beef: 10% fat or lower is preferable. Lower-quality meat will work, but the quality of the burger will be lower. Use completely-thawed meat for best results. Take a small chunk of the meat (1/4 to 1/3 of a pound depending on how large you want your burger to be) and work it into a smooth ball. This can be achieved by squeezing the ball lightly to achieve a uniform piece of meat without gaps -- squeezing too hard will result in a mess and a dry burger -- and lightly rolling your hands over the ball to get a smooth, gapless outer layer. If you want to fold some ingredient or spice into the meat (some people like to add diced onion or pepper directly to the meat), it should be folded into the meat before it is rolled into a ball. Be aware that the bulk of your spices, however, will go on the surface.

Once this has been done, place, the ball on a flat surface and press down directly on the center. Shape to the desired flatness: the more you press, the flatter the patty. Be aware that thick patties take longer to cook and thin patties can be difficult to work with (very thin patties are essentially impossible to manage on grills -- don't try to mimic a Wendy's patty and then grill it because the patty will fall apart when it gets stuck to the grill). A thickness of 1-2cm (a little less than half an inch to a full inch) generally makes for the best burger. If the edges fray slightly, work them back together with your fingers. The edges should be as close to an unbroken circle as possible to make the burger easy to cook and easy to eat.

The bulk of the spices should then be added. Salt is generally a given, since it helps pull the juice from the center of the meat and results in an evenly-cooked and tender burger. Other spices are a matter of preference; you may like to experiment with black pepper, onion powder, paprika, ground cayenne pepper, or whatever else might come to mind. You'll find that some combinations are better than others, but rare is a burger that is entirely unpalatable. Keep in mind that liquid or solid additions should be made once the burger already mostly cooked: for example, if you want steak sauce on the burger, add it after the outside of the burger has been cooked. Liquid sauces typically don't absorb well into burgers, so what you end up with is a gooey mess and a burger stuck to your grill. If you add them at the end, you'll keep the flavor of the sauce and the burger. This also applies to cheese -- it goes on at the end of cooking and never before!

Pan frying is pretty simple. Heat the pan beforehand to medium or medium-low heat. If you are using blackening spices or desire a burger with a crispier exterior, use higher heat to start with. Once the outside is crisped, lower the heat. The entire cooking process should only require 10 minutes or so and only one or two flips. Tossing burgers over and over is unnecessary.

To grill, the grill needs to be heated thoroughly (roughly 15 minutes) prior to grilling. Either charcoal or propane grills may be used. Once the grill has been heated, place the patty on the grill and cover. Covering is very important: it will help result in a tender, evenly-cooked burger. If using a gas grill with a variable flame, use medium to medium-low flame. High heat will generally result in sticking, burning, and uncooked centers.

And speaking of the center, the burger is done when you can cut it with a fork and the center is at least a light pink. If the center is red, it undercooked. Some people like their burgers this way, but it's not particularly safe and ruins the texture of the burger. Once it's done, take it off the grill and chow down.

Answer 2

You can cook it on a grill. You can cook it in the oven. You can cook it in a skillet on the stove with a little oil.mostly any where.