How To Make The Perfect Hamburger Patty - Secrets And Tips

For many Americans, summer means afternoons spent tending burgers on the grill. Mark Bucher, founder of BGR The Burger Joint, and Tim Carman, Washington Post food critic, along with WAMU 88.5 producer Michael Martinez, demonstrate how to prepare the ideal hamburger patty. Get tips like how big to make your patty, what ingredients to use (hint: sometimes all you need is salt and pepper), why your thumbprint plays an important role and how to tell the difference between medium well and medium rare.

Filmed and edited by WAMU 88.5 intern Douglas Bell

[chukkie_chukkie]

my favourite part is the random guy on the left who is there for no reason at all

[droveraccoon]

This be my school presentations with my friends, and I'm the guy on the left.

[talithasuya]

Simple? Yes. But for those of us who knew nothing about cooking a good burger (except that higher fat is better), "over season, " "flip once, " "use cold meat, " and "don't pack too tight" are immensely valuable. I seriously just made life changing burgers.

[chrisashley]

This video changed my life. 100% right in keeping the meat loose and salt right before cooking. Burger comes out juicy and taste like a diner burger. Thanks guys!! Everytime my son sees me making a burger he get excited.

[ghidfg]

they should title this "how to put salt and pepper on ground beef"

[LeoNV]

2:13
Replace the word 'burger' with 'ass'.
Enjoy.

[karenfromfinasse]

Guy on the left's only line: "Juicy."
Thanks Guy on the left! I'll remember that!

[DMAbCD]

This video definitely helped me make my burgers 100 percent better. Ironically I was doing all of the things you said not to do before I watched this video. Yesterday I BBQ'd for some friends and they said the burgers were awesome. I put the dimple in the middle, well seasoned each patty with Montreal Steak seasoning, did not mash the burgers while making the patties, flipped them once and also put the seasoned side down first. Before watching this video, I would mash the patties on the grill, flip them multiple times, apply seasoning to both sides while on the grill and not put the dimple in the middle. Thank you for helping me improve my hamburger technique. Look forward to other informative videos.

[chytruseczek]

2:48 it's in our DNA ... Beer, FLAMES! - died on the spot can't stop laughing

[goroshinya]

I love how they didn't laugh at their own jokes.

[rob]

Thanks for the tips. I've just tried this and the burger turned out perfectly. I especially resisted the temptation to squish and the thumbprint in the middle worked magically. I'll use this method from now on. The family are asking for seconds.

[anatalionickles]

"The most dramatic way to make a burger"

[turtlebuster]

These guys saved my holiday weekend. I'm grilling with confidence!

[codybrookehanson]

Yes! I have been trying to figure out how to keep my burger flat for YEARS!! Thanks a million

[dcpotomac]

Love the simple instruction with several very awesome tips - loosely form the burger, only salt and pepper the surface, indentation in the middle, cool the burger before grilling, don’t press and only flip burger once and lastly flip the burger when you rest it on the plate before eating.

[brentrobinson]

This guy sounds like Robert Downey Jr to me. Haha.

[psychedelicpython]

Interesting tips. Thank you! I'm trying to figure out how to make something good for my husband out of ground beef tonight, which I don't cook often myself being a vegetarian. I'm afraid of over cooking the burger though if I don't flip it, I don't want the underside to get too dark or even black. Practice makes perfect though. The thumb in the middle, over seasoning, letting the patty sit separate from the bun for a few minutes, as well as the percentage of fat needed to make a good burger are very wonderful to know. Once again thank you!

[judysanders]

I have followed these suggestions, and they have enabled me to make the best burgers ever. Thanks, guys.

[MrWhitelightning]

Gonna try the thumb print. Usually I buy the frozen patties but I recently started buying ground beef from a local farm to support locally owned businesses.

[LynnHarrod]

The way the two guys on the left and right are standing, slightly leaned away from the center guy, it's as if they're afraid of him LOL