JUICY STEAKHOUSE BURGERS
I worked in a fine dining steakhouse for six years, so I’m very picky when it comes to my burgers. If they’re not tender, juicy and flavorful, they’re just not worth it. Problem is, it’s difficult to replicate steakhouse burgers at home because most steakhouses use closely-guarded recipes and custom ground beef mixes, both of which are hard to find. After many trials, I discovered the solution to making great steakhouse burgers at home is to use readily available 85% lean ground beef, a panade — which is a mixture of bread and milk that keeps meat tender and juicy even when cooked to medium-well — and lots of seasoning.
Begin by making the panade and flavoring. Simply mash the bread and milk together with a fork until it forms a chunky paste, then stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Next, add the ground beef and scallions and break the meat up with your hands. Gently mix everything together until just combined. Try not to overmix or your burgers may be tough.
Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and shape into loose balls. Gently flatten each ball into a 3/4-inch-thick patty that’s about 4-1/2 inches around. (Keeping the burgers thick ensures a nice char on the outside without overcooking the inside.) To prevent the burgers from forming a domed shape on the grill, create a slight depression in the center of each patty.
Grill the burgers 2-4 minutes on the first side until nicely browned. Flip and cook on the second side a few minutes more, until desired doneness is reached.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 pieces white sandwich bread, crusts removed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/3 cup low fat milk
- 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 pounds 85% lean ground beef
- 3 scallions, finely sliced (optional)
- Non-flammable cooking spray to grease grill
- 10 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high heat.
- In a large bowl, mash the bread and milk together with a fork until it forms a chunky paste. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well.
- Add the ground beef and scallions and break the meat up with your hands. Gently mix everything together until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the mixture into ten equal portions and form loose balls. Gently flatten the balls into 3/4-inch patties about 4-1/2 inches around. Form a slight depression in the center of each patty to prevent the burgers from puffing up on the grill.
- Grease the grill with non-flammable cooking spray. Grill the burgers, covered, until nicely browned on the first side, 2-4 minutes. Flip burgers and continue cooking for a few minutes more until desired doneness is reached. Before serving, toast the buns on the cooler side of the grill if desired.
