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Well-Done Bacon Cheeseburgers on a Gas Grill
Nb persons: 4
Yield:
Preparation time:
Total time:
Source: Cook's Illustrated Published July 1, 2006.
| Why this recipe works: While developing a well-done hamburger recipe that would still be tender and moist, we opted to pack the patties with a panade, a paste made from bread and milk that's often used to keep meatloaf and meatballs moist. To punch up the flavor in our well-done hamburger recipe, we added minced garlic and tangy steak sauce. Adding a panade (a paste of bread and milk paste) to the ground beef creates burgers that are juicy and tender even when well-done. For a burger that cooks up flat, press the center of each patty down with your fingertips before grilling. Serve the burgers on your favorite buns or rolls. | |
| 8 strips | bacon, (about 1/2 pound) |
| 1 slice | white sandwich bread, crust removed and discarded, bread chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup) |
| 2 tablespoons | whole milk |
| 3/4 teaspoon | table salt |
| 3/4 teaspoon | ground black pepper |
| 1 medium clove | garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon) |
| 2 teaspoons | steak sauce, such as A-1 |
| 1 1/2 pounds | 80 percent lean ground chuck |
| vegetable oil, for cooking grate | |
| 6 ounces | cheese , sliced, American or cheddar |
| 4 | hamburger buns |
| rolls, alternative | |
1. Cook 8 strips bacon (about 1/2 pound) in medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Measure 2 tablespoons bacon fat into heatproof bowl; refrigerate until just warm.
2. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat until very hot, about 15 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Leave primary burner on high, turn other burner(s) to low.
3. Meanwhile, mash bread and milk in large bowl with fork until homogeneous (you should have about 1/4 cup). Stir in salt, pepper, garlic, steak sauce, and reserved bacon fat; mix until thoroughly blended.
4. Break up beef into small pieces over bread mixture. Using fork or hands, lightly mix together until mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Gently toss one portion of meat back and forth between hands to form loose ball. Gently flatten into 3/4-inch-thick patty that measures about 4 1/2 inches in diameter. Press center of patty down with fingertips until it is about 1/2 inch thick, creating a slight depression in each patty. Repeat with remaining portions of meat.
5. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill burgers on hot side of grill, covered, until well seared on first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip burgers and continue grilling, about 3 minutes for medium-well or 4 minutes for well-done. Distribute equal portions of cheese on burgers about 2 minutes before they reach desired doneness, covering burgers with disposable aluminum pan to melt cheese. While burgers grill, toast buns on cooler side of grill, rotating buns as necessary to toast evenly. Serve burgers on toasted buns, topping each burger with 2 strips bacon.
Recipe Testing
A Half-Ounce of Prevention Our quest for a juicy well-done burger ended when we hit upon a surprisingly effective addition--a bread-and-milk paste (or panade). A panade prevented the burger this burger from becoming dense and dried out.
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