Summer is almost upon us and you know what that means: burger season! With your Cue Smart Cooking System, you don't need a big outdoor grill to cook up the perfect burger. Cue's precision temperature control and smart cookware, allows you to cook the perfect burger every time. Our award winning team of Chefs shares our pro tips to make your burger even better.
1. Grind Your Own Meat
It may seem like a hassle, but grinding your own meat makes a world of difference in flavor and texture. You can play around with different grind sizes and cuts of meat in order to create your own custom burger blend. We prefer a mix of brisket and short rib to provide just the right amount of fat with plenty of beef-y flavor. Just use a simple hand-crank style meat grinder or stand mixer attachment, and you’ll see that a little extra effort creates a lot more excitement at the dinner table.
2. Don't Manhandle Your Meat
Ground beef is a bit like bread: the more you knead it the denser the finished patty will become. When you work the beef, you're working proteins together, just like kneading bread creates long strings of gluten. So mix your burger meat delicately until your seasoning is just incorporated, and leave it at that.
3. Weigh your Patties
By making your patties a uniform weight and size, you ensure that they'll cook evenly and consistently. Simply use a baker's scale to weigh out about 6 ounce portions, then gently form your patties into even disks.
4. Season Generously
Don't be shy with the salt. We prefer Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt as our all-purpose salt choice but use what you like. (Keep in mind that Morton's brand will be a bit more salty than the Diamond Crystal, and table salt will be the saltiest.) Seasoning the patty before cooking will help lock in that luscious, juicy flavor that defines a good burger. If you wait to season the meat until after you've cooked the patty, you're left with a salty outer layer and bland tasting center. Don't forget to season with fresh ground black pepper too!
5. Pick the Perfect Bun
Let's talk about the importance of making a perfect bun. We strive for a bun with that soft pillowy texture that absorbs all that delicious burger juice, but doesn't get too soggy. A toasted brioche bun is a Hestan Cue favorite, and when toasted, offers just the right bit of crunch for textural contrast. Just pop them in the oven as the burger finishes, or if you're feeling indulgent, toast them in a pan with some butter.
6. Get Creative with Toppings
Make your better burger interactive for your friends and family by offering an array of creative toppings. Here are a few of our favorite combinations to spark your creativity...
The Classic Cheeseburger: swap American for melty Fontina or Swiss.
The Steakhouse Burger: top your patty with Blue cheese, caramelized onions, and steak sauce.
The California Burger: add avocado and red leaf lettuce.
The BLT Burger: layer slices of heirloom tomatoes, crispy bacon, and butter lettuce with your patty.
The Drive Thru: chopped white onions, pickles plus ketchup and mayo rivals any fast food joint.
The Crunchinator: for added crunch add salt and vinegar potato chips, avocado, and tomato.
The Perfect Burger Guide
You can follow our guided recipe for the Perfect Burger in the Cue app, or cook your own signature burger using your 11" Pan or 5.5qt Chef's Pot on Control Mode using the times and temperatures below. Just ensure your burgers are no more than 3/4" thick.
We love to see what you are cooking on Cue. Look for more inspiration and share your recipes or ask our Chefs for advice in our Facebook community.
For more recipe inspiration check out the Cue app, where you can discover over 500 chef-crafted recipes, all with step-by-step video guidance from prep to plating. Download the Hestan Cue app for iOS and Android and learn more about precision cooking with Cue, and all the things you can do!
