Tender, Juicy Grilled Burgers

Instructions

burgers

• 1. Trim 1½ pounds sirloin steak tips and then cut into ½-inch chunks. (Sirloin steak tips are also sold as flap meat.)
• 2. Cut 4 tablespoons unsalted butter into 1/4-inch pieces.
• 3. Place beef chunks and butter on large plate in single layer. Freeze until meat is very firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, about 35 minutes.
• 4. Place one-quarter of meat and one-quarter of butter cubes in food processor and pulse until finely ground into pieces size of rice grains (about ¹⁄₃₂ inch), 15 to 20 pulses, stopping and redistributing meat around bowl as necessary to ensure beef is evenly ground.
• 5. Transfer meat to baking sheet. Repeat grinding with remaining 3 batches of meat and butter.
• 6. Spread mixture over sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat, fat, or butter.
• 7. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper over meat and gently toss with fork to combine.
• 8. Divide meat into 4 balls. Toss each between hands until uniformly but lightly packed.
• 9. Gently flatten into patties ¾ inch thick and about 4½ inches in diameter.
• 10. Using thumb, make 1-inch-wide by 1/4-inch-deep depression in center of each patty.
• 11. Transfer patties to platter and freeze for 30 to 45 minutes.
• 12. For a Charcoal Grill: Using skewer, poke 12 holes in bottom of 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum pan. Open bottom vent completely and place disposable pan in center of grill. Light large chimney starter filled two-thirds with charcoal briquettes (4 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into disposable pan. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
• 13. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
• 14. Clean and oil cooking grate.
• 15. Season 1 side of patties liberally with salt and pepper. Using spatula, flip patties and season other side.
• 16. Grill patties (directly over coals if using charcoal), without moving them, until browned and meat easily releases from grill, 4 to 7 minutes.
• 17. Flip burgers and continue to grill until browned on second side and meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare or 130 degrees for medium, 4 to 7 minutes longer.
• 18. Transfer burgers to plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
• 19. While burgers rest, lightly toast buns on grill, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer burgers to buns and serve.

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Active Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Make Ahead: Serve immediately
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1½ Pounds sirloin steak tips *
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• kosher salt and pepper
• 4 hamburger buns

• * Sirloin steak tips are also sold as flap meat.

Tools

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring spoons
• Large plate *
• Food processor
• Rubber spatula
• Rimmed baking sheet * *
• Charcoal or gas grill
• 13- by 9-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan * * *
• Metal skewer * * * *
• Large chimney starter * * * * *
• Charcoal briquettes * * * * * *
• Matches and newspaper * * * * * * *
• Grill brush
• Grill spatula
• Instant-read thermometer
• Platter

• * You can use the same large plate for both freezing steps.
• * * You will need a baking sheet to spread the processed meat onto while checking it for gristle.
• * * * You will only need this if you are using a charcoal grill.
• 
  

Step By Step

1. Trim 1½ pounds sirloin steak tips and then cut into ½-inch chunks. (Sirloin steak tips are also sold as flap meat.)

2. Cut 4 tablespoons unsalted butter into 1/4-inch pieces.

3. Place beef chunks and butter on large plate in single layer. Freeze until meat is very firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, about 35 minutes.

4. Place one-quarter of meat and one-quarter of butter cubes in food processor and pulse until finely ground into pieces size of rice grains (about ¹⁄₃₂ inch), 15 to 20 pulses, stopping and redistributing meat around bowl as necessary to ensure beef is evenly ground.

5. Transfer meat to baking sheet. Repeat grinding with remaining 3 batches of meat and butter.

6. Spread mixture over sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat, fat, or butter.

7. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper over meat and gently toss with fork to combine.

8. Divide meat into 4 balls. Toss each between hands until uniformly but lightly packed.

9. Gently flatten into patties ¾ inch thick and about 4½ inches in diameter.

10. Using thumb, make 1-inch-wide by 1/4-inch-deep depression in center of each patty.

11. Transfer patties to platter and freeze for 30 to 45 minutes.

12. For a Charcoal Grill: Using skewer, poke 12 holes in bottom of 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum pan. Open bottom vent completely and place disposable pan in center of grill. Light large chimney starter filled two-thirds with charcoal briquettes (4 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into disposable pan. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

13. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.

14. Clean and oil cooking grate.

15. Season 1 side of patties liberally with salt and pepper. Using spatula, flip patties and season other side.

16. Grill patties (directly over coals if using charcoal), without moving them, until browned and meat easily releases from grill, 4 to 7 minutes.

17. Flip burgers and continue to grill until browned on second side and meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare or 130 degrees for medium, 4 to 7 minutes longer.

18. Transfer burgers to plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

19. While burgers rest, lightly toast buns on grill, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer burgers to buns and serve.

Read More

Black Bean Burgers

Why this recipe works:

For great-tasting, cohesive burgers, we start by grinding tortilla chips in the food processor. We then pulse the beans with the chips so the beans maintain some texture. Eggs, and flour, which contains sticky amylopectin, help to hold the burger mix together. To keep the preparation simple, we add no-cook seasonings that bolster the Latin American flavor of the burgers. Letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator for an hour gives the starches time to soak up moisture from the egg, so the patties are easier to shape.

Serves 4

The black bean mixture needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours prior to cooking. When forming the patties, it is important to pack them firmly together. Our favorite canned black beans are Bush’s Best. Serve the burgers with your favorite toppings or with one of our spreads (see related content).

Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 scallions, minced
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon hor sauce (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed coarse (1/2 cup)
• 8 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 6 hamburger buns

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Line rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels and spread beans over towels. Let stand for 15 minutes.
   2. Whisk eggs and flour together in large bowl until uniform paste forms. Stir in scallions; cilantro; garlic; cumin; hot sauce, if using; coriander; salt; and pepper until well combined.
   3. Process tortilla chips in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add black beans and pulse until beans are roughly broken down, about 5 pulses. Transfer black bean mixture to bowl with egg mixture and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
   4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Divide bean mixture into 6 equal portions. Firmly pack each portion into tight ball, then flatten to 3 1/2-inch-diameter patty. (Patties can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap, placed in a zipper-lock bag, and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Thaw patties before cooking.)
   5. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully place 3 patties in skillet and cook until bottoms are well browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip patties, add 2 teaspoons oil, and cook second side until well browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer burgers to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 3 patties and 4 teaspoons oil. Transfer burgers to buns and serve.
   
   
   

Technique

Bean Burgers Gone Bad

Mixing lots of starchy binders with whole or coarsely chopped beans makes a dry, crumbly burger without much flavor. Pureeing the beans allows you to use minimal binders but turns the patty mushy and gluey.

CRUMBLY AND TASTELESS
Lots of starchy binders mute the bean flavor and dry out the burger.

WET AND MUSHY
Pureed beans need fewer binders but lead to burgers with a hummus-like texture.

Technique

Keys to an Ideal Black Bean Burger

Here’s what we did to create a burger full of earthy bean flavor that wasn’t muted by too much starchy binder.

DRY BEANS
Removing excess moisture by draining on paper towels helps cut down on the need for absorbent binders.

PULSE, DON’T PUREE
Pulsing the beans with tortilla chips (we processed them first) keeps the beans chunky for textural contrast.

GIVE IT EXTRA CLING
In addition to eggs and starchy tortilla chips, we add flour, which contains sticky amylopectin, to hold the mix together.

LET IT REST
Letting the mixture sit gives the starches time to soak up the eggs so the burgers are easier to handle.

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