The Perfect Burger on the Grill

We have all experienced it. That day you fire up the grill, take out the beef and start patting those burgers into shape.

All along thinking to yourself, "It's just a hamburger, no big deal, I'll toss them on , pop open a beer, enjoy the fresh air in my Renetto Original Canopy Chair, flip them a couple of times and all will be well".

You place them oh so gently on their respective buns and drown them with your condiments and lettuce, hoping for the best, as you walk them to your victims, mouths drooling.

Then it happens; the looks of disappointment, and disgust as they take their first bites. The hamburgers are blackened on the outside, and raw on the inside, they are as dry as hockey pucks and to make matters worse, they have no taste.

In fact the condiments you drowned them in, can't even help, and it's all your fault! Will anyone ever give you the authority over the coveted grilling utensils again, or will you be reduced to sitting on the sidelines at your next outdoor event, with the only bright side being that you have your favorite Renetto Original Canopy Chair in your favorite team's colors to watch from. 

Fear not! this quick fix will not only give you the keys to the grilling kingdom back, but it will ensure that you will not only fall in love with the home grilled hamburger, again, but will also have you eagerly anticipating the next time you will be eating another one.

First, I do want to be clear that I feel that there is no better way to truly maximize the flavor of your food than by going the "old school" way,  in other words, the true blue charcoal grill.

Propane just doesn't give it that authentic flame taste. Fortunately, charcoal grills and charcoal are extremely reasonable to purchase.

Food for thought (no pun intended), I am as lazy as it gets when it comes to any chore and nothing seems easier than turning on the burners and having that flame ready, however, I assure you that being lazy can have its advantages, one in particular is the ability to gain the most amount of knowledge needed for the easiest and most efficient way to get things done with as little effort as possible. 

One very important point to emphasize is to never use lighter fluid, you will taste it in all the food you are grilling. All you will need is Kingsford match light charcoal. Stack the bricks in a pyramid and light the top and side bricks until they all go up in flames. This will happen very easily.

Also, ensure that your grill has been scraped and brushed well so to ensure that any past grilling, is just that, in the past. This would be the best time for your prep, as you want the bricks to burn for a long time with the top open until they turn completely white.

Now for the star of the show, the beef. Kobe beef is the most delicious beef you can eat, and due to it's popularity you should have no problem finding Kobe ground beef at the meat section of your local grocery store. If you can't find it, grass fed 85% lean ground beef is a close second.

Place your beef into a bowl and work these items into the meat with your clean (this should go without saying) bare hands. 1 egg, a half teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons of Italian bread crumbs, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and a drizzle of honey.

This will make 6 hamburgers. Do not make them too big. Just a standard size hamburger please, you can always get seconds. To cook through evenly for that juicy flavor, you do not want them too thick either.

Once all of the charcoal is completely white and you cannot see any flames, then and only then are you ready to place the hamburgers on the grill. This is very important, as the reason why the catastrophe we spoke of in the first paragraph occurred, is due to the fact that the flames were searing the outside of your hamburgers, causing them to turn black, but not cooking them all the way through, because the charcoal was not hot enough.

Be sure to spread the pyramid of charcoal out, flat and and evenly before placing the grates back on top. 

Place your hamburgers around the outside of the grill so that they are not receiving direct flame , as again, you do not want them to cook on the outside too quickly. Leave the top open and turn them frequently so to ensure an even cook on both sides.

Once you see both sides browning nicely, you can then close the grill top and open the vents so that the charcoal can breathe and stay hot. This will now disperse the heat through the inside of the meat, as with an oven, and your hamburgers will now be cooked evenly on both the outside and the inside.

Approximately one minute before you are ready to remove your hamburgers, place your cheese slices on top of the burgers and close the top again. Pull the hamburgers off the grill the moment the cheese melts and place them on a fresh plate, not the plate the original raw meat was on.

One thing that is overlooked frequently is the importance of the bun. You certainly wouldn't want to put brand new leather seats into a rust bucket , would you?

I highly recommend a very light brioche bun so that the bread does not overwhelm the most important aspect of this meal, and that is the hamburger itself, of course. Do not overdo the condiments either, as this kobe burger will have plenty of flavor all on its own and you will not want to drown that out.

Now, all that is left to do is watch the smiles on everyone's faces while they and you enjoy the best burger you have ever eaten, while staying nice and shaded in your extremely comfortable Renetto Original Canopy Chair.

Bon Appetit!