You have to start with great product. Choose an 80/20 or 85/15 lean/fat mix. Extra lean burger meat (5–10% fat) may sound healthier, but with the little amount of fat, you there is less flavor. Then, make sure the meat is at fridge temp, not room temperature, when you cook it. The fat needs to be firm, so it doesn’t melt away during cooking.
Bet you season the outside of the burger with salt and pepper, right? Well, don’t forget to add salt and pepper and mix in before you even shape the patties. This will give a uniform seasoning throughout the meat. Feeling a little adventurous? Then, add in other ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, or hot sauce.
A moist burger is a must, so use your thumb and make a small indentation in the top of each patty. This keeps the juices from escaping during cooking as it traps them in the small dent rather than letting them all to run down the sides.
You have to have some patience to achieve the best burger. Only flip one time during cooking and no poking with a fork or prodding with the prongs. This helps to keep the juices, thus the flavor, sealed in. Finally, no matter how hungry you are or how incredibly delicious that burger smells, leave it rest. Just like steak, burgers need to rest so that the juices can redistribute before you bite into that beefy goodness.
