How to make the perfect burger?

At the moment I cook my burgers on a Tefal griddle pan

I let it heat up and then turn the flame to medium-low and cook the burger slowly there (patty is about 200-225gr)

Anyone knows another technique or better pan i would use to get a smokiness flavor maybe?
 
For a smoky flavour substitute smoked salt in the place of salt or sprinkle with a little smoked paprika. It won't be the same as actually cooking over smoke/coal though.

I'd also recommend moving away from a griddle pan. As mentioned, you want a flat base as you want as much surface area browned as possible for the best flavour.
 
Why cook burgers on medium low?

Make them as thin as possible and get the pan hot as hell. Agree with above, flat pan, pressure on top (put foil over the end of a tater masher and use it to press them down).
 
cheers, will buy a cast iron skillet tonight and split the burgers into 2 of 100gr each :D

I enjoy trying new things out haha!

Edit - oh another question... I can heat the cast iron skillet on the stove on high flame correct? and how long should i leave it? Never had one before.
 
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I prefer multiple thin burgers too - good excuse to have more cheese :p

You'll want the cast iron on the hottest flame possible. Give it a good few minutes to heat up.

Also, before your first use you'll want to season the pan.
 
Season the pan? Can you explain please? Dunno anything about these skillets or how to maintain them?

From what I read it's just a matter of putting it in the oven at 350 degrees with vegetable oil?

And how often does this need to be done?

And how do you clean it after cooking the burgers?

Sorry for bombarding you with questions :D
 
No worries :)

Yeah, use a paper towel to rub a very thin layer of oil on it and then stick it in the oven or on the hob. It will smoke excessively so open your windows. Ideally you do this several times to build up the layers (patina). You can get away with just doing a couple to start with though the non-stick won't be perfect.

Cleaning wise there's a lot of misconceptions around. Just treat it like a normal pan and make sure it dries off properly.
 
If you put it in the oven, put it in upside down with some foil under it to catch the drips, this will stop the oil pooling if you put on too much.

Just youtube it when you get one ;)
 
They do the job yeah.

If you want to be fancy you could purchase a carbon steel pan rather than cast iron. It is essentially the same but has a smoother finish so the non-stick works better.
 
I think I bought my bog standard cast iron skillet for about £7 nearly 10 years ago, it'll still be going long after I've dropped dead. No need to get fancy or expensive.
 
Nameless_87 said:
is it good to buy a pre seasoned skillet? Something like Lodge?
Click to expand...

My Cast Iron Skillet I got for Christmas was pre-seasoned however the instructions it came with said that it is worth while seasoning it again yourself for better protection so there is no harm in doing that. Also don't forget if you do get one to maintain it properly after each use (this is easy and quick to do).

As Frenchtart has said, a carbon steel pan would work just as well without the maintenance :)
 
Ahh, I'd forgotten about this thread. That video is awesome, I'll be trying these again soon!

I got a cast iron griddle for my grill. It has a 'ribbed' (?) griddle on one side and a flat surface on the other. It's perfect for cooking the squashed burgers. I'm definitely going to get one of those plasterers trowels to squash them!
 
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timmeh,
if you flip the griddle and use both sides , is the heat from your stove not going to irrevocably destroy the seasoning on the heat exposed side (and create a lot of smoke) ?

Have most folks got a dedicated meat mincer too ? which one ?
a food processor just decimates the meat, but as commented if you want a safe medium rare/pink burger that is the way to go.
 
jpaul said:
timmeh,
if you flip the griddle and use both sides , is the heat from your stove not going to irrevocably destroy the seasoning on the heat exposed side (and create a lot of smoke) ?
Click to expand...

No idea. I only ever use the flat side anyway. It was one recommended by a lot of kamado cookers so I guess not.
 
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