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[1] What’s different about this double burger, garnished with bacon, lettuce, tomato and pickles? A layer of mashed potatoes (photo © Idaho Potato Commission)!
[2] Ditch the carbs: Add your burger to a mixed salad, lightly tossed in vinaigrette (photo © 5 Napkin Burger).
[3] When you can’t decide between a cheeseburger and a fried egg sandwich with ham (photo © Chad Montano | Unsplash).
[4] For the richest, most flavorful burger, try brisket or short rib (photo of brisket burger © Omaha Steaks).
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May 28th is National Hamburger Day. It’s also National Brisket Day, which is a coincidence, since brisket makes a delicious burger.
WHAT’S THE BEST CUT OF BEEF FOR YOUR BURGER?
Different chefs and grilling experts have their preferred choices of beef cuts and blend proportions. You can try different cuts and blends to see what works for you.
In fact, it’s a fun activity for Memorial Day Weekend or other “grilling” holiday.
Conventional beef cuts for grinding into burgers include:
Brisket. A very beefy flavor and high fat content make brisket a deliciously rich burger. It’s also an expensive cut, so most people will blend it with a more affordable cut(s).
Boneless Short Rib. Another cut with rich flavor and fat content, short rib, like brisket, is pricey. But blend it with chuck or sirloin for a very juicy, flavorful burger.
Chuck. The most commonly used cut of beef in burgers and blends, chuck is well marbled with a good lean-to-fat ratio. While many home cooks make all-chuck burgers, chefs like to add flavor and richness by blending chuck with one or two other cuts of beef.
Hanger Steak, Flank Steak & Skirt Steak. Hanger steak and skirt steak are cut from different parts of the diaphragm or plate, which is in the upper belly of the steer. The hanger steak is considered more flavorful, resembling flank steak in texture and flavor. Flank steak is cut from the abdomen.
Sirloin or Tri-Tip. Tri-tip is cut from the bottom part of the sirloin, whereas sirloin tip comes from the top part). They are relatively lean cuts of steak, but with a good amount of flavor. Offset the leanness with another cut of beef that has a higher fat content: brisket, chuck or short rib, e.g.
Round. Round is extremely lean and a less expensive cut. It’s a good choice for people who want the lowest-fat-content burger.
Where are all of these cuts located on the steer?
Check out the chart in our Beef Glossary, which also explains the different cuts of beef.
WHAT ABOUT WAGYU?
Also called American Kobe, Wagyu—for any purpose—is for those who have deeper pockets. Would you use it to make a wagyu burger?
According to Lone Mountain Wagyu, a purveyor of wagyu beef:
The quality of Wagyu beef ensures you’ll have the ultimate burger, one that’s so buttery, rich, and fantastically textured that it may ruin you for other burgers. Take the risk.
Here’s their article on cooking wagyu beef burgers.
WHAT ABOUT GARNISHES?
YouGov, an online community, polled more than 9,000 Americans to ask about their preferred burger toppings.
The graphic is below, but allow us to take exception:
Hot sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard are not toppings. They’re condiments!
A condiment is a sauce, spice or other flavor enhancer that is added to food after cooking.
A second note: Each survey comprises a different group of people whose demographics and psychographics will invariably differ.
Thus, so will the survey results.
On to the results of this one:
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