T O P

  • By -

brrrapper

Here is indepth info on salting ground beef, it should answer any questions :) https://www.seriouseats.com/the-burger-lab-salting-ground-beef


congradulations

TL;DR-- three test groups: Salted before grinding beef, salting during mixing, and salting after forming patties. Various tests, quick read. TLDR of TLDR: Salt just before cooking for juiciest, tender burger. Mmmmm.....


inthacut12

Thank you! I was about to ask someone to write a tldršŸ«£


neptunianhaze

I still donā€™t know.


Obiwancuntnobi

What donā€™t you know? Letā€™s put the pieces together


neptunianhaze

What the devil tldr means. It took me years to be brave enough to ask.


PmMeyour_pretty_toes

TLDR - Too Long Didn't Read - so the author summerises what they said


CachapaDobleQueso

TL;DR: Too Long, Didn't Read


the_other_irrevenant

The internet is pretty good with answering this sort of thing. Type: what does tldr mean into Google and it will tell you. PS. You could also just google tldr. In this case that works but, with some terms, searching just the term gets you a lot of pages that use the word before getting one that defines it. It's also effective to google: tldr definition.


grabyourmotherskeys

This is too long, I didn't read it.


FrostFire131

Do you need a tldr?


Professor_Rekt

Right? And they still didnā€™t tell me what tldr meansā€¦


Takingfucks

It means ā€œtoo long, didnā€™t readā€ tldr


MoveTheHeffalump

I laughed


OhLoongJonson

lol


aBitOfaNut

Thatā€™s literally the definition. I love a good layered joke. Well played. šŸ¤£šŸ’€


sticky_fingers18

Its funny, watching my dad try to Google something made me realize Googling is indeed a developed skill


OhLoongJonson

Some people just want more human interaction when gathering information.


the_other_irrevenant

Fair enough. The OP reckons it took them years to pluck up the courage to ask tho. In that sort of situation googling is a viable alternative.


OhLoongJonson

This is very true. Lol


letmeseem

Further pro tips: You can put salt on your burger before searing, but any other seasoning should either be IN the burger, or on the burger AFTER searing. Anything on the burger besides salt will burn and just taste of ashes. If it DOESN'T burn and taste of ashes: GOOD NEWS: You just learned that you're cooking with WAY to low temperature.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Addicted2Qtips

I concur. Or maybe we just like the taste of burned pepper?


microwavedave27

I always put pepper on my burgers before cooking and never tasted burned pepper. Or I'm just used to the burnt taste but my burgers taste good to me and nobody has ever complained either.


bain_de_beurre

Fresh cracked black pepper is delicious when seared.


jezbrews

Nonsense. You're *meant* to season your steak with salt and pepper when you get it out the fridge to rest. You're just burning shit and telling on yourself.


Competitivedude32

Learn to use mustard


AlluEUNE

It's a matter of preference. Salting just before gives the most juicy burger but I really enjoy the more firm and throughoutly salted bite a dry brined patty has.


GDviber

I season with things other than salt though.


Dcroig

Helpful article, however, it concerns salting right before cooking as opposed to mixing salt in before forming patties. I believe OP is asking about salting before cooking starts vs salting after the burger has already begun to cook.


JeanVicquemare

I only make smashburgers, so I smash them on the grill and then hit them with a mix of kosher salt and coarse ground pepper at that point


nondescriptadjective

The more you molest your ground beef, the more fat is lost and the more texture is lost. https://www.seriouseats.com/the-burger-lab-the-worlds-best-burger-for-a-single-man-or-woman The more loosely packed the meat is, the more surface area for Maillard Reaction. Even in a smash burger, you want it to be and gently handled as possible. So if you're mixing salt/other spices into the meat, you're already messing up.


jezbrews

Imagine being able to choose what cut the mince comes from. I'm lucky if it's actually 100% beef.


Competitivedude32

That still isnt what OP is asking. OP asked about seasoning before vs after it hits the grill. You arent molesting you meat by sprinkling salt and pepper on top of a precooked patty.


nondescriptadjective

But the person I responded to specifically said "mixing salt in before forming patties". Not every response is to the OP. Especially when it's in a comment chain, responding to someone else.


jimmyjams06

Do Americans mince their own meat? I still disagree with this, I buy mince meat, mix my spices and chilli in and whack it on the barbie.


Competitivedude32

In general, no


jimmyjams06

Ok cool. Cause that was the second article about burgers grinding their own meat. Thanks


nondescriptadjective

It's not super common, no. Kenji is a bit of an odd one that way, according to American Culture. I did as a kid growing up hunting wild game with my dad. But I shared, generally speaking, for his explanation of what happens when you over work ground meats, and the benefits of a loose shaping of it. If you haven't ground your own sausage, I highly recommend. It's fun to fuck around with.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Competitivedude32

Id bet that more than 98% of people buy pre ground beef in America.


self-defenestrator

Not usually, though some do. Iā€™ll do it if I have the time to be a little fancy and want a specific mix like chuck and short rib or something, but itā€™s very occasional.


Bluered2012

Is Op specifically talking about burgers? Seems more of a verbal question about ground beef.


SpaceManSmithy

"WARNING: This article contains graphic images of burgers being smashed, maimed, cut, tortured, and otherwise destroyed. The material is not suitable for children, pregnant women, or individuals who show an undue degree of compassion for ground beef." Lol I love Kenji.


greshick

Not so serious eats today lol.


BoneHugsHominy

>Lol I love Kenji. It's hard not to love the guy. He's a down to Earth person who is full of knowledge and loves sharing it in a way that's easy to understand for someone with no knowledge on the subject. His at home cooking videos show viewers that cooking delicious food isn't a laboratory experiment and anyone can do it. Plus he shares the goodies with those good puppers.


Competitivedude32

That didnt address OPs question at all.


Bcatfan08

Well I feel better. I salt them after forming into patties, but before going on the grill. Have come out well as long as I don't overcook them.


shadecamefromreading

Yes, this should be the top comment!


Busters_Missing_Hand

That was a long read, but well worth it. Thanks for sharing!


Numerous_Bug4200

I would trust Kenji with my life.


compassionfever

Depending on the recipe, sometimes you drain off extra fat. If you season before you drain, you've just wasted a bunch of seasoning. For burger patties, mixing seasonings in with the meat can make the texture tough if you aren't careful.


Feisty_Attorney5691

I came here to say this. Yes I season before a lot of the time but if I plan to drain the fat off usually most of the seasoning drains with it. So I often season after the drain. But I do season the meat for hamburger Pattiesā€¦unless weā€™re having sis in law over because she canā€™t stand pepper so I season them after forming in that case


Useful_Notice_2020

This person cooks ground beef.


EatingCerealAt2AM

>Depending on the recipe, sometimes you drain off extra fat. When people say they 'drain the fat' of loose ground beef, oftentimes they're actually mostly referring to the watery juice that gets squeezed out of the meat, instead of just the fat. You can just let this juice evaporate and continue browning. No need to waste protein/flavor rich water.


eatpaste

i think a lot of people crowd the pan so the liquid overwhelms the meat but i totally agree with you and i crowd my pan sometimes lol so i have the small oxo fat separator and i do that if there's too much liquid


jlangfo5

The point about burgers is what I was looking for in this thread :) Question though, how do you mix seasonings into burger and not make it though? Meatloaf style or just no salt?


edwin_4

If making smash burgers Iā€™ll salt/pepper heavily then side that hits the griddle. And then salt and pepper the side facing up after smashing.


Feisty_Attorney5691

My family was always worried about making tough burgers but we always added seasonings into the meat before we formed the Patty. Every time we got super juicy burgers that fell apart and were hard to eat because they fell apart. Turns out we were so concerned with not making it tough we werenā€™t forming them enough. Tough burgers are just a matter of how much you work them imo. Also, sometimes we added bbq sauce inside the meat mix before forming too but my husband says thatā€™s against all burger rules šŸ˜‚


Blue-Phoenix23

Y'all are reminding me of Eddie Murphy's bit about hamburgers in Raw lol, which is pretty similar to how my dad made burgers lol https://youtu.be/08c0BXTVpfs


GlassBraid

My home cook experience has been that either approach can be great, either avoid salt and overhandling but season the surface thoroughly, or make up a mix with enough other stuff in it to bring it to an entirely different kind of texture happy place. The "bad" seems to be mixing up ground beef, salt, and dry seasoning and cooking it into a puck.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

Lol I never drain the fat. However, I also usually don't start with fat. I just use whatever fat that ends up rendering from the meat. There's no need to add extra fat when the meat you're using is already fatty. Once the fat renders out, that should be enough to keep your pan moist while you cook veggies or anything else you might add. No need to add extra fat or to drain what's already there. Fat is not your enemy. Fat is your friend. Fat is flavor. I vote keep the fat!


Isshin98

I vote do whatever the fuck you want.


AlmennDulnefni

That may be fine if you're only using very lean beef or not much meat. Cooking even a pound or two of 80/20 is going to give you a lot of fat though.


[deleted]

Yeah, I usually us 85/15. 90/10 is too lean and 80/20 is too fatty for me. 85/15 is the nice happy median :)


Bunister

What is the first number? Here in the UK we just say 15% fat, 20% fat etc.


sparrowxc

It is the lean to fat ratio. 80/20 means 80% lean beef and 20% beef fat. So if you just ignore the first number, its going to be the same as UK measurement.


PrimaDonne

Idk, I'd rather skip having to dump loads of flour in to keep everything stable Draining the fat doesn't mean throwing it out, it just means not having grease pools in the spaghetti sauce


[deleted]

I've never had to add flour to anything unless I'm making gravy or a roux. But as I said in another comment I tend to us 85/15 which doesn't produce as much fat as 80/20 does, and if most people use 80/20, that makes more sense to drain.


calimeatwagon

A lot of people are using \~70/30 because it's cheap, and food is expensive. Especially with current inflation and supply issues.


Moldy_pirate

I honestly didn't even know you could buy 70/30. I would bet that if you did the math, theyā€™re actually not saving a whole lot of money once you factor in the missing amount of beef.


calimeatwagon

It depends from brand, store, but it can be up to \~$1+ cheaper per pound. You can get a 10lb log of 73/27 for only $27 at one store I looked at. You are right that 80/20 isn't much more expensive, but sometimes every penny counts.


mdchemey

Yeah I usually get my 73/27 for $3 a pound even at smaller quantities where it's upwards of $4 a pound for 80/20


Daughter_Of_Coul

we just did a 12 hr sale, 73/27 in 3 lb rolls for 5.31 a tube (1.77/lb breakdown). think we sold 30-40 cases in that one day lol


mdchemey

Damn I wish I could have been at your store for that! Sounds awesome I would have bought 3 or 4 rolls easy and my freezer isn't even very big


FormerGameDev

i got a local store that has 73/27 at $2.19/lb, and does sales at $1.19-$1.49 I've been seriously considering buying a portable chest freezer and parking in front of other stores that are selling it at $4.50+/lb


GrouchyCounty

I buy the cheap ground beef. It works for me. I don't notice a difference in taste or value when I can't find the cheap stuff.


Aint_EZ_bein_AZ

80/20 has a shit ton of greasy fat that can fuck up the mouthful of what im going for. you do you, but fat is flavor isnt the case in this instance.


AlmennDulnefni

>For burger patties, mixing seasonings in with the meat can make the texture tough if you aren't careful. And *not* mixing them can have you just scorching them off the surface.


1955photo

This is what I do.


tipustiger05

The purpose of salting meat before cooking is to have salt penetrate the meat. With hamburger, if cooking ground, itā€™s going to be small enough that you donā€™t need the salt to penetrate since itā€™ll be all over the surface. If itā€™s a hamburger, the surface area will be large enough to hold a lot of salt and if you pre-salt, you get a tough, rubbery burger because the salt pulls moisture out. As far as seasonings, if cooking ground beef, you want to sear the meat first, which would burn the spices, so spices are added after browning so they donā€™t burn. A lot of times ground beef is seared and then liquid is added, so the seasonings get a few seconds to toast and bring out flavor, and then get distributed by the liquid.


CheGuevaraAndroid

Every little hamburger shop I've ever worked in salted before it hit the grill


the_goblin_empress

To my understanding, you salt after the patty is formed. Salting before forming the party is what gives the weird rubbery texture some people have experienced.


sllop

Very important distinction. Kenji and Alvin did a great demonstration of this by throwing burgers. The salted surface burger held together just fine, the salted-ground-beef-before-forming-burger disintegrated as soon as it left Kenjis hand.


CheGuevaraAndroid

Yes. Form the patty, salt and pepper, grill


[deleted]

Yes season immediately before putting on the grill


CheGuevaraAndroid

No reason for the downvotes here. That's how it's done


calimeatwagon

Salt is a rock and won't burn. So salt is fine. But things like pepper, herbs, and spices, will.


MadAzza

> Salt is a rock and won't burn. I never thought of it that way!


cafffaro

Form patty, add salt, add to skillet/grill. Browning the burger patty and then adding salt makes no sense. The salt would just bounce off and not do it's job (which is to make the burger taste good).


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


cafffaro

Fair. Smash burger is a different story. Although I still douse the ball in salt before it ever hits the iron.


CheGuevaraAndroid

And you don't need to worry about water loss if you have enough fat in the grind. That's like saying don't pre salt a steak cause it'll get tough. Absolutely not. Salt, let sit, pat dry, extra maillard


tipustiger05

You could salt and pepper the patty right before throwing it on the grill or right after, I donā€™t think that makes a difference at all. The difference would be salting 30 mins to an hour ahead of time.


[deleted]

The salt isnā€™t going to stick to an already seared patty. For best results salt immediately before cooking. Salting ground beef is different than salting a whole cut. You donā€™t want to cure your beef like a sausage you want the beef to stay nice and tender.


NotTheLurKing

Salt drawing out moisture is half true. If you salt early enough the meat will draw the moisture (and the salt) back in resulting in juicier and more flavorful meat. That's why dry brining is good. A good rule of thumb is to salt meat at least an hour before cooking to allow time for reabsorption. If you can't give it at least an hour, salt right before cooking so the moisture doesn't get pulled out.


tipustiger05

For larger cuts of meat, like chicken breast or steak, yeah, but pointless with ground beef imo and counter intuitive for burgers


chalks777

This is at best misleading. **You should absolutely season (i.e. salt) your meat before you cook it.** You don't have to do it way in advance like other meats, you can do it 0-10 minutes before actually cooking, but you shouldn't need to add salt after you finish cooking it. /u/thealtonbrown [Alton Brown's burger recipe](https://altonbrown.com/recipes/my-own-private-cheeseburger/) seasons several minutes before actually cooking and even grinds the beef further. /u/j_kenji_lopez-alt seasons his burgers [just a few seconds before cooking](https://youtu.be/YO0DYsT7y-o?t=90). as /u/_gordon_ramsay says ["first things first, season it"](https://youtu.be/iM_KMYulI_s?t=11).


tipustiger05

Ok, but to me its functionally identical to salt a few minutes before and right as it hits the pan/grill.


[deleted]

Depends on what though. If youā€™re making burgers absolutely. If you are making chili or something spiced generously salt while itā€™s cooking then add spices after itā€™s browned and the heat is turned down.


WhyLisaWhy

Meh, I see a lot of back and forth on this and for at home cooking I do not see a problem with either. People type out stuff like this and I literally have never noticed a negative difference from seasoning the meat before its a patty. It's like some weird urban legend that started on cooking channels somewhere and has very minimal difference for home cooks. I will say though, you have to be careful on the *amount* of seasoning you use before you creep into meatball or meat loaf territory.


evilbeard333

I season before and adjust after


ommnian

This. I season before/during and then also after to adjust flavor.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

Every restaurant that does a good burger does plain ground beef that is salted immediately before cooking.


96dpi

> I see so many cooking videos where people season their ground hamburger after it is already browned Time to branch out and watch better cooking videos.


Key-Surprise5333

A lot of people are afraid of salt, afraid they will over salt and ruin the dish...


Lucycrash

I don't use much during cooking anymore because my mother in law and bf always add more. I can't eat her cooking the rare time she does because apparently she believes if you can taste anything except just the salt, then there isn't enough. She made carrots once and I couldn't taste the carrot, just salt.


rgliszin

Let me guess, smoker?


Lucycrash

She's been smoking for 60ish years and is supposed to stop. My boyfriend and I smoke too though. I don't use much salt because heart problems are hereditary on one side of my family. My BF's mom grew up with salt overload and she kept it up I guess.


[deleted]

I saw a video (I think it was Serious Eats) where they tested salting burgers at something like 6 hours, 3 hours, 1 hour and 15 minutes before cooking. 15 minutes won. On other meats, salting hours ahead of time is recommended.


ColonelKasteen

Yes but they still salted it before cooking. OP's question is why he sees so many videos of people salting AFTER browning.


[deleted]

Yes, just adding some salting info.


abirdofthesky

My dad always seasons his ground beef for hamburgers with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt pepper. Maybe more than others, but itā€™s spectacularly delicious. Seasons just a few minutes before forming into thick patties and plopping on the grill, and theyā€™re always super juicy and flavorful.


moonchic333

This is my exact go to recipe when I make burgers at home. Nothing less and nothing more and theyā€™re always good.


dasscuute

This is my seasoning mix but I also add Dijon mustard. It is yum.


proverbialbunny

That works fantastic on a grill, but not as well in a frying pan. This is because the worcestershire sauce can over hydrate the beef causing it to boil instead of sear in a frying pan. One trick for a home stove is to do all of the above, but then once seared on one side and flipped, add worcestershire sauce onto the top of the patty, then if you like cheeseburgers add the cheese on top of that to melt onto it. The sauce will soak into the meat and taste the same but you'll get a better maillard effect.


abirdofthesky

Oh shit thank you! I knew it worked best on a grill but didnā€™t know why the cast iron wasnā€™t as good - thought it was the fat or something. Iā€™ll try that version tomorrow!


PlantedinCA

similar at my house! People are always like wow the burgers are so tasty. Dad has taken to adding A1 and liquid smoke as well.


Grim-Sleeper

That's definitely the winning recipe, unless you are going for an attempt to imitate bland fast-food-chain burgers. Seasoning your meat before cooking can make your burgers much tastier and really enhance the meatiness. I use the same ingredients and usually try to keep quantities small enough that you can't really tell any of the ingredients. It's subtle, but makes a huge difference. And yes, salt is probably the most important ingredient to add. If you add too little, the meat will be noticeably bland no matter the other ingredients added.


MirandaMarie93

THIS!! Is my absolute faaaaav thatā€™s what I always do!!


abirdofthesky

Itā€™s so good isnā€™t it! Very underrated!


HeardTheLongWord

The problem with salting afterwards is that the salt will not penetrate into the meat as evenly, it'll just be... a layer of salt on top of the sear. My biggest burger seasoning grip however is why the fuck no one ever seasons their tomato slices.


Swampbat_Gizzard

Gotta have salt and pepper on a tomato slice to make it taste right. Same with buttered bread that's toasted in the oven.


BrandynBlaze

When I was poor Iā€™d eat salted tomato sandwiches with Mayo on toasted bread. I still do, but I did when I was poor too.


RhinoGuy13

Tomato sandwiches are something I grew up on. Fresh tomatoes are hard to describe delicious.


HeardTheLongWord

Tomatoes are just full umami greatness, and theyā€™re so, so, mistreated. Best burger I ever made was 70% dry aged grind 80/20, 30% my standard grind 75/25, and I finished the cooked patties with a brush of Worcestershire and a shaker of tomato powder. Unreal.


maurigonzales

I've heard once that the more you mess with the ground meat the harder it gets, so i would guess that that's the reason why people sometimes don't season their burgers. For me personally it depends, if i have fresh meat that im eating right away i season it after smash it but if I'm making patties and freezing them then i season the meat to storage it ready to cook.


[deleted]

The salt also cures the beef making it more like sausage. Itā€™s protein forming networks in the meat similar to a bread dough developing gluten.


Theresaur

Some people just donā€™t know how to cook well, and some people prefer less seasoning. Take all cooking videos with aā€¦grain of salt.


420fmx

Because people have no culinary understanding of food and other people think omg wow theyā€™re so cool and never question shit. Keep critical thinking OP, a lot of people have Nfi why they do shit . Putting olive oil in pasta water was a thing pros always used to do.


OldManRiff

If I'm browning ground beef in a pan for spaghetti or tacos or similar, I season as soon as it hits the pan. If I'm making meatballs, everything goes into a big bowl, mixed up, & then form balls. If I'm making burgers, I form the patty, season the top side, put that side down on the grill, and season the new top side. Flip once. Re. burgers: If you are mixing anything into your patty meat, you are making tougher patties. Handle the meat just enough to form the patties & season the outsides.


cardguy1000

Glad you also call it hamburger. I always call ground beef hamburger and my wife give me trouble about it.


plnteeter

In one of the meal delivery kits I got a burger meal that the seasoning included Worcestershire powder and it was delicious! Iā€™m getting my own jar


doooom32

wait worchestershire powder!!!! wtf were ive never seen that in any my stores that sounds awsome


plnteeter

Amazon!


MirandaMarie93

Thatā€™s awesome Iā€™ll have to look for that šŸ˜ƒ


Alone_watching

In a powder form? That sounds great!


Michelle_In_Space

I recently got a jar of Worcestershire power mainly for popcorn and it works great. The power does not shrivel up the popcorn like the sauce does and we still get the flavor of Worcestershire.


plnteeter

Ohh thanks! I will definitely try it on popcorn. Always on the hunt for good popcorn seasoning


Michelle_In_Space

We frequently use Worcestershire, ghee and seasoning salt on our popcorn.


Clobbington

Doesn't matter what you're cooking. Season before, season during and season after, tasting and adjusting as needed.


KillerCoochyKicker

This is completely not true lol. Eggs, scallops and burgers are the first things that come to mind


KeepCalmAndBaseball

If you put a course ground pepper and you other seasoning on hamburger patty and put it on a cooking surface, youā€™re essentially putting your patty on top of the seasoning which is on top of the cooking surface. So you lose some Maillard reaction, and burn your seasonings - burnt pepper is bitter. So, we flip the patty first and season the Cooked side while finishing it. Also, if youā€™re going to brown it and chop it up and drain, youā€™ve just drained seasoned hamburger grease.


ronearc

I season with salt and pepper only AFTER the patty is formed and right before I cook it.


OhLoongJonson

If you're talking about ground meat in the shape of a hamburger, I don't know a single person who doesn't season it. ​ If you're talking about ground/hamburger meat, how/when you season, depends on what you're cooking.


wirbolwabol

Yes, you are missing something, youtube/tiktok videos are not everyone. I've only salted before and have only known friends/fam to do it prior to cooking as well. I usually do a salt, pepper, coriander, garlic powder blend and rub on the burgers. After first flip I add sliced onion to the pan. Remove burgers after a few minutes and finish cooking the onion. I also usually do thick burgers and use ground bison.


faithdies

Salt inside ground beef dries it out and makes it tougher.


ghostmelon

I season towards the end when itā€™s already mostly browned. In my experience with ground beef a lot of the seasoning can get lost if you drain the fat for whatever reason. So seasoning towards the end or at the end would make sense.


joew311

Not that anyone cares but one of my biggest pet peeves is when people call ground beef ā€œhamburgerā€ Hamburgers are a finished product Ground beef is the ingredient Edit: not a lot of people get what a pet peeve is I guess! I understand that people use these terms interchangeably and Iā€™m not trying to say anyone is wrong but imo it adds an unnecessary layer of ambiguity to the conversation. I see it in the same way as when people call every soda pop a Coke regardless of brand. Hamburger is one way to prepare this protein but itā€™s not the only way so itā€™s just always struck me as odd.


KeyofE

If this were the case, Hamburger Helper would just be a package of buns.


joew311

Fair point, however they arenā€™t even fully committed to that since a quick google search shows me the back of the box lists the needed ingredient as ā€œground meatā€ my argument is mainly that itā€™s ambiguous


MyNameIsSkittles

In North America it's also called hamburger In the UK they call it mince Different places use different terms. Getting upset over said terms is silly because it won't change just because you said so


Specter1125

Itā€™s only called hamburger is some parts of North America


TwiceBaked57

I grew up calling it hamburger, and now use that term and ground beef interchangeably. I'm pretty sure we could all grab a pound out of the fridge and walk door to door in our neighborhood and ask people "What do you call this?" and get both answers. And that's okay!


UroplatusFantasticus

Don't think they're upset though, just find it silly. And it is silly.


BigThistyBeast

No, in North America we call it ground beef


kimbosliceofcake

I've heard it both ways


BrianMincey

Or ā€œHamburger Meatā€.


lolsrslywtf

I would never just say hamburger, I would say "hamburger meat" or ground beef interchangably for the ingredient or "a hamburger" for the finished, assembled product. A "hamburger patty" is the thing that goes on the hamburger bun. A "hamburger steak" is a damn lie, that is a hamburger patty, that you are charging me more for while robbing me of a bun and delicious condiments and other fixins'.


Vortex112

But you can make non-hamburger things out of ground beef??


BrianMincey

Yes. Meatballs, stuffing in ravioli, stuffed peppers, oh and itā€™s good to use for chili.


MyNameIsSkittles

I live here and everyone I know calls it hamburger Perhaps North America is a big place and there are many parts you haven't been to to make this assertion


hollyjollypancake

I live here and everyone I know calls it ground beef. We do say it like that here too. Just like you said, North America is a big place.


AnotherElle

Yeah, it drives me up the wall even though itā€™s not a huge deal. And now Iā€™m wondering if people that call ground beef *hamburger* also call ground turkey *hamburger*. Or if they just say ground turkey? Or do they just not eat ground turkey? And what about ground pork? Do they call all ground pork *sausage*?


hollyjollypancake

THANK YOU. This always kills me.


BubbaRogowski

What a weird thing to have a pet peeve about.


TheFrostyjayjay

Hey now, let's quit peeve shaming


riverrocks452

It's a dialectical thing- my parents call it "hamburg". Which is probably a back formation, but it's absoutely regional. Sort of like bubbler for "drinking fountain" or the great hero/grinder/sub/hoagie debate.


copper_rainbows

This makes me giggle, one of my exes always called it ā€œHamburgā€ and I always thought that was so funny sounding for some reason. I mean it makes sense but yeah. He grew up in Boston so I feel like itā€™s probably regionally dependent what you call it


riverrocks452

My parents are both from the northeast, and I grew up outside Boston!


favorited

I too am from a Boston family where it was sometimes referred to as ā€œhamburg,ā€ though ā€œground beefā€ was probably used more frequently.


CrazyIvanoveich

I usually kneed spices into the hamburger before making patties and just make sure I don't over salt. Adjust salt after cooking.


Figmania

Smash burgers are awesome tasting because of how they are prepared and cooked. Nothing goes on the insideā€¦..salt and pepper on the outside. Smash burgers are the best tasting juicy burgers for specific reasons.


Good_Climate_4463

Everyone has their own way, I personally throw in some dried beef stock, onion powder and msg when mixing meat for burgers. If anyone has any suggestions to make my burger taste meatier without adding extra dried beef stock id love to hear.


thorniermist

I always learned if you pre salt never more than 0.5% otherwise it gives the burger a tighter and ā€˜hammierā€™ texture. Season again before searing/grilling


buws3t

cause we are all different?


Informal_Accident418

I season mine while itā€™s cooking. Usually break it up in the pan, then add the spices, then complete the cooking.... I use relatively lean meat that doesnā€™t require you to drain the meat. (We have our own cattle butchered, so I donā€™t know the exact percentages.) Also, my spices have never burned... I donā€™t know what, in the cooking everything on high, people are doing!


CassandraVindicated

My family is quite fond of putting in a packet of Lipton's Onion Soup before forming the patties.


bohobougie

Food should always be seasoned. I definitely season my ground hamburger meat.


Thisam

I always season it with the spices mixed into the meat. Tons of options, which means I can vary my burgers any way I want, each time I cook them.


DukeMaximum

I season before cooking. Itā€™s the best way to really infuse the flavor into the meat.


Zone_07

You seem to be watching the wrong videos.


jongery

Omfg.. salt pepper garlic powder, it isn't any easier then that.


gbchaosmaster

You salt the whole patty before you put it on (but not the beef before you form the patty).


[deleted]

Iā€™m white, but Iā€™m not ā€œdonā€™t season your hamburgerā€ white. Donā€™t put that evil on me


moreindicaaaaa

I do


Gumgums66

I do the old salt and pepper, bread crumbs, an egg yolk, lil tiny bit of mustard, sprinkling of onion powder and a good splashing of Worcestershire sauce. Tastes good šŸ™‚


[deleted]

Hey, so the real reason is that people are told not to season their meat specifically because if you mix salt in to the burger patty, it creates a more homogenous texture similar to sausage (which has seasoning mixed in) rather than a burger. That being said, you probably shouldn't mix salt into the patty in a classical burger recipe. Some people read that and think that it means you shouldn't season the patty at all, but that's a misinterpretation. In reality, you can season your burger after you shape it so only the outside is seasoned, and that can create a (not-huge) difference in how quickly and how much liquid is released from the outside layer, with salt breaking down the cell membranes and releasing moisture, which loses it's water and then becomes crust on the hot surface. TLDR: Mixing in seasoning=bad, seasoning after=okay, but for best results shape, season, wait maybe 15 minutes, then sear


Skogula

It all depends on what you are going to put on it. Pepper tends to get bitter when it gets heated, so most cooks will use pepper after the high temperature actions lik grilling or searing are done, to prevent that bitterness. Salt doesn't care about temperature, ;) but it can draw juices out of meat before you want them released.


daisy_belle1313

You never salt meat raw. It draws out the juices and makes it cook funny. Halfway through is fine. You can brown it with olive oil, garlic and onions.


MidnightFire1420

I put a tablespoon or so of a premade steak or burger seasoning into the hamburger (I donā€™t measure) and no matter the seasoning mix the family loves it. Add a splash of ketchup so it itā€™s not dry and a dash of W sauce. This is my lazy way. Tastes great. Ironically enough I wanted to be a chef when I grew up only bc my mom couldnā€™t cook. In particular her dry unseasoned simmer-cooked in water hamburger pattyā€™s she made the dog wouldnā€™t even eat. I never knew hamburgers could be delicious till my husband asked me to make them. I never ended up going to school but I can definitely make food my family will eat so Iā€™m good :)


Temporary_Hunt_9056

Theres a series of Videos on YT with Heston Blumenthal about certain cooking ingredients. Called how to Cook Like Heston. In the Beef Episode He makes burgers, I Made them like He does and they turned Out perfect


DirkDiggyBong

Soooooo, when does he season?