Many grillers might have noticed that the burgers keep on shrinking on the grill. They can not seem to figure out what is wrong with it. Well, there might be some things that you are doing that are causing the burgers to shrink on the grill. This is not only your problem because many others have faced the same issue while grilling. No need to panic because we are here to help you out and tell you how to keep burgers from shrinking on the grill.
Avoid The Additives
When you are buying any kind of ground meat to make the burger patty, you should make sure that there are no additives in the meat. This is very important if you do not want your burger to shrink on the grill. This is done in a lot of stores to increase the weight of the meat as they are sold by weight. The markets get a profile by adding water or salt to the meat. When you place this same meat on the grill, the water gets evaporated and causes the patty to shrink in size, which is unacceptable if you ask us.
If you are mindful and look for places that are selling the freshest meat or some markets that are advertising that they do not have any additives in their meat, then you can see that the burger patties are not shrinking in size on the grill. You can add your seasoning of salt and pepper after the patty is done cooking.
Balance The Fat Content
When you use cuts of meat that have little to no fat content then they will not shrink in the process of grilling or cooking. Ground meat generally tends to have a high amount of fat content. When they are cooked, the fat melts and falls while leaving behind the patty which becomes a lot smaller than its original size. However, the fact that you should not use too lean meat on the burger is also important. You do not want your burger to crumbs away and feel like dry meat. You want a juicy and succulent burger so you do need some fat content in the patty.
If you want to have the perfect burger that is neither too fatty causing shrinkage nor too lean causing a bad dry burger, then you have to balance out the fat and the lean meat. We will tell you the general rule that a lot of professionals follow. If you want a good and balanced burger then you should have ground meat with 20% fat and 80% lean meat. This is the perfect ratio that you can get on a burger patty.
Cooking Temperature
The cooking temperature affects the food that is being cooked. If you have the heat at a high temperature then the shrinkage of the burger will be more. When you are cooking your burgers, it is always suggested to keep the grill at a moderate to low temperature. The moderate temperature will reduce the amount of shrinkage by a huge extent and it will also help you retain that juicy texture of the meat.
The shrinkage does happen to some extent but it will not be as drastic as what you would expect out of a patty cooked at a high temperature. A trick that professionals use is to cook burgers on an open flame. If you close the lid or cover up the burgers then they will cook at a higher level of temperature and cause a lot of shrinkages. You will also lose the juiciness of the meat. No one wants that to happen.
Size and Shape
The size and shape of the burger patties also matter a lot. You should make a flat and thin patty with a dimple in the middle to ensure proper cooking. You have to remember that there is always some shrinkage in the size of the patty. If you are thinking that the burger patty will come out the same size then you are wrong. You have to make it a little bit bigger than the actual size you want. The dimple in the middle is exactly what it sounds like, make sure not to make a hole in the middle instead of a dimple.
Tips To Make Perfect Burgers At Home
Here are a few tips that you might find handy when you are making your burgers at home with your own hands. It is an exciting process but we can all do with some tips.
The Right Meat
Picking the right meat is very important. As we have started before you need to maintain a good ratio between the fat and lean meat. Generally, the recommended ratio by grilling experts is 20:80. This makes sure that there is not much shrinkage to your burgers and also that it does not completely dry out. We also recommend that you get the freshest meat that you can get in the market. Packed meats are not so good. You should go to a butcher and ask them to freshly ground meat before your eyes. A lot of places now offer these services.
Wet Hands
This is a little tip that makes up for a lot of time and mess. You should wet your hands a bit before you go ahead and form the patties. This will prevent the meat from sticking to your fingers and you will also find it easier to mold it into the desired shape and size.
Never Overwork
When you are making the burger patties you should make sure that you are not overworking the meat with your hand. If you handle the meat too much then it can produce dry burgers. There are two very good and certified methods of making ground meat patties. In the first method, you should pull the meat apart, toss in the seasoning and then loosely move them around so that they can get separate. Then the next method is to take a tennis ball size of meat in your wet hands and flatten them loosely.
Dimple In The Center
A dimple in the center will help a lot. If the burger is thinner in the middle then it can take on a proper shape later because the patties tend to pull inwards when they are being cooked. So all the uneven edges will get pulled in a bit and you will get a properly shaped burger.
Cool Down The Burgers Before Adding
You should cool down your burger patties under room temperature. Place the patties on a tray and then add them to the refrigerator to cool down. This helps a lot in improving the taste of the burger because when you cook the patty at room temperature, the fats will get disintegrated easily and within a short amount of time but when the patty is under room temperature and a bit cold than the fat will take some time to melt and this will ensure that you get a juicy burger patty that tastes heavenly.
Clean Cooking Grate
Your cooking grate should be clean and there should not be any debris on it that can stick to the patty and make it bad. A well-oiled grate is also important to make sure that the patties are not getting stuck to the great and getting ruined.
Hot Grill
The grill should be hot when you are putting the burgers on it. There should be a steady high temperature before you are going to start cooking. After that, you can bring the flame back to moderate.
Flip Only Once
Beginners think that if they flip the burgers a lot then they will get cooked properly and end up with a lot of good flavors. However, this is not true at all. You should not flip the burger more than once. Depending on how you want the burger, you should grill one side and then flip it to the other side. For a rare burger, each side should be cooked 2 minutes. 3 minutes for medium-rare and 4 minutes for medium.
Don't Press The Burgers
This is another mistake that the burgers make. You should always keep this in mind. It is heartbreaking to see all the people pressing on the burger patties and all the juices flowing out of the burger. This will cause a lot of flare-ups and you will also find that the juices coming out of the patty are wasted because they are very delicious and add a lot of flavors. You should let the juices alone and allow the patty to cook in its juices.
Resting Time Is Necessary
You should rest the burgers once you are done with them. This is an important step since all kinds of meat need some kind of resting time. Since the burgers are very small in size you do not need a lot of resting time. You can just rest them for about 10 minutes. That should be enough for them. All the fluids and juices will evenly flow through the meat during that resting time.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
There are some mistakes that beginners do that causes the burger to crumble apart. This is not something that you would want in a good burger. So here is what causes the problem so that you know how to avoid it.
- You should never put a room temperature patty on the grill. This will cause them to crumble and fall apart. They need to be put in the refrigerator before you put them on the grill. If you do not want to refrigerate it before cooking or if you do not have time then you should add breadcrumbs and egg to the burger patty to make sure that they don't fall apart on the grill.
- Do not keep on moving and poking and flipping the patty on the grill with your spatula. Not only will it ruin the taste of the party but it will also cause them to fall apart and crumble. Just then them be and you should be good.
- You should always use a hot grill. If you put the burgers on a cold grill then it will cause the burgers to taste horrible since they will be undercooked and very uneven too. The burgers will also fall apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some questions are generally asked by the people. We have decided to answer some of them so that you don't have to go around and search for them separately. Please note that these are common questions that many users have asked over time.
Q1) What is the right time to season the burger?
A) The seasoning should be added just before you are grilling the burger. This might seem like an inconsequential step but it is very important. It creates a well-textured burger with a loose patty that tastes great.
Q2) Can I reheat a burger?
A) Yes, you can reheat your burger. You can reheat it in a toaster or you can reheat the burger patty in a microwave.
Q3) How long can a burger last at room temperature?
A) If the burger is cooked then it can keep around one to two hours at room temperature, given that it is around 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside. If it is sitting outside for more than that time then you should throw out the burger. It can cause foodborne diseases. If you keep the burger in a freezer then it can easily stay for 2-3 days.
Q4) Why add ice cubes to the patties?
A) Some people place ice cubes on the patty when they are putting it on the grill to prevent loss of moisture and the patty becoming too dry. No one likes a dry burger. The ice cube melts and adds the needed moisture to the burger patty.
Q5) Is it necessary to thaw frozen burger patties?
A) Yes, you do need to thaw frozen burger patties. Many people buy them from the markets because they don't have time to make their own. You should allow it to thaw or defrost before you put it on the grill.
Conclusion
We hope that you have found this article useful. We did spend a lot of time finding solutions to prevent the shrinkage of burgers on a grill. We are aware that it can't be completely stopped but it can be reduced to a huge extent. We have told you all about the tips and tricks of burger making at home too. Make sure to put good use of all those tips. Have a good day and take care. Make lots of delicious burgers and share them with your friends and family.
