Hamburger Recipes and Tips from Patch Readers

Patch asked, and you answered, coming through with some great tips and techniques for how to boost your burgers.

Mount Pleasant Patch contributor Heather Rayne Geyer wrote about the “inside-out burger” that she makes. You start with the ground beef, but then, she said you put:

“cheese (any kind) and fried onions (or mushrooms if you prefer) on the inside. you could do an italian version and put fresh mozz and basil on the inside and use marinara instead of ketchup. OR a greek version with feta and olives. lots of options :) great...now i'm hungry...”

Several readers, including Waukesha Patch Local Editor Sarah Millard, wrote about the need for a great burger bun. One of Sarah’s favorites was a pretzel bun.

Waukesha Patch Facebook reader JimSue Lautz Machan said this:

“Well, everyone raves about my husband’s burgers, but he has no recipe. He kind of knows what to add. I’ve tried to duplicate them; but, even though mine taste really good, especially with my homebaked buns, mine fall short.”

Waukesha resident and foodie Jeff Fortin sent in his top tips and techniques for making a great burger. Fortin runs the EatWisconsin blog, where he writes about food from a local perspective. Here's what he had to say: 

These aren't even my tips but rather a collection of tips I have learned from magazines, TV, and others over the years:

1. Don't over pack burgers.  Burgers need to be formed into a nice patty but do it as gently as possible.  If you pack it  too tight the juices have nowhere to go but out, resulting in a dry burger.  If its loosely packed the juice can settle in the air pockets resulting in juicy burgers, even if cooked past medium.

2. Never add salt or other salt-based seasonings before you patty, only apply salt after its pattied.

3. Don't use the spatula to smash  the grease out.  It drains all of the juices and it causes flareups.

4. Don't overdo seasonings. The best part of a burger is the beef yet some people obliterate the flavor with garbage like the French Onion Soup mix you mention in your article. (Note: Patch mentioned the soup mix in the .) I like just a little Lawry's seasoning salt or plan old salt and pepper. We are making burgers, not meat loaf.

5. To keep the patty from bulging in the middle, make a small depression in the center of the burger. This will result in a perfectly flat burger at the end of the cooking cycle.

6. Make sure the bun is the right size. Nothing ruins a burger like an over sized bun that overshadows the burger or a small weak bun that cannot handle the size of the burger and condiments.

7. Let your burger rest a couple of minutes before you eat it.  This will help let the juices settle back into the meat.