Introduction: How to Grill a Cheeseburger or Hamburger
Welcome,
In this Instructable I will show you how to grill/cook a burger.
I am using a LP (Liquid Propane) gas grill.
These same steps are the same regardless if you are cooking on a gas grill, charcoal grill, or frying it in a pan on the kitchen stove.
Step 1: Safety
OK boys and girls I will start with the safety issues related to this process.
1. Wash your hands prior to handling food, after all I don't know where you hands have been.
2. Raw meat carries coodies make sure you wash your hands after handling.
3. Under cooked meat still carries coodies, make sure you cook to at least medium well, or so I am told, to kill the coodies.
4. Fire can burn you so don't play around with it. Or if you need to experiment with it to understand what I am saying that is your own choice.
5. Don't be a Doofus and burn your house down either or else I will laugh at you. Keep you grill away from your house, flames and houses should not go together.
I think that is it, I am sure someone will let me know if I have missed something.
Step 2: Supplies
Here is a list of what you will need.
1. A grill or stove to cook on.
2. Hamburger patties premade or make your own. I used premade, however I have been know to make some killer homemade burgers.
3. Hamburger buns I used Gourmet buns, cause I'm fancy like that. Actually I think it enhances the burger.
4. Salt and Pepper (Just the normal stuff nothing fancy this time)
5. A Spatula - I am not going to tell you how or when to use this item. If you don't know what it is or when to use it you should stop now.
6. A plate. (Same goes for this one)
Step 3: Getting It Started
Start by heating up your grill. I turn mine on high. This is easy if you have a gas grill turn it on and let it cook any coodies from a prior cookout for about 10 minutes. Mine gets up to around 400 degrees. You can use a wire brush to remove any crispy remains.
Once that is done turn your heat on the grill down to around medium heat. (This would be the same heat range for a stove. For a charcoal grill... well there are to many variables so you will have to figure it out for yourself.)
Place your burger on the grill and add a few dashes of salt and pepper. Shut the lid and let it start cooking.
Step 4: Watch for Your Cue to Flip
When to flip?? I flip once that is all you need, you just have to know when.
When the burger starts getting to the point where bight red blood is covering your cooking burger then it is time to flip it. This occurs around 3-4 minutes depending on your heat level used when cooking.
You can sear it once if you want to get some grease out, but you don't need to if you don't want to. Plus all of the grease just burns off in flames anyways, which in turn creates smoke that gets in your eyes and burns.
So flip the burger, flames will come up because all of the blood is turning in to grease. Just be sure not to get burned or try not to any ways.
Step 5: Throw Down Your Buns!
Yo! It's time to throw down!
About a minute after you have flipped the burger it is time to put your buns on the grill (don't do this if you are using a frying pan, you just get soggy buns).
I mean put your buns on the grill to toast them and not the buns you sit on.
This adds to the overall experience and flavor of our burger.
Step 6: Watch for the Next Sign
Watch for the next sign which is flames flaring up.
When this happens remove the buns from the grill and place you cheese slice (if you want cheese that is) on the burger.
Step 7: Remove Burger From Grill
About one minute after you place the cheese on the burger the cheese should be melted but not running off the burger. Now the burger is ready to come off.
Place the burger directly on to the bottom piece of the bun.
Add condiments if you like and or lettuce, tomato, and onions.
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22 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
Hard to beilieve it took so long to get thru the bits about safety(?) - 'don't burn your house down' and then supplies - 'use plates'(!!) only to get to a simple construction and a store bought patty. Why even waste the time on this Rig It?
14 years ago on Introduction
Recently, I've experienced this odd phenomenon where the outside of the burger stays red, even though the inside is overdone. At first I thought it was something to do with water vapor from the grill, but the same thing happened in a frying pan. Is it something in the meat itself, maybe? (i.e. a preservative)
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
it happens to moose meat from hunting too. so it isn't from a preservative.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
maybe you are cooking them too perfectly? :P
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Hmmm.. I don't know, I have never heard of that before.
14 years ago on Introduction
MMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNN That looks tttaaasssttttyyyyy ! dammit im really hungry now !
14 years ago on Introduction
EHH GEEZE A Burger without BBQ sauce ??? Whats going on ? Thats like perogies without sour cream, or flap jacks without Canadian maple syrop ! I am going to make a BBQ Sauce instruictable..... maybe one on pork chops too ! Other that forgetting the most important part of a burgers Not a bad instructable !
15 years ago on Introduction
What about doing mulitple burgers. My grill has hot spots in it. Every grill I've ever worked, as a matter of fact, has hot spots. How do you deal with them when you're doing a 10 burgers?
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
just move the burgers around as you're cooking
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
But that leads to flame ups, which in turn leads to flipping. At least it does for me. I was hoping to avoid both.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Don't flip just move them around some will cook faster than others. You can always move them to the upper cooling/warming rack, if you have one. 10 burgers will keep you busy on any grill that is a lot of grease. You will get flare ups regardless of what grill you are on. Hot spots, oh yes, I have them on mine I also have cool spots. Both can help when you are cooking 10 burgers at a time. You amy have to raotate them in and out of these spots. You don't wan't you grill to hot though or else rotating won't do that much good for you. Everything will just burn. Normally I go just under medium on my grill and then shut the lid. This helps keep a more even temp on the whole grill. Every grill is different though, just experiment with yours until you get it tuned to how you like it.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
the best solution is to use charcoal, and do a good job of spreading out your coals evenly--it tastes a lot better too...
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
and if you got the right stuff its cheaper. I have a charcoal/wood grill/smoker so I (for now https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-some-Charcoal/ not mine just a good instructable) keep a bag of kingsford around for a quick BBQ but I often get a fire going in the morning let it burn till lunch and spread the coals for 5 square feet of food. ( its nice to be able to cook ribs, burgers, dogs, kielbasa, and chicken at once.)
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
That is good also, add a little mesquite wood to it and BAM!! You got the makings of an awesome meal.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
mesquite is way over rated. simple cow parts for me nothing special.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
A trick I use often when bbq'ing loads of different items at once is 'the stack', so when something is more done than the rest I just stack it on top of whatever is still cooking. Works great for burgers, dogs, potatoes, kebabs, corn... you name it, I'm pretty sure you can stack it. Then you can time everything to come up at once!
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
That's right I didn't even think of it, duhh. I got caught up in the writing.
14 years ago on Introduction
I agree on the gourmet buns. I use onion rolls, personally, when I have a choice. They just make the meat taste better. Another side note on the "when to flip" thing is look at the side of the burger. You want to flip it when the line of cooked meat is about 2/3rds of the way up the burger. Another way to tell when it's finally done is touch testing. Make an ok sign. Touch the meaty part where your thumb and your hand meet, just below the middle of your palm. Feel that? That's medium rare meat. Now, make the ok sign with your middle finger instead of your index finger. That's medium. ring finger is medium well, pinky is well. rule of thumb (literally?) is you cook chicken to the ring finger, and steaks are unsafe below the middle finger. They say medium well, but I think that's just to be cautious. Medium meat is, for the most part, safe. Your chances of food borne illness is miniscule at that point.
15 years ago on Introduction
thanks, 5/5 clear instructions. wana check out my instructables?
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
I did, very cool Tommy Gun.