Hamburger Helper

...From the pages of South Jersey Magazine...

With summer’s arrival we are in the midst of those long days when there’s nothing more perfect than a backyard barbecue. And who better to help us with our burger grilling techniques than the master himself, Bobby Flay. The Food Network darling and the man behind Bobby’s Burger Palace in Cherry Hill shares his five tips for grilling the perfect hamburger.

1.) Make sure the grill is really hot before you start because you want a really good sear on the outside of the burger to give it a lot of flavor and also some texture.

2.) Season the outside of the burger with lots of salt (use a coarse salt such as kosher salt) and fresh black pepper. A lot of the seasoning falls off when you put it on the grill, so don’t be afraid to be generous!

3.) Only flip the burger once and let it get golden brown and slightly charred before attempting to turn it. If a crust hasn’t formed and you try to flip it, the burger will stick to the grill and fall apart, which ultimately means the juices will flow out. Also, do not press on the burger while it’s cooking because this lets the juices right out and will dry the burger out.

4.) Use a heavy duty metal spatula to turn the burgers and let the burgers rest for about five minutes once they come off the grill before you eat them.

5.) To add more flavor to your burger, add spices such as cumin and fennel seeds. Just make sure to toast them, simply by heating the spices on a dry pan over medium-low heat for about two minutes, to release more fragrance and flavor. Other great seasonings include my favorite: chile peppers. These can be either dried or fresh. Some popular ones include anchos, poblanos, cascabel,chipotles and habaneros.

Bobby’s ideal burger has cheddar cheese, red onion or sweet Vidalia, crisp romaine lettuce, a few slices of ripe tomato and some pickle slices. He also loves horseradish mustard, which adds a ton of flavor.

Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 14 (July, 2016).

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Author: Peter Proko