This weekend, many of us will be spending long hours outside basking in the sun as another heatwave is upon us. And there’s no better way to round of a day of relaxation than with a delicious barbecue.
If you’re keen to take charge of the grilling, you’ll want everyone to have the most delicious burgers, sausages and veggie skewers of their lives. And according to experts, there’s a secret for the ‘juiciest burgers ever’ that all keen cooks should know. It involves avoiding one very common mistake people often make whilst standing over the BBQ, flipping and turning away.
The food gurus at Allrecipes enlisted the help of seven different chefs to uncover the key to the best burgers ever. And while it’s true they are not complicated to cook, the line between a succulent patty and a dry, chewy one is very thin.
Just a few moments is all it takes to ruin your burger, and nobody wants to be faced with a tough and grisly nightmare at a BBQ with family and friends.
So as you’re cooking away, tempting as it may be to overly flip and press down on the patties, it’s worth putting down those tongs – as this could be significantly affecting the taste and texture of your meal.
Biggest burger mistake to avoid
On the grill, where the fat and moisture drain through the grates, you should never use a spatula to press down on the burger patty.
Samantha Taxin, manager of The Cherry Cricket restaurant, said: “Never press the burger! The juices run out, and you’re basically pouring the flavor out onto the grill.
“Not only will your burger probably end up dry, but this can also trigger flare-ups on the grill, which may burn the outside of the patty before the inside is cooked enough.”
How to make the juiciest burgers
Another essential step to lock in those juices and get that perfectly caramelised exterior is simply to leave the burger to cook, rather than constantly turning it over and over.
According to the experts, flipping the burger too much will stress out the meat, causing the juices to seep out and end up with a dry bite.
You should try and flip just once, when it’s halfway through being cooked. This is about three to four and a half minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the patty.