We asked readers about their favorite cheese for topping burgers, and white cheddar was the resounding favorite (American was a close second). We also heard some less common—but still delicious-sounding—suggestions. Some of our favorites? One reader uses Camembert with thin slices of dates or figs to complement a beef or pork patty, while another loves the creaminess of mozzarella. And yet another said they opt for blue cheese and skip all the other condiments entirely.
We asked Deputy Food Editor Morgan Bolling how to make great grilled hamburgers. Here are her top tips.
1. While we sometimes use 80 percent lean ground beef for burgers, we use 85 percent lean ground beef more often. It’s plenty rich, and less fat means fewer flare-ups.
2. Don’t overwork the meat when forming patties, or your burgers may end up with a dense, sausage-like texture.
3. Salt only the exterior of your burger, not the interior, and do so just before grilling. Salt removes water from and dissolves some meat proteins, leaving the insoluble proteins bound together—which gives meat a springy bite that’s better suited to sausages than burgers if salt is added to the interior of the patty.
4. Create a small indentation in the center of each burger patty. This will help prevent the patties from puffing up.
Ready to get grilling? Cook’s Country has a burger recipe for every palate. There are bacon burgers and butter burgers, portobello and meatloaf burgers, and even grilled chile chorizo and pork burgers. Go to CooksCountry.com/grillingrecipes for more information.
Leave a comment and join the conversation!