Frying Hamburgers on the Grill

Steak4Me

New member
I rarely grill hamburgers, because a really good burger needs to fry in its own grease. That's the only way to get that crispy carmelized outside that holds in the juices and makes it really flavorful. Judging by the very few posts here on hamburgers, I'd say that some other folks here must agree. You just can't make a really good burger on the grill. Or that's what I used to think.

Then the other day I saw Bobby Flay talk about frying burgers on the grill in a cast iron skillet. He said he does it for exactly the same reasons I cited above. Well, I just had to try that.

I have a cast iron griddle pan that came with a cookware set and since it's only about 1/2 in tall on the sides, the only thing we use it for is pancakes. It just makes too much mess on the stove top. But on the grill, who cares. I just let the mess burn off anyway.

So I made up some blue cheese stuffed burgers about 1/3 pound each. I used my usual seasonings for hamburgers, onion salt and garlic salt. I was already slow smoking some ABTs on the gas grill with some mesquite wood chips so I put the pan on the grill and let it heat up while the ABTs finished up. When I pulled the ABTs off, I cranked up the fire and once it got good and hot, I threw the burgers on the griddle pan and closed the lid on the grill. About three minutes a side, then threw some Velveeta on top and let them go another three minutes with the cover down. (Velveeta is the absolute best cheese for a cheeseburger. Sliced thick, it's nice and cheddary and melts fast.)

These were without a doubt, the best cheeseburgers I've ever eaten and the whole family agreed. The meat picked up the mesquite smoke flavor, but since they were fried they had that great crispy outside and were very juicy and flavorful. Find an old cast iron skillet and give it a try.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
I rarely grill hamburgers, because a really good burger needs to fry in its own grease. That's the only way to get that crispy carmelized outside that holds in the juices and makes it really flavorful.

Find an old cast iron skillet and give it a try.

:agree:
 

JoeV

Dough Boy
Site Supporter
When me and DW tied the knot back in '72, we lived in Portales, NM while I finished my military service. We had great neighbors that we used to lots of stuff with, but one of the most recurring memories we have is the taste of the burgers & fries that we used to cook over an open fire made from mesquite when we would go on a picnic or camping. Neither our friends or us could ever replicate that taste in the house, even though we used the same pans and cooking oil. I always thought it had to do with the smoke rolling over the pans, and you have just confirmed that for me. I have a bag of mesquite chunks for the smoker, so I'm going to experiment with them to see if I can resurrect that flavor we so enjoyed in our tender years.
 

GotGarlic

New member
Well, first it's a myth that a browned exterior keeps the juices inside. Not overcooking keeps the juices inside. Second, meat is browned by heat with fat - that happens whether they're grilled or fried. They don't have to sit in the juices for the Maillard reaction to occur.

Glad you enjoyed your burgers - just wanted to set the record straight :smile:
 

Steak4Me

New member
Don't tell me the science. You'll only ruin it for me. But you're right. Indoors or out, pan fried or grilled, overcooking is the greatest enemy of good meat. But there's definitely something about frying that's critical to the taste of a great hamburger. imho.
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
curious differences.

my crowd absolutely insists that the hamburgers on the grill are far superior to fry pan methods.

have for years - they'll even shovel a path through the snow so I can get to the grill if I'll just agree to . . .

note that I use real charcoal - no briquettes - no gas - so there is a bit more "grill flavor" in the mix.
 

FooD

New member
I produce the best burgers whether I grill or use a cast iron griddle simply by using the cheapest, highest fat content ground chuck I can buy. Lean meat produce crappy burgers for me.
 

FryBoy

New member
Same here, ChowderMan, although I cook them both ways depending on my mood and the weather. I've never tried using a CI skillet on the grill, however -- doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
 
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GotGarlic

New member
Same here, ChowderMan, although I cook them both ways depending on my mood and the weather. I've never tried using a C skillet on the grill, however -- doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I agree. Our grill has cast-iron grates, so we get the caramelization, the excess fat drips off, and we get the beautiful grill marks :smile: In fact, we're having grilled burgers for dinner tonight - 81% lean.
 

FryBoy

New member
I produce the best burgers whether I grill or use a cast iron griddle simply by using the cheapest, highest fat content ground chuck I can buy. Lean meat produce crappy burgers for me.
I disagree about lean meat making lousy burgers, despite the tons of advice that says to use fatty ground meat. I find that if properly cooked, even 96% lean can make a juicy, tasty burger.

And why not? It's the lean part of the steak that most of us eat, leaving the fat on the plate. I certainly don't find the red part of the sirloin to be dry or lacking in flavor -- if it's cooked properly (i.e., medium or rarer).

In any case, the meat is just one ingredient in a proper hamburger, IMHO; it needs the bun, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, mustard, relish, ketchup, and mayo to complete the package:

Burger1.JPG
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
>>doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I'd offer the opinion that it's easier to fry a burger in a pan than grill it.
first there's the "dang sight easier to light the cooktop than the grill" issue - unless you're using gas, I'm a dyed in the wool reactionary and refuse to go gas . . .

then there's getting the temp right, and getting the timing right.

I use 80%/20% for most all my ground meat stuff - so then there's getting the right temp / ceanliness / oil on the grate so it seares-not-sticks.

then the fat drips on the coals, flares up, makes all them terrible nasty cancer causing human killing compounds - that taste so good. . . .

theory would hold a flat griddle could keep the fat, eliminate any the stick-to-the-grate issues, and still catch some of the smoky grill flavor swirling around. I think I'd be temped to drill a hole in the pan to let some of the fat run onto the coals . . . .

I'm surprised CA hasn't outlawed outdoor cooking . . . better watch careful them there Prepositions - might find a hidden BBQ tax in there.....
 

FryBoy

New member
My dad taught me when I was a kid, and now I've been grilling for -- OMG! -- 55 years. I've cooked on wood, charcoal, and gas, from campfires to brick BBQs to fancy stainless steel setups. Getting the right temperature and cooking on a metal grill for the right amount of time is second nature to me after all these years. I rarely have any problems with things sticking. Less cleanup, too.

As for the drippings on the coals or other heat source, it doesn't take much to get the flavor of the smoke into the meat. Too much and you have a flare-up, which ain't a good thing.

And as far as gas grills go, they produce just as good of results as charcoal, although with certain items there is a small difference in the resulting flavor. I was a wood-fire purist for many years until I was forced to switch to charcoal. I came to love charcoal, but after several years switched to gas, mainly for convenience -- and discovered that the things I generally grill -- steaks, burgers, chicken, fish, shrimp -- came out every bit as good with a lot less hassle.

And, no, I'm not alone in that opinion; here's a good article on the issue: http://www.amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/grills/charcoal_grills_vs_gas_grills.html

:hide:
 

GotGarlic

New member
My dad taught me when I was a kid, and now I've been grilling for -- OMG! -- 55 years. I've cooked on wood, charcoal, and gas, from campfires to brick BBQs to fancy stainless steel setups. Getting the right temperature and cooking on a metal grill for the right amount of time is second nature to me after all these years. I rarely have any problems with things sticking. Less cleanup, too.

As for the drippings on the coals or other heat source, it doesn't take much to get the flavor of the smoke into the meat. Too much and you have a flare-up, which ain't a good thing.

And as far as gas grills go, they produce just as good of results as charcoal, although with certain items there is a small difference in the resulting flavor. I was a wood-fire purist for many years until I was forced to switch to charcoal. I came to love charcoal, but after several years switched to gas, mainly for convenience -- and discovered that the things I generally grill -- steaks, burgers, chicken, fish, shrimp -- came out every bit as good with a lot less hassle.

And, no, I'm not alone in that opinion; here's a good article on the issue: http://www.amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/grills/charcoal_grills_vs_gas_grills.html

:hide:

thumb.gif
What he said! Except for the 55 years ...
 

FooD

New member
On that note, I'm cooking some killer burgers tonight. I'm stopping at the Asian market on my way home from and picking up their $1.59/lb fatty ground beef. In fact, that's the only grade of ground beef they grind and sell....:D
 

FooD

New member
Change of plan!

I ended up making some awesome chicken tacos. We had some small 4" diameter tortillas and leftover BBQ'd chicken from the other night. These came out better than tacos from Taco Zone taco truck which is always parked down the street from where I live.......supposedly the best tacos in L.A.
....and lots of vino...
Damn, I'm good. Sorry.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
Don't tell me the science. You'll only ruin it for me. But you're right. Indoors or out, pan fried or grilled, overcooking is the greatest enemy of good meat. But there's definitely something about frying that's critical to the taste of a great hamburger. imho.
.. and again, I do agree with you Steak.
I suppose it's come down to grill vs pan fry.
Let me tell you, I have had both for a lot of years and while an outdoor grilled burger might have that whooooooweeeeeee flavour- nothing beats a good slap of beef patty thrown into a hot skillet and fried to perfection, in it's own grease.
I'll take that over a grilled piece of cow anytime.
MOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo:yum:
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
It’s the great debate again! :lol:

It can go on for years, and there will be no winner. In the end, it’s about taste. What tastes good to you? Some like ketchup and some don’t. Some like mayo and some like Miracle Whip.

I prefer a PROPERLY grilled burger. Know your grill. Know your fuel. And know your meat. If at all possible, grind your own meat. Mix it. Get the right fat to protein mix. Season it. Let it come to room temp. Grill over good fuel like lump (which is way hotter than briquettes).

I prefer grilled because leaving it in a closed pan allows the fat to build up and gather about the meat. Some say that is good flavor, but I say it takes away from the flavor of the meat when it bathes in fat. I’d rather have a clean, marbled piece of meat grilled right, than have a hunk of meat dripping in its own fat that will eventually congeal.

Further, meat sitting in fat is actually getting steamed. The oil (fat) and moisture runs out and creates a steam puddle. You aren’t frying but rather steaming your meat in fat. Puddles of fat and steam cool your pan’s cook surface which furthers the steaming effect…..a problem you don’t have on hot open coals.

With coals, they remain hot, no matter the meat you drop on the grill. With a pan, it cools quickly as you drop the meat since the meat is acting as a heat sync that sucks heat from the pan and cools the metal. Temp fluctuates wildly in a pan, and this is further exacerbated if you’re using an electric stove (as opposed to gas). But on a grill over coals, heat remains constant (albeit there is a decline as the coals die off or if you fudge the air flow - but again, KNOW your grill).

Nothing against a good pan burger….I do like them as they are easy. But a properly grilled burger is superior. Get good meat and allow it to dance freely in the air and open flames rather than bathe in the steam and fat in your pan. Do it correctly, and you’ll see the difference.

Just my humble opinion. Eat as you like.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
Most people who like pan fried hamboogers drain the fat off them prior to slapping on a bun, 'least me and mine always have.
Good post Keltin. ;)

For me, it all comes down to the burger being a comfort food.
My grandmother (who instilled most of my cooking tastes) and my Mom both always made burgers pan fried.
Grilling was only for holiday celebrations, and yes.. they were special!
While I do dig the flavour of charcoal grill and smoke, there is something about the other method for me that is my preference.
It's sorta like Whopper vs Big Mac- BUT.. I'd choose a Whopper over a Big Mac.
Confused yet?:yum::bonk:
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
I'll eat a burger anyway it's made to be quite honest, but my preferred loveburger is made inside... simply, in the kitchen, on a stove.
 

SilverSage

Resident Crone
I've never really learned to be good on the grill. I tend to walk away and overcook everything.

When I cook on the stove, I can put the burger in the pan, turn and work on the other fixin's, and turn back to the burger as needed. But when I grill, I have to go inside ...and outside...and inside...and outside.... I usually end up ruining the burgers. And asking someone else to mind the grill is worse! I don't seem to know anyone who knows how to grill.

So I really need one of you guys to come down here and give me grilling lessons. Then I can judge for myself and weigh in on this topic.

In the meantime, I have to vote for pan-fried.
 

FooD

New member
As a kid growing up on a US military base overseas, the public swimming pool snack bar served burgers using pre-cooked beef patties that were hot steam pressed for a few seconds before serving. I thought these burgers were great......but of course I didn't know any better. I can still 'taste' those great burgers just thinking about them...:D
 

Leni

New member
I'm brand new to this forum but I vote with those who grill with real charcoal, preferrably mesquite. I sure can tell the difference from charcoal and gas bbq's. I learned to grill from my dad. My husband didn't know one end of the grill from the other so I've ended up being the grill chef. I can't match 55 years of grilling but I'm not that far behind.
 

smoke king

Banned
I produce the best burgers whether I grill or use a cast iron griddle simply by using the cheapest, highest fat content ground chuck I can buy. Lean meat produce crappy burgers for me.

:agree:+1 for the artery cloggers!!. When I'm grilling burgers, I'll only buy 80/20 Ground chuck. Tastes the best to me, and my family is convinced as well! I had heard some rumblings a while ago about "frying" them on the grill-probably the same program Steak4me mentioned, and I must admit I was curious-think I'll try it one of these weekends!
 

GotGarlic

New member
Don't tell me the science. You'll only ruin it for me. But you're right. Indoors or out, pan fried or grilled, overcooking is the greatest enemy of good meat. But there's definitely something about frying that's critical to the taste of a great hamburger. imho.

Funny - I think understanding the science of cooking has made me a better cook. :chef:
 

Steak4Me

New member
Funny - I think understanding the science of cooking has made me a better cook. :chef:

I work as an analyst for a living. Figuring out and applying the science makes it too much like a day at the office. I'd much rather experiment with a recipe from a trusted friend or play with some new flavors and techniques.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I work as an analyst for a living. Figuring out and applying the science makes it too much like a day at the office. I'd much rather experiment with a recipe from a trusted friend or play with some new flavors and techniques.

Yeah, I love America's Test Kitchen articles, but I skip the middle steps and the whys, going right to the bottom line to make the recipe the way they deem to be best. :biggrin:

I like pan-fried burgers, but prefered grilled burgers over charcoal. I'll try the frying pan over charcoal just for fun and curiosity!

Lee
 

smoke king

Banned
OK, I actually tried it the other night-used a cast iron "grill" pan in an effort to keep the burgers from "swimming" in the grease (somewhat-lol!)

I did it on my "assh*le kettle company" charcoal grill :yum:, and maybe my fire was hotter than usual, but they actually seemed to cook faster than they normally do-the first ones almost got away from me, but I caught em' in time.

They seemed to develop a nice "crust", and everyone enjoyed them, however, and maybe it was all in my head, but they did sort of seem to be lacking some of that "charcoal" flavor. But I would be interested in a "blind" taste test to see if that was real or imagined on my part-no one else seemed to notice.

I would have no problem doing it again, save for one thing-The "splatter" of the grease was like a napalm attack on my deck! (imagine throwing a couple of pounds of bacon onto a hot skillet!) I will definitely account for that next time!
 
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