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.
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.