Frying Hamburgers on the Grill

High Cheese

Saucier
I only make grilled burgers.

Until recently when we ate at Chili's and I had their sliders. Man, they were frickin' GOOD! You can tell right away they were fried. Juicy and flavorful. That's how I'm going to make them from now on.

I might try Flay's idea with the skillet on the grill. But don't forget you don't only have to use ONE heat source to cook. You could experiment with starting the burgers on the grill then "flip" them into a cast iron skillet to finish. Or vice versa. Alot of dishes can be prepared using two methods of cooking similar to reverse sear or blanching vegetables then sauteeing them.

I learned by pan frying steaks. You can get a ton more flavor into a steak cooked in a pan then on the grill and you can get good Maillard in a pan with a thinner cut. On a grill you need a pretty thick cut for that same crust.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
. On a grill you need a pretty thick cut for that same crust.

or a searing burner. i've found so many uses to mine, from fish, to thin veggies like asparagus, to very thin cuts of meat.

i think it's time i sanded and reseasoned my 60+ year old cast iron frying pan, and my c.i. grill pan (a child at only 15 years old, lol). i'm gonna have to try frying meats on the grill with a smoker box on the side.
 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
IMHO if you want the best burger, whether you fry it or grill it or fry it on the grill, start with a good chuck roast and grind the meat yourself.

Don't be trimming off the fat either.

If you are using a food processor, don't over process it or it will turn to mush...it only takes about 10 to 12 pulses to grind it up right.

Don't handle it any more than you need to to get the meat to stick together and don't overcook it.

You won't find a more tender burger IMHO.
 

UncleRalph

Quo Fata Ferunt
Site Supporter
Burgers are kinda like sex for me, even when they are bad, it's till pretty ok. I really don't think I have ever had a "bad" burger, just some that are better then others.

All techniques yield a different end result, be it a flat top, grill, gas grill, char grilled, broiled, steamed(yes they do it), braised, griddled, vertical broiled, smoked, rotisserie, Foreman, or even microwaved(the least preferred). For me, personally, I really LOVE a open fire grilled burger. As mentioned prior, if the heat is right, the fat content is right, you can get a very crusty caramelized tasty flavorful burger. Though I understand the pan on a grill, I think for a burger it is lost. Just my opinion.

It is worth noting, fat DOES = flavor. It does help keep things moist too, but yeah, you can use a leaner grind, keep an eye on it and get a juicy burger, but the Fat is where it's at.

Bread for a burger is JUST as important as the meat, imo. I share the same philosophy with sandwiches. Bread is the foundation, and it needs to be strong/good. I LOVE either a buttered and grilled/griddled brioche roll, OR, quite the opposite, a crusty ass gummy cibatta. I keep condiments to a minimum, normally a little mayo, or roasted garlic aioli. Veg= Onion and tomato for me, lettuce, not so much. Pickles on the side.

G*d Dangit, I WANT A FRICKIN BURGER, NOWWWWWW!!!!!
 

FryBoy

New member
Burgers are kinda like sex for me, even when they are bad, it's till pretty ok. I really don't think I have ever had a "bad" burger, just some that are better then others. . . .
Oh, really? Have you ever had one of these?

medium_2233638640_daf1befd6b_o.jpg


Looks pretty good in the ads:

cheeseburgerinacan-thumb.bmp


But it doesn't come out quite like the photo in the ad:

cuttingin-crop_jpg_595x325_crop_upscale_q85.jpg


Read more here:

http://gizmodo.com/351304/cheeseburger-in-a-can-reviewed
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Maybe if you like the flavor of exhaust fumes. I've got to believe something in this is toxic.

Actually, if you look carefully at the design, the top cover of the device is hollow. The hot exhaust flows through that hollow chamber and heats the device, but never touches the meat itself.

Still, I'd never use something like that, but it is interesting how there is always someone out there to come up with the unthinkable. :yum:

Odd thing is, I know a few people that have actually "cooked" on their engine manifolds. Things like placing a can of beans on the manifold, drive to work (an outdoor construction site) then retrieve the can once they arrive for a hot breakfast.

Seems it's a practice others are using as well. :w00t: :lol:

http://www.wisebread.com/cooking-great-meals-with-your-car-engine-the-heat-is-on
 
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Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I've also heard of folks using the manifold to heat cans of 'stuff', or stuff wrapped in aluminum foil, but to use the exhaust that way seems extreme to me.
Like you said, I suppose it would work, and the fumes should be kept away from the meat but I'd go to a drive through burger joint before I'd try cooking a burger this way. Still, intriguing. The things some folks come up with. I wonder if the guy is getting rich off of this invention. :D
 
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K

Kimchee

Guest
One summer, we used to wrap steak-um thin slices of meat in aluminum foil, leave it on our car dash, and by lunchtime we had piping hot fully cooked meat for sandwiches!
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
"heating things up" on a hot something engine - gas, diesel, electric, steam turbine . . .

is about as old as "heat source"

if you're snowmobiling in nordic regions, you'll definitely experience "a hot manifold lunch"
 

loboloco

Active member
We used to put c-rations on the manifolds of deuce and a halfs and jeeps to heat them.
We also would run a jeep around about 15 minutes and use the radiator water for shaving.
Later, we would take the MRE packets and shove them into the heater vents to warm them.
 
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