Barbecues

WEBER’S IDEAL CHEESEBURGERS WITH 5 BURGER TIPS

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Nothing says summer bbqs like a classic cheeseburger. Over the years we have collected tips to making the best burger and here are 5 key tips.

Once you are ready to grill up a burger scroll down to check out our Ideal Cheeseburger, which is a fan favorite from our newest cookbook, Weber’s Greatest Hits. Preview more recipes from the cookbook here.

5 Burger Tips
What Makes Them Juicy
Fat makes burgers juicy. That’s a big reason why ground chuck (from the shoulder) is better for burgers than ground round (from the rump). Chuck is typically about 18 percent fat, whereas round is often about 12 percent fat. The reality is that most ground beef in supermarkets comes from all kinds of parts of the animal. Ask the person behind the counter to grind some chuck just for you, maybe mixing in some sirloin for extra flavor.

Seasoning Works
Ground beef alone makes a pretty dull-tasting hamburger, so make sure the meat is mixed throughout with at least salt and pepper. Other ingredients, like Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, or grated onions, will improve not only the taste but also the juiciness of your hamburgers.

Shaping Up
The ideal thickness for a raw patty is 1 inch. If it’s any thinner, it’s likely to overcook and dry out before a nice crust develops on the outside. If it’s much thicker, the crust might turn black and unappetizing before the center reaches the safe internal doneness level of medium.

Level them Off
Burgers tend to puff up in the middle as they cook, making the tops rounded and awkward for piling on toppings. A good trick for avoiding this problem is pressing a little indentation into the top of each raw patty with your thumb or the back of a spoon. Then, when the center pushes up, the top of each burger will be relatively level.

Flip Only Once
You should flip each burger only once, and only when it’s ready to flip. You’ll know when it’s time by slipping the edge of a spatula underneath the edge of the burger and lifting up very gently. If the meat is sticking to the cooking grate, back off and try again a minute later. When you can lift the edge of the burger without sticking, it’s ready to flip.

Weber’s Ideal Cheeseburgers
by Jamie Purviance

For a cheeseburger to merit the word ideal in its title, the meat must ooze with beefy, seasoned juices, the cheese must melt into a smooth, rich blanket, the toppings must be fresh and crisp, and the whole ensemble must travel to your mouth on a toasted bun. Open wide. Here comes that ideal cheeseburger.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Grilling time: 9 to  11 minutes

Ingredients:

Patties
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean), preferably ground to order by your butcher
2 tablespoons minced white or yellow onion
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns, split
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese, each about 2 ounces
4 leaves butter lettuce Ketchup (optional)
Dill pickle chips

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl mix together all the patty ingredients with your hands. Gently shape the mixture into four patties of equal size and about 1 inch thick. With your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of each patty to prevent it from doming as it cooks. Refrigerate the patties until ready to grill.

2. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 500°F).

3. Brush the cooking grates clean. Lightly season the patties on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread the cut side of the buns with the butter. Grill the patties over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to medium doneness (160°F), 9 to 11 minutes, turning once. During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, place a cheese slice on each patty to melt and toast the buns, cut side down, over direct heat. Remove from the grill.

4. Build a burger on each bun with a lettuce leaf, a patty, ketchup (if using), and 4 pickle chips. Serve warm.

©2017 Weber-Stephen Products LLC. Recipe from Weber’s Greatest Hits™ by Jamie Purviance. Used with permission. Reblogged from https://www.weber.com/US/en/blog/webers-ideal-cheeseburgers-with-5-burger-tips

Broil King: HOW DO I LOOK AFTER MY CAST IRON COOKING GRIDS?

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Much like a cast iron frying pan, well-maintained cast iron grids can provide years of trouble-free use and prevent food from sticking to your grids. To keep your cast iron grids in top-notch condition, heat your grill to about 400°, turn your burners to low and coat your cooking grids with oil using a towel, basting brush or oil sprayer. Frequent reseasoning of your cast iron grids is always recommended.

Broil King: Smoking Wood Guide

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Smoking is another seasoning to add to grilled favourites. Like spices, different woods impart very different flavours – from the intense, spicy notes of mesquite and hickory, to the sweet and fragrant notes of apple and cherry.

 

Type Flavour Ideal Meats
Mesquite Pungent, Smoky, Spicy Beef, Pork
Hickory Pungent, Smoky Beef, Lamb, Pork
Whiskey Spicy, Smoky Pork, Poultry, Beef
Maple Sweet, Smoky Pork, Poultry
Pecan Rich, Flavourful Pork, Poultry, Lamb
Cherry Sweet, Smoky Pork, Poultry
Apple Sweet, Smoky Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Cheeses
Alder Mild, Smoky Lamb, Pork
Cedar Bright, Spicy, Smoky Seafood, Cheeses

If you’ve never done any smoking before, don’t overdo it – start with a small amount of wood chips (1/2 cup or so), and soak them in liquid for at least 1/2 hour. Drain the wood chips, and then scatter them directly on top of the smoldering coals.

Broil King: INSIDER TIPS FOR A SIZZLING GRILLING SEASON

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Nothing is more disappointing than trying to grill that perfect steak when your barbecue just won’t heat up and cook the way it used to.

To avoid this, the grilling experts at Broil King offer some helpful tips to get your gas barbecue ready for the season ahead. Here is their advice:

Give your grill a good cleaning
Begin by removing the cooking grids, grates and burners from your grill. Brush the inside of the oven with a sturdy bristle brush to remove the build-up of grease. Using a grill cleaner, scrub the inside and outside of the oven and then rinse with water. Never use oven cleaner on your grill since it is corrosive and can damage the other components.

Check for leaks
Inspect the gas hose to make sure there aren’t any cracks or leaks. This can easily be done by preparing a soapy solution and applying it to the connections at the tank and valve. Turn the tank on slowly and watch for bubbles to form, which indicates that there is a leak. Try tightening the connections and re-test. If persistent leaking or blistering is detected, stop using your grill and replace the gas assembly.

Inspect your burners
Carefully inspect your burners making sure there are no damaged ports or holes rusted through. If there are, it’s time for a replacement. Check all igniter connections to ensure they’re not loose and remove any debris from the components.

Beware of spiders
It’s very important to keep the burner tubes clean. Spiders love to make a nest in these tubes, creating blockages that can cause serious damage. Clean the tubes using a venturi brush, or bottle brush.

Season your grids
Check the cooking grids to make sure no welds are broken and brush off any stuck on residue. If you have cast iron cooking grids, season them with oil to keep food from sticking and to help prevent rust.

Maintain the little things
Finally, check the condition of your control knobs, thermometer, and handles. Replacing small items like this can refresh your gas barbecue and make it look new again.

Taking a bit of time each season to clean and inspect the gas barbecue will prolong its life and will ensure it is reliable for another great barbecue season.

Read more about grilling and get some tasty recipes ideas at broilkingbbq.com.

Broil King Grilling Techniques: Indirect Grilling

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The indirect method of grilling is a technique for cooking larger cuts of meat such as roasts or poultry. As the name implies, the food is not grilled directly over the heat but by hot air circulating around the food. This set up means there is no need to turn or baste the food. The result is delicious, worry-free barbecuing with little chance of flare-ups.

In this segment BBQ Naz shows you how to grill using the Indirect method. Indirect cooking is great for cuts of meat that take a while to cook. The indirect, convection oven like way the heat circulates around the oven keep the food moist. Watch and enjoy!

DRIP PAN METHOD

Indirect Cooking - Drip Pan

Juices and drippings fall and mix with the contents of the drip pan. This mixture will vapourize, impart delicious flavours and ensure a moist and succulent roast, chicken or turkey.

To use the drip pan method:

  1. Remove the grids and place the drip pan on top of the heat medium

  2. Pour water or other cooking liquid, such as fruit juice or wine, into the drip pan

  3. Replace the cooking grids

  4. Preheat the grill on HIGH for 10 minutes then adjust the heat to MEDIUM or MEDIUM/LOW

  5. Spray or brush the grids with cooking oil, then place the meat directly on the grids above the drip pan

  6. Close the lid, and sit back and relax as your food becomes infused with delicious flavour

ONE-BURNER METHOD

Indirect Cooking - One Burner

  1. Place a drip pan over the heat medium, under the cooking grids, on the side of the grill where you will be turning off the burner

  2. Preheat the grill on HIGH and then turn off one burner.

  3. Brush or spray the cooking grids with cooking oil.

  4. When grilling beef or pork sear the meat on all sides using the lit side of the grill and then transfer it over to the unlit side.

  5. Regulate the heat setting to maintain your desired temperature, (generally MEDIUM)

  6. This method is wonderful not only for roasts but also for thicker steaks, chops and bone-in cuts of chicken.

Broil King Cooking Techniques: ROTISSERIE

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Constant turning of the meat while rotisserie cooking allows it to self-baste with natural juices resulting in exceptionally moist and tender roasts. The best cuts of meat for rotisserie cooking are tightly tied, boned or boneless cuts; however, you can use cuts with the bone in if you carefully balance them on the spit so they turn easily.

Your barbecue may be equipped with a rear rotisserie burner or you may use the lower burners. We have outlined the grill set-up for both kinds of rotisserie cooking below. It may be possible to set up your barbecue to rotisserie meat at the same time as you grill other foods. Simply set the meat on one side of the rotisserie and leave the racks in place on the opposite side of the grill.

Broil King Direct Grilling

USING THE REAR ROTISSERIE BURNER

ARRANGING THE GRILL

  1. Remove cooking grids and warming racks from barbecue if necessary
  2. Centre a drip pan under the rotisserie, positioning it so it will be beneath the centre of the roast
  3. Preheat the barbecue with rotisserie burner on MEDIUM HIGH for 10 minutes

PLACING THE MEAT ON THE SPIT ROD

  1. Slide one of the skewer forks onto the rod and tighten it securely
  2. Insert the spit rod lengthwise into the centre of the roast securing it in place with the remaining fork
  3. Tighten the fork securely

TESTING THAT THE MEAT IS EVENLY BALANCED ON THE SPIT

  1. Loosen the spit balance
  2. Lay the rod over the sink, allowing the heavier side of the roast to rotate to the bottom
  3. Adjust the balance to the highest point to counterbalance the weight, and tighten the rod handle
  4. Insert the spit rod into the rotisserie motor and turn rotisserie motor on
  5. Check to see if the meat turns smoothly while cooking and adjust the balance as necessary

Note: Never let the drip pan run dry as it may cause a flash fire. Keep a pitcher of hot water handy and when the water is running low, carefully refill the drip pan with hot water, using an oven mitt to protect your hand from steam burns.

Broil King Direct Grilling

USING THE ROTISSERIE WITH THE MAIN BURNERS

ARRANGING THE GRILL

  1. Remove cooking grids and warming racks from barbecue
  2. Preheat the barbecue with all burners on MEDIUM for 10 minutes
  3. Turn off center burner(s)
  4. Centre a drip pan under the rotisserie, positioning it so it will be beneath the centre of the roast
  5. Fill the drip pan to 1″ from the top with water, wine or juice and any herbs that might complement the flavours

PLACING THE MEAT ON THE SPIT ROD

  1. Slide one of the skewer forks onto the rod and tighten it securely
  2. Insert the spit rod lengthwise into the centre of the roast securing it in place with the remaining fork
  3. Tighten the fork securely

TESTING THAT THE MEAT IS EVENLY BALANCED ON THE SPIT

  1. Loosen the spit balance
  2. Lay the rod over the sink, allowing the heavier side of the roast to rotate to the bottom
  3. Adjust the balance to the highest point to counterbalance the weight, and tighten the rod handle
  4. Insert the spit rod into the rotisserie motor and turn rotisserie motor on
  5. Check to see if the meat turns smoothly while cooking and adjust the balance as necessary

Note: Never let the drip pan run dry as it may cause a flash fire. Keep a pitcher of hot water handy and when the water is running low, carefully refill the drip pan with hot water, using an oven mitt to protect your hand from steam burns.

Broil King Grilling Techniques: Planking

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PLANKING

Another unique and delicious way to grill food is by using a wooden plank. This is a surefire way to get delicious results and wow your dinner guests. The smoke created from the plank sitting directly above a lit burner infuses the meat with unsurpassed grilled flavour.

Broil King Planking

Using a plank is simple:

    1. Soak it in water for at least an hour and pat it dry
    2. Pre-heat your grill on HIGH for 10 minutes
    3. Coat both sides of the plank with olive oil then place the seasoned meat on it
    4. Place the plank on the grill directly over the lit burner and reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW
    5. Cook the meat to its desired doneness
    6. Cedar planks are ideal for salmon but don’t be afraid to try other meats with it. Pork goes great on a maple plank and lamb is delicious on alder.

Note: Make sure to be careful while handling the plank after grilling and that it is fully extinguished before discarding.