burger

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

Healthy Burger Alternative Guide | Traeger Wood Fired Grills

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HERE ARE A FEW SIMPLE WAYS TO DESIGN A FRESH AND NEW BURGER WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE FLAVOR.

Let’s be honest, we love the beef. Juicy, wood-fired burgers are a barbecue enthusiast’s dream dinner, and we support getting your burger on. With a fresh new year and renewed health goals, people ponder pairing down food intake to feel better, obtain renewed energy, or to fine tune the waistline.

WE’VE GOT THE TRAEGER GUIDE TO HEALTHY BURGERS:

If you’ve hopped on the health train, we’ve got a few tips and tricks to help make your nutrition goals a success all the while indulging in the delicious wood-fired flavor generated by your pellet smoker grill. Simply by cutting a few calories and increasing your protein intake, you will feel better and be able to tighten that belt up to once again don a platter-sized belt-buckle, pain-free.

Check out 5 ways to make your burger-loving heart beat stronger and longer, without sacrificing the flavorful Traeger lifestyle. With these small and simple changes, you’ll save on empty calories and eat healthier without having to hit the gym.

healthy burger lettuce wrap

SURRENDER THE BUNS –

As Danielle of DivaQ says, “The bun should never hang too much over the meat. The meat may be slightly larger than the bun. Size matters. Meat matters.” If you have an overage of bun on your juicy burger, why eat a bite of bread with no meat in it? Rip off the bland bun and get to the meat of the burger, literally. Toss those empty calories out, and dive into the delicious and healthier area of the meal.

Here are a few ways to save fat and calories just in how your burger is wrapped.

A WHITE BREAD HAMBURGER BUN is often smeared with butter on top, this nutritional value for a hamburger bun holds the extra butter and is really only bragging about its high carb content:

140 calories
27 grams carbs
grams protein
3 grams fat

White bread is what we’re used to eating on our burgers, it’s standard, but doesn’t hold much nutritional value, so take those Traegered burgers up a notch and switch up the bun with a healthier choice.

THE LETTUCE-WRAPPED BURGER. If you are willing to go all out and vegetable up by wrapping that beefy burger in a man-sized leaf of lettuce, it’s merely:

10 calories
0 carbs
0 protein
0 fat

You’ll enjoy the natural beef flavors without losing juices and seasoning to an absorbent bun.

A WHOLE WHEAT BUN is an excellent way to add more fiber and protein to your burger while cutting carbs. It’s healthier than a white bun and has:

130 calories
24 grams carbs
6 grams protein
2 grams fat

A SPINACH TORTILLA  will wrap up that meaty delight—don’t let the word spinach deter your choice, you won’t even know it’s made of spinach, it tastes similar to a regular tortilla, yet it saves on calories and carbs. Quit the white bread and go for:

100 calories
1 gram fat
2 grams protein
20 grams carbs

A WHOLE WHEAT TORTILLA will taste great. So if you can’t bear the thought of a spinach wrap, reach for a whole grain tortilla and get more protein than a white bun:

120 calories
24 grams carbs
4 grams protein
2 grams fat

POWERING ENERGY –

When it comes to proteins, there are many flavorful choices. Here are a few that are lean and packed with flavor, especially when given a good and healthy 30 minute smoke on the Traeger wood pellet grill. The hardwood smoke will infuse proteins with a layer of flavor and make everyone wonder how you got it to taste so delicious. Traeger grills up healthy food with simplicity, every time.

GROUND BEEF. Regular ground beef contains a high fat content. It may be drippingly delicious, but if you reach for the full fatty beef every time, the calories add up. For a quarter pound burger:

319 calories
0 carbs
19 grams protein
26 grams fat

LEAN BEEF. 95% lean beef has a delicious flavor and far less fat than regular ground beef. For a quarter pounder, you save over half the calories and fat—that will make a difference in your daily diet.

164 calories
0 grams carbs
22 grams protein
6 grams fat

GROUND TURKEY is lean and very good for your health. It’s a white meat that has fewer calories than beef and is still high in protein. A quarter pound turkey burger is:

166 calories
0 grams carbs
22 grams protein
9 grams fat

CHICKEN. A boneless, skinless chicken breast purchased in a package at your grocer, is about 4 oz. per piece. When grilled on the Traeger, the bad fats are burned away and it cooks up healthier than beef. Traeger pellet fuel generates a delicious smoke that chicken really absorbs for a unique and amazing flavor.

124 calories
0 grams carbs
26 grams protein
1 grams fat

BISON BURGERS. This is serious flavor. Wild game has a different, yet delicious taste that you won’t find in chicken or beef. Try a quarter pound bison burger as a lean and healthy alternative:

190 calories
0 grams carbs
23 grams protein
11 grams fat

VENISON BURGERS. If you hunted it, you might as well eat it. Elk is a delicious flavor and cooks very nicely. For a quarter pound venison burger you get a high protein meat, it’s:

125 calories
0 grams carbs
22 grams protein
10 grams fat

If spice and zest are what you’re after, flavor your meat with any Traeger Seasoning Shake or Traeger Rub, spices are low in calories and fat and add a great punch to any protein. Shake seasonings on top of your meat as it cooks, or mix it in the ground beef or turkey, or ground bison to get the flavor throughout.

GETTING SAUCED –

We all love a dripping burger, meat juices, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. By foregoing the mayo and saucing that burger with a few of these healthier choices, you won’t even know the mayo is missing.

REGULAR MAYONNAISE is high in fat and calories, just 1Tbsp. contains:

90 calories
2 grams carbs
0 protein
10 grams fat

LOW-FAT MAYO, by switching up this one condiment you save over half the calories and fat, and it tastes nearly the same as full-fat mayo:

35 calories
1 gram carbs
0 protein
3 grams fat

RANCH dressing is the most delicious nectar for burgers and fries. 1 Tbsp. equals one serving–and who can eat just one tablespoon. Regular ranch has:

70 calories
1 gram carbs
1 gram protein
7 grams fat

FAT-FREE RANCH salad dressing will greatly reduce unnecessary fat and calories, and with the beef flavor seeping from the wood pellet grilled meat, you probably won’t be able to tell it’s non-fat ranch. Here’s the skinny:

17 calories
4 grams carbs
0 protein
0 grams fat

KETCHUP. Save your sugar intake for something that’s actually a sweet treat. There’s no need to waste calories on regular Ketchup. For 1 Tbsp. ketchup you take in:

20 calories
4 grams sugar

LOW SUGAR KETCHUP, sugar-free ketchup, or no sugar ketchup actually tastes more like a tomato. (Or you could just forego the ketchup and reach for a tomato slice—it’s healthy). Per tablespoon you only get:

5 calories
1 gram sugar

HOT SAUCE. Reach for Ninja Squirrel, or Tabasco, or Siracha for a kick of flavor. All have about 6 calories per teaspoon, and a little spice goes a long way. Just check the back of the bottle for sodium, they all vary.

5 calories
0 carbs
0 protein
0 fat

WHAT’S ON TOP –

The fixings are vital for the perfect burger, with a little green on the side you can stuff those burgers 4” high and consume some healthy vegetables that will fuel energy and alertness into your day. Here are a few healthy hamburger toppings:

FRESH SALSA will zest up any burger with a refreshing, spicy, and sweet flavor.

ROMAINE LETTUCE has more nutritional value than Iceberg lettuce and will help with digestion.

TOMATOES are packed with antioxidants so double up and give your burger 2 slices, it adds juice, color, and flavor to the burger.

ONIONS are packed with B vitamins will zest up any hamburger. White onions give a little sweet, yellow onions are mild, but flavorful, purple onions have a kick, scallions are a wetter onion so they have even more heat.

PICKLES will give any hamburger a crunch and sour zest that compliments beef or wild game.

PAIRINGS – 

The only thing at the bottom of a fast food bag of fries is a bellyache. We urge you to try some of these amazing Traegered greens and healthy Traeger side dishes to accompany your finely tuned, healthy, wood-fired Traeger burger.

Crispy No-Fry Traeger Potatoes don’t have extra fat, they’re baked French fries.

Grilled Blooming Onion will knock your Traeger socks off with flavor and far less fat than a steak house bloomin onion.

Grilled Fingerling Potato Salad is packed with jalapenos and spice and all things healthy and nice.

Roasted Broccoli Salad is packed with healthy nutrients and topped with tomatoes, red onions, and a tangy vinegar dressing.

Eggplant, tomatoes, and mozzarella towers stack up as a clean eat and is a healthy vegetable and cheese side dish.

Grilled Corn topped with Chile and Lime is a tongue tingling treat of a vegetable.

Feed your need for healthy eating and flavor with a Traeger grill. Our grills are flavor-makers and food tastes far better than any other barbecue grill. This year, give your meals a healthy kick by cooking outdoors on a Traeger pellet smoker grill, one bite and you’ll be hooked. Go on and indulge. Healthy hamburger fixings are fresher, and more delicious than fatty, greasy hamburgers. Enjoy a healthy lifestyle with food grilled on your Traeger.

Recipe Share: Spicy Ginger-Scallion Burgers with Sesame Spinach

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This week’s recipe is courtesy of Weber Grills

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INGREDIENTS

PATTIES

  • 12 ounces ground chuck (80% lean)
  • 12 ounces lean ground pork
  • ½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and light green parts only)
  • 1 piece fresh ginger, about 2 inches long, peeled and grated
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon hot chili-garlic sauce, such as Sriracha, divided
  • 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 4 sesame seed buns, split

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Mix the patty ingredients, and then gently and briefly form four patties of equal size, each about ¾ inch thick. With your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of the patties to prevent them from forming a dome as they cook. Refrigerate the patties until ready to grill.
  2. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 500°F).
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the vegetable oil, sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon of the chili-garlic sauce. Gradually add the spinach by the handful and stir just until it begins to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the sesame seeds.
  4. Combine the ketchup with the remaining 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce.
  5. Grill the patties over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to medium doneness, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, toast the buns, cut side down, over direct heat.
  6. Build each burger on a bun with chili-garlic ketchup, a patty, and sesame spinach. Serve warm.