Yippee! We just finished dinner and it was a success! When I was growing up, my mom often made hamburgers for dinner and I loved them. But, I've never been able to make hamburgers as an adult that I just loved--until tonight.
My husband and I were talking the other day about how I should try and figure out how to make them well at home because I've been very disappointed with the hamburgers that we've had out lately (except for 5 Guys Burgers and Fries). So, tonight I set out to do that. I looked up "how to make great hamburgers on the stove" and found several great tips on a few sites. Here's the sum of those directions that worked for me.
#1 Use a cast iron pan and heat it up first. Cast iron can heat up dry, so it's okay to turn on the pan before you start cooking. Then, put a tablespoon or two in the pan and let it heat until it shimmers.
#2 Form your patties loosely. I'd always formed them pretty tightly before. 3/4" thick was what I read was best. Season lightly with salt and pepper or we use Montreal Steak/Hamburger seasoning.
#3 Cook the patties for 4 minutes on a side. Don't flip. Don't check. 4 minutes on the first side, then flip over. After 3 minutes, put a small pad of butter on the burgers and put a piece of cheese on top. Cover for the last minute with a lid. If you aren't putting cheese on them, just let them cook for 4 minutes without covering and then remove from the pan to serve.
#4 Don't cook more than 2 or 3 burgers at a time in your pan. I know I used to crowd the pan with 4 or 5 burgers at one time. Not any more!
I only used 80/20 hamburger, not even sirloin or 90/10. My family loved them! I loved them, too. I also loved that it only took me 30 minutes to get dinner on the table--which is a record for me. I served the burgers with lettuce, buns, pickles, and condiments. On the side, I served steamed asparagus drizzled with olive oil and sea salt.
I'm so excited to have actually made dinner in 30 minutes tonight and that my family loved it!
Additional notes:
1. Using the Hamburger Montreal Seasoning helps a lot.
2. DON'T use preformed patties. They won't cook through in time. In fact, they'll be totally red in side! One of the keys is to have a loosely formed patty from fully defrosted ground beef.
