Bun Intended: How To Nail The Perfect Patty

The humble burger is a barbecue staple. While the toppings and buns play their part, the patty is where the magic happens. Here’s your foolproof guide to making the best beef burger patty that’s juicy, flavorful, and utterly satisfying.

You have to start with the right beef.

We're sorry to break it to you, but the foundation of a juicy, flavourful burger is FAT. You need a fat content of 20%. In Australia, the easiest way to achieve this is by asking your butcher to mince chuck steak for you. This mince will not require any binders, and ensures juiciness and depth of flavour.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The best beef patties stand out because of the quality and flavour of the beef itself, not from a laundry list of other ingredients like onion, breadcrumbs, egg or garlic powder. Let the beef patty shine with salt and pepper.

A gentle touch.

Don't be too aggressive with your meat! Handle it as little and as gently as possible. Overworking your mince can lead to dense, tough burgers. Divide your seasoned mince into 150g-180g portions and gently form into discs, avoiding pressing or packing the mince too tightly. Our Hamburger Press is useful here.

Under the thumb.

To stop your burger patties from puffing up and doming as they cook, use your thumb to make an indentation in the centre. This ensures a flat, even surface that is perfect for stacking toppings.

Skip this step if you are making smashburgers. If you are making smashburgers you will need a burger press. Check out ours here.

Chill.

Once formed, pop your patties in the fridge for about 30 minutes before cooking. This helps them hold their shape and tops them from falling apart on the grill or in the pan.

Grill.

We like our burgers medium rare. For us, that means cooking over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.

If you are adding cheese, add it right as your burgers are done, the heat from the burger as it rests will melt the cheese to perfection. We let our burgers rest for about 5 minutes before assembling our burgers. This helps the juices to evenly redistribute throughout the patty so you don't get a soggy bun.

Assemble.

Pick your favourite bun, toppings and sauces and serve IMMEDIATELY.

At Habitare HQ we love a double patty, double cheese, grilled onion and pickle situation with homemade dupe "Big Mac" Sauce. Check out the dupe recipe below.

SECRET BURGER SAUCE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonaise

2 tablespoons sweet gherkin relish

1 tablespoon American mustard

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon each of paprika, onion powder and garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 shallot, finely minced

Method:

Combine all items together in a bowl and mix well. Enjoy immediately smeared onto your burger bun or as a chip dip.

We hope we have inspired you to fire up your barbecue this Australia Day. Check out our range of BBQ accessories for more grill-spiration.