Alexandra Ramirez
Have you ever paid close attention and noticed how perfect and uniform store-bought hamburger patties are? They are perfectly round and just the right thickness. Looking at a four-pack, you have probably noticed that it weighs in at 1 pound; which means they are perfectly-sized quarter-pound patties. You can make the same perfect hamburger patties at home. It doesn’t take any extra work, and you don’t need to waste your money on an expensive kitchen gadget. Most of you probably have a large round cookie cutter in your kitchen cabinet, or you can make use of a mason jar lid. Either one will work just fine as long as it is about 4 inches wide.
Just like rolling out cookie dough and cutting perfectly round cookies; you will be able to use your cookie cutter or lid to create perfect, round patties every time! This method will prevent those jagged edges that are commonly seen on hand-pressed hamburger patties. Those jagged edges tend to char quickly and can leave you with a not-so-tasty, dry burger. Try cookie cutting your next batch of hamburger patties with this simple recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 pound of lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup finely minced onion
- 1/4 cup fine dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Directions
- In a small bowl whisk 1 large egg, until peaks form. Mix in 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs to the egg mixture. Do not stir. Set aside for later.
- Place 1 pound of lean ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Make sure it is lean meat because fatty meat will shrink when cooked, resulting in small hamburgers.
- Add the egg mixture, 1/2 cup onion, 2 cloves of garlic,1/2 teaspoon salt and white pepper to the meat. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. A spoon or fork won’t mix it as well as your hands. Make sure you mix until everything is incorporated well.
- Now, it’s time to form your hamburger patties. You can do this on the table or countertop. It is a good idea to lay down wax paper to make for easy cleanup. Place your meat mixture on the wax paper. Tear off another piece of wax paper and place it on top of the meat. Using your hands or a rolling pin; flatten your meat to about an inch or inch and a half thick.
- Once you have reached your desired thickness, it’s time to cut out your patties. No different than cutting biscuits or cookies; take your cookie cutter or lid and cut out as many patties as you can. If you have a lot of scrap pieces, you can reroll them and cut more patties. 1 pound of meat should yield about 4 quarter pound hamburger patties.
- After you cut your patties, it’s time to throw them on the grill or into a hot skillet. If you don’t plan on cooking your patties right away keep them cold by wrapping them in saran wrap and placing them in the fridge or freezer.
Tips and Tricks
- Keep your meat in the fridge until you are ready to cook. This will keep bacteria from growing and causing your meat to spoil.
- Always cook your hamburgers to 160 degrees to ensure it is not undercooked.
- Spray your lid or cookie cutter with nonstick cooking spray to keep the meat from sticking to it.
- Always cut patties by pressing straight down instead of twisting. This will keep the edges from becoming jagged.
- Depress the middle of the hamburger patties before cooking to minimize shrinkage while cooking.
- When storing in the freezer keep a small piece of wax paper in between the patties so that they are easy to separate. This helps when you only want to fix a small amount.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for your next cookout or party. You can also easily make these delicious hamburger patties ahead of time and store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Now that you know how to make delicious, perfectly-round hamburger patties, it’s time to fire up the grill and wow the crowd. Everyone will love these delicious restaurant-quality burgers!
