# What is your preference for hamburger



## Bud9051

What is your preference for hamburger, 80%, 95% or something inbetween?
In addition to the number on the package I have found a wide variation in the amount of fat the burger actually contains, as judged by the amount of grease left after cooking.

But there is also a taste difference I I actually prefer more fat than less. My old time butcher shop sells the 95% so picked up some once thinking it would be better, it wasn't. Burgers did not hold together well and after cooking there was zero grease left in the pan. Almost needed some oil to keep them from sticking.

Currently I'm happy to find any reasonably priced hamburger most of which is the 80% variety and it does make good eating.

What is your preference?

Bud


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## chandler48

If beef, I like 85% or so, because, as you said, they hold together better and have more juices. I use Bison most of the time, anyway, and grilled, not flat ironed.


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## Two Knots

Yes, more fat is better...I like mine very rare, on a bakery hard roll with mushrooms, 
blue cheese, swiss cheese, red onion, lettuce and tomato..


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## wooleybooger

Beef chuck 80% though I usually get no name ground beef 80%. Mix with a meat rub and form in a plastic half gallon jar lid and grill or even cook in oven, very little difference unless you want grill marks. Put on Kaiser roll with, mayo, romaine or butterhead lettuce, a thick slice of red onion and a thick slice of a large tomato. Only takes about 15 minutes to cook in a 350* oven.


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## Nik333

wooleybooger said:


> Beef chuck 80% though I usually get no name ground beef 80%. Mix with a meat rub and form in a plastic half gallon jar lid and grill or even cook in oven, very little difference unless you want grill marks. Put on Kaiser roll with, mayo, romaine or butterhead lettuce, a thick slice of red onion and a thick slice of a large tomato. Only takes about 15 minutes to cook in a 350* oven.



Why cook it in the oven?


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## Two Knots

Yes, if we can’t grill it on the BBQ, I fry it up in my cast iron
fry pan...makes a messy stovetop, but it’s worth it. :smile:


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## wooleybooger

Nik333 said:


> Why cook it in the oven?


Lazy. :biggrin2:

Put'em on baking paper and clean up is seconds only.


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## wooleybooger

Two Knots said:


> Yes, if we can’t grill it on the BBQ, I fry it up in my cast iron
> fry pan...makes a messy stovetop, but it’s worth it. :smile:


No mess in the oven. 80/20 chuck doesn't seem to splatter at all.


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## Bud9051

TK you got me with that deluxe burger, headed for more of the steaks on sale and will pick up some rolls. I skipped breakfast so will super enjoy this lunch.

Bud


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## wooleybooger

Two Knots said:


> Yes, more fat is better...I like mine very rare, on a bakery hard roll with mushrooms,
> blue cheese, swiss cheese, red onion, lettuce and tomato..


I had a blue cheese burger at Hooters one time. Gad that thing was so nasty the scenery couldn't help.


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## Two Knots

Ah Bud, you’re in for a real TK burger treat...you can’t use a regular
hamburger roll cause it’s not sturdy enough. Get a roll with little
crunch to it. The blue cheese and mushrooms makes it.


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## Nik333

wooleybooger said:


> Lazy. :biggrin2:
> 
> Put'em on baking paper and clean up is seconds only.



I just realized that my mother's complex routine of "Cold Cuts", rather than using the oven on hot Summer days was due to the fact that we never had air-conditioning! :surprise: And they were well off by the time I was a teen.


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## Startingover

Leanest possible for everyday with a big slice of onion. If I’m feeling deprived an need a treat then ground sirloin with sautéed onions.

I often make turkey burgers an freeze for an easy meal an to keep my protein level up as advised. If weight is up I eat it on a plate, no bun.


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## Bud9051

No bun, no fun, but I hear you. Besides weight I'm trying to watch my blood sugar, need to try harder.

Bud


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## Two Knots

Ya know Bud, you can also kick up this TK burger a notch by adding a little
bacon, cudnt hert!


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## Nik333

Bud9051 said:


> No bun, no fun, but I hear you. Besides weight I'm trying to watch my blood sugar, need to try harder.
> 
> Bud



Just a thought that can be applied to buns as well as corn, have you tried eating one corn on the cob, and waiting 20 min before eating the other two? It gives you time to feel "satiated".


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## Two Knots

Startingover said:


> Leanest possible for everyday with a big slice of onion. If I’m feeling deprived an need a treat then ground sirloin with sautéed onions.
> 
> I often make turkey burgers an freeze for an easy meal an to keep my protein level up as advised. If weight is up I eat it on a plate, no bun.


My niece makes sandwiches between big lettuce leaves instead of bread.


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## Colbyt

85/15 has the best overall flavor profile minimum waste. It is what the burger broiler guys use. It is also very hard to find at the grocery.


80/20 is about all you will find that is worth buying. I would not feed a dog the 73/27 that Kroger sells.


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## ktownskier

Whole Foods sells what they call the Superior Burger. It is a mixture of chuck, brisket and sirloin. It has great flavor and decent fat without being too fatty. I think it is 85/15 or thereabouts. 

I made a similar mix of my own before I gave my cuisinart to my daughter. I used the different cuts of meat and combined them in the processor. 

As for how to cook the burger, it has to be on a grill. Preferably charcoal, but I use my gas grill most of the time. It all depends on who I am cooking for. And what I am cooking. 

Now, for the burger type. There is what i call the Perfect Burger. It has grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms and swiss cheese on top. It may or may not have tomatoes and lettuce but if it does, it has to have mayo. 

And the bun has to be hardy. Like mentioned above, most regular hamburger buns will fall apart from all the juice the burger will have. You need something that has some structure. 

One thing I like to do when I make burgers is to them thinner in the center as they tend to puff up when you cook them.


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## danyakraster

we get 80% and then add some grinded pork and mix it all. they are much softer


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## Old Thomas

I buy a box of frozen Bubba burgers. They go from the freezer to the barbecue grill, then to my digestive system. They are pretty good.


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## J. V.

80/20 for burgers.
Costco sells a much leaner product that is actually very good for burgers. But more fat is required for burgers in my opinion.

I keep a tub of lard in my fridge. If I am using Costco ground beef I use a bout a TBLS of lard in the pan. The lard makes it much better. 
And if I have plenty lard, french fries are GREAT deep fried in lard.

Another great way to fatten up ground beef is to cut lard into the meat before making the patties. Just use a pastry tool and work in a couple TBLS per pound. It will be the best burger you eat.

I like cheese, lettuce, good tomatoes, onion, pickle, mayo, ketchup and mustard on my burger.
I also like a nice soft sesame seed bun toasted just a tiny bit. I love burgers.


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## wooleybooger

J. V. said:


> I keep a tub of lard in my fridge. If I am using Costco ground beef I use a bout a TBLS of lard in the pan. The lard makes it much better.
> And if I have plenty lard, french fries are GREAT deep fried in lard.


Lard doesn't require refrigeration. Never run out.


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## ktownskier

wooleybooger said:


> Lard doesn't require refrigeration. Never run out.


That just seems so wrong. So very wrong. 

But, I do like lard in my pie pastry. It does make for very flaky pastry. 

It is supposed to be good for biscuits as well. Haven't tried them yet though.


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## Bud9051

Thanks J.V. and Wooley you took me back to mom's kitchen and lard was there. 
I did some reading and I'm impressed with the benefits of lard over butter as I eat far too much butter. I will pick some up and experiment where I can use it.

Bud


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## wooleybooger

ktownskier said:


> That just seems so wrong. So very wrong.
> 
> But, I do like lard in my pie pastry. It does make for very flaky pastry.
> 
> It is supposed to be good for biscuits as well. Haven't tried them yet though.


Yes, I use it in cornbread, pancakes, biscuits, etc. I buy 4 lb. buckets and keep them on a shelf.



Bud9051 said:


> Thanks J.V. and Wooley you took me back to mom's kitchen and lard was there.
> I did some reading and I'm impressed with the benefits of lard over butter as I eat far too much butter. I will pick some up and experiment where I can use it.
> 
> Bud


Only place I use butter is on toast or on not in pancakes. Otherwise lard for my normal baking. A pound of butter will last me a very long time.


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## J. V.

wooleybooger said:


> Lard doesn't require refrigeration. Never run out.


Yes, I know and buy that very brand. But for some reason it just seems wrong to not keep it in the fridge.
You know the old "pork" thinking. 
I now cook pork much less than before.
I would never dream of over cooking a pork tenderloin for example. Medium is best. Pink inside.



Bud9051 said:


> Thanks J.V. and Wooley you took me back to mom's kitchen and lard was there.
> I did some reading and I'm impressed with the benefits of lard over butter as I eat far too much butter. I will pick some up and experiment where I can use it. Bud


We use lots of butter around here. I have more than a pound right now and its on the grocery list.
I also have heard about lard and all the misinformation about it and fats in general.
We just eat what we like and to hell with all the so called "healthy" options.
We use salt as well.
Salt makes food taste better. And do not believe folks when they say they can use other ingredients as a salt substitute.
Tell a chef not to use salt. Its one of the reasons restaurant food tastes good. 



wooleybooger said:


> Yes, I use it in cornbread, pancakes, biscuits, etc. I buy 4 lb. buckets and keep them on a shelf.
> Only place I use butter is on toast or on not in pancakes. Otherwise lard for my normal baking. A pound of butter will last me a very long time.


My wife does the biscuits and uses shortening. Shes a southern girl and thats how she was taught.
I don't bake much and never make homemade biscuits.
I have found *frozen* Pillsbury Grands to be better than homemade.
They are more consistent and they tase just as good as any homemade biscuit I have ever had. Try once and you will not make them either.
https://www.pillsbury.com/products/biscuits/grands-frozen-biscuits/buttermilk


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## wooleybooger

J. V. said:


> My wife does the biscuits and uses shortening. Shes a southern girl and thats how she was taught.
> I don't bake much and never make homemade biscuits.
> I have found *frozen* Pillsbury Grands to be better than homemade.
> They are more consistent and they tase just as good as any homemade biscuit I have ever had. Try once and you will not make them either.
> https://www.pillsbury.com/products/biscuits/grands-frozen-biscuits/buttermilk


I used to make biscuits from scratch but I decided to lay in a supply of a complete buttermilk biscuit mix. I bought a 30 lb. box of a mix sold as a restaurant supply.


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## J. V.

wooleybooger said:


> I used to make biscuits from scratch but I decided to lay in a supply of a complete buttermilk biscuit mix. I bought a 30 lb. box of a mix sold as a restaurant supply.


Do you still have to cut in a fat? I don't bake so I'm not informed on mixes.
But once I tried Pillsbury frozen Grands biscuits I never looked back.

Living in the deep south, I have had everyone's mother, grandmother and fathers ect...producing what they call the best biscuits in the world.
Well, Pillsbury has all of them beat by a very long mile. In fact I have never had a better biscuit. I really mean that.

They are all the exact same size.
They all rise to exactly the same height.
And every single biscuit rises exactly as the others. They are perfect. They rise tall and they are excellent.
And the best part is you cannot tell they were frozen. You could bring these to a church dinner and you would be asked for the recipe.
Buy a small bag and give them a try. You will be pleased if you like biscuits.


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## wooleybooger

J. V. said:


> Do you still have to cut in a fat? I don't bake so I'm not informed on mixes.


Oh sorry I forgot to say, I saw an Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Biscuit mix. Read the box, add fat and water and maybe something else. Then an AJ Buttermilk Biscuit Mix *Complete* next to that. Just add water. I wanted at large quantity ( 6 5lb. boxes). Figuring Walmart wouldn't let me get that many at one time even ordering at that time I kept looking. Walmart had a 30 lb. box of the mix I ended up getting. It was $60.00. Kept looking. Found the same thing at a restaurant supply for $36.00 + shipping. Still better than WM so bought that. The mix is made by the same company that I believe makes Krusteaz mixes.

I use 1 lb. mix and 6 to 7 fl oz. water for 9 biscuits. Mix directions indicate 2" biscuits. 30 lb. just over 100 biscuits 2" biscuits. I make larger biscuits and bake on baking paper on a sheet pan, half pan size.


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## Nik333

The benefit of scratch & fresh ingredients, is that you don't have all the preservatives, artificial colors & chemicals added to make something look perfect.


I know many won't agree but I think it does help prolong your healthy life.


When I was in a Food Science course in college, our assignment was to make certain things and then assess the result. We made Angel Food cake by scratch, & by mix, too much salt, too little, too much beating, etc., then cooked in different ways.


The scratch cake came out nicely in the oven. The mix came out nicely in the oven and microwave. The scratch cake was hard as a rock, cooked in the microwave. We bounced it off the wall ( fun class!) The mix cake had so many chemicals in it, you almost couldn't ruin it.


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## turbo4

Finally tried some of that Wagyu beef. Got 3 lbs ground. Not sure what the fat content is ,i guess that where all the flavor is.


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