For the most tender burgers, grind your meat
fresh and form your patties as tenderly as possible.
For griddled patties with superior nooks and
crannies for cheese-catching, I sometimes like to
grind my meat directly onto a baking sheet and
gently coax it into patties without ever picking it up
until just before I cook it. Superb.
Just check out the difference when a loose patty
and compressed patty are cooked side by side:
A compressed patty has a firmer texture and far
fewer pockets to hold on to rendered juices and
cheesy goo. The unmanhandled patty, on the other
hand, has a loose texture that retains juices better
(even at medium-well to well-done, it’s insanely,
chin-drippingly juicy), has far more surface area for
browning, and, as you can see, has plenty of nooks
and crannies brimming with melted cheese and
juices.
Additionally, adding junk like onions, herbs, eggs,
bread crumbs, or anything to your ground meat not
only forces your to overhandle the mix, but instantly
relegates your burgers into the “meat loaf
sandwich” category. You’ve spent a long time
carefully selecting and grinding your beef. Let it