It’s weird advancing a super-zesty method of grilling burgers when most of the nation is knee-deep in that frozen white powder. But here in southern New Mexico (just a bit outside of Las Cruces, to be exact), sunny days and balmy nights make me crave a good burger on the outdoor grill. Not just any burger, but The Perfect Burger!

I bet you, like me, have been to many outdoor barbecue festivals that seem to be thin layers on the ancient practice of making burnt offerings to the gods. How many times, and I’m guilty too, have I seen a SuperChef drop one of those delicious patties onto a blazing grill, sear those babies black, then flip them over and use an industrial-size spatula to squeeze them? until they scream in agony and vomit all their precious fluids into the pit of fire?

Naturally, those poor, defenseless blocks of charcoal-covered hockey pucks demand to be smeared with as much sauce as necessary to kill off the taste of burnt meat.

Then after long sessions of crispy meat I tried a few different things, and Viola! The perfect burger!

My family and I enjoy these juicy and healthy burgers. We have been known to burn out, even with small groups.

The secret? It consists of two ‘obvious’ ingredients: preparing the meat and cooking the meat.

Now, wasn’t that easy? As always, the devil is in the details. So, let’s get to the details.

First, choose the right meat. There is an almost endless variety of meat combinations that you can use. Every grill connoisseur has their own special secret concoction.

There’s ground beef, ground bison, ground turkey, ground lamb, ground pork, ground chicken, and a host of ‘other’ ground meats. Choose the one that is most comfortable for you.

Personally, I like a subtle blend of 70% ground beef and 30% ground pork. I use a 90/10 ground sirloin and lean ground pork. The fat from the pork makes the resulting burger flavorful and juicy. I like the flavor of the sirloin! But that’s a personal preference.

By the way, if you decide to use one of the lower-fat cuts, like ground turkey, keep in mind that the meat will be very dry unless you deliberately add a little oil. I recommend adding a teaspoon of avocado oil to 2 pounds of ground turkey. You may like a little more oil. Give it a try, but don’t let those slabs ‘play’ – nothing worse than a slab of shoe leather between two buns to turn it off, no matter how “healthy” it may seem.

When making those empanadas, a little tip: make the empanadas at least 1/2-inch thick, maybe up to 3/4-inch thick, and at least as wide as the bun. Using your thumb, make a good-sized dimple in the center of the patty. They will shrink a bit when cooking, so give your guests what they deserve! And while those patties cook, resist the urge to smash them!

After making the patties, I sprinkled them liberally with a good garlic salt (I prefer Lawry’s, but you may have another preference), then sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper. Using a spatula, I gently press the spices into the meat and then let them sit until they come to room temperature. Never place a hamburger directly from the refrigerator on a hot grill. The outside will burn before the inside has had time to react. Crispy black burgers with a raw interior are not my idea of ​​fun!

As with various combinations of meats, there is an endless variety of additives you can add to ground meat mixes. Breadcrumbs, eggs, pickles, olives, capers, all kinds of spices, you name it. Experiment to your heart’s desire. You can even create cheese filled empanadas if your tastes are that way. pepperoni slices??? Why not!

Intense interrogation! I use a gas grill. It is convenient, easy to heat, and easy to stabilize. But that’s my own preference. Before I got my hands on this three-burner wonder, I’ve always cooked with charcoal although it took me a while to get it up and running. I liked working with charcoal, especially with a large glass of my favorite libation close at hand to while away the time. But once I started using gasoline, I was hooked. No more messy lighting sequences, no more throwing out ashes.

I’m going to give you my way of cooking the Perfect Burger, then I’m going to give you a suggestion. However, you are not required to follow any of them.

The first is the direct method: “Plop and Flip”.

But there is a secret. She always greases his meat, not the grill. I know, every one of us has been told, “Clean the grill. Oil the grill. Bring the grill up to temperature. Sear the meat.” And that is simply wrong. The oil on hot grills lasts only as long as it takes for the volatiles in the oil to evaporate. Then only a sticky mess remains, the heavy residue of the oil. I guess whoever came up with this duck was thinking about how Asian woks get a layer of carbon from their cooking oils.

Think about it: If your first step is to thoroughly clean your grates, well, you just got rid of that nascent layer of carbon that has formed since the last time you grilled. Now you have bare metal and you’re starting over.

Here is a better way. This one works:

Brush the patty with a high smoke point oil. Avocado Oil (520°F), Refined Safflower Oil (510°F), Soybean Oil (495°F), Canola Oil (470°F), Extra Light Olive Oil (468°F ) are just a few. Experiment to see which you prefer. Personally, I like avocado oil.

Place patty, oil side down, on preheated grills and cook until meat is browned. Brush the top of the burger with oil and flip the burger over. Cook until the meat has reached the desired degree of doneness. Repeat the “oil and flip” as desired. Resist the urge to squash the juices with that killer spatula.

Toast the bun on the grill however you like.

Cheese? Do you like cheese on your burger? Brush some oil on that patty, flip it over, and then place a slab of cheese on your patty. Close the lid and let it cook for a while while the cheese melts.

Remove the patty directly to the bottom shell of a hamburger bun. Don’t waste time arranging the loaded cheeseburger on a serving plate.

I used to enjoy sweet red onions, the Bermuda variety, but my tastes have changed or onions are no longer grown to my liking – I find the red onions sold today taste harsh and bitter. I prefer Mayan Sweet or Vidalia Sweet onion slabs on my burgers.

A couple of slices of Roma tomatoes, some pickles and then a lettuce leaf. I smear the top bun with mustard and maybe a little sweet pickle sauce, and I’m good to go!

Just as there is an endless variety of grills and cooks, there is also an endless variety of burger seasonings that can be applied. For those whose memories go back a ‘few’ years, here is a spread that will bring back memories of yesteryear:

Mix 1/3 cup of real mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of ketchup and then add the sweet pickle relish until just the right flavor.

An alternative cooking method that you may find fun is to bake the patties with indirect heat until their internal temperature reaches 110°F. Then grease and grill the burgers until they are nicely browned on the outside. This is a variation of the “Reverse Sear” technique that I use on steaks, it makes these burgers really tasty and juicy, and the outer crust exhibits the beneficial and flavorful effects of the Maillard Reaction.

Grilled!