Ground beef is the meat of choice when making burgers, but what is the best ground beef for burgers? You might not think this is a question people would ask, but think about it. Do I want more fat in my ground beef? Isn’t that bad for me? What about how much the meat shrinks? Should I make my own ground beef mixture? We are going to answer these questions and more right here. So read on.
Lean-to-Fat Ratios
Most chefs and cooks will recommend an 80/20 ground beef mix (80% lean to 20% fat content) to get the best, most flavorful, burger. But why? Well, it is the fat in the ground beef that gives it the tenderness and some of the flavor. You’ve heard of the marbling in meat? That is the content and distribution of the fat throughout the muscular fibers in the ground beef. Fat actually helps lubricate the muscle tissues of the meat providing that tenderness and juiciness we all love, which also keeps the ground beef from drying out! And none of us want a dry burger.
But then there is the shrinkage of the ground beef when cooking your burger due to the higher fat content. So if using a higher fat content, do you actually end up with the higher lean to fat ratio when all is cooked? Yes, is the answer to that due to the fat rendering off, but you still began with the higher fat content in the meat initially which gives it the higher caloric factor. The more fat in the meat, the more it will keep the muscle fibers moist and tender prior to cooking.
According to Cooking Light 4 ounces of the 80/20 mix loses about 33% of fat when cooked. The 85/15 mix will lose about 26% fat when cooked.
A 90/10 ratio will lose about 10% when cooked. So essentially, when creating your burger patties make them about one ounce larger than the size you want the cooked patty to be. This will allow for the shrinkage factor when the fat renders down.
Does the Lean-to-Fat Ratio of Ground Beef Affect the Burger Juiciness?
The type of ground beef used for burgers does determine the juiciness and flavor factor. As we said previously, the marbling of fat within the muscle fibers is what gives the ground meat its tenderness as it helps lubricate the meat resulting in that wonderful burger. But if the grind of meat you are using doesn’t have a high-fat content, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a great burger!
Cooking a higher lean cut of meat at a lower temperature for a long time can produce a great burger. Also, no matter what cut of meat you are using, don’t overwork it when making your patties. Keep the air in the ground beef mix or you will create a dense, packed burger that will end up like a hockey puck. Using a burger press, like our Perfect Patty Shaperz™ (coming soon) will give you your best-pressed burger no matter the size.
Also, when cooking your burgers on the grill to keep the fat from dripping through the grates and drying out your burger, use a cast-iron skillet or griddle on the grates and you won’t lose all the juices.
The Smells-So-Good Browning Reaction!
There is also another factor that gives you that smells-so-good I gotta have that burger feeling! Have you heard of the “browning reaction” or the scientific term “Maillard Reaction?” This applies to the kind of ground beef for burgers that you choose.
Don’t worry – we won’t get too technical. If you want to get more in-depth information, check out this article from Serious Eats.
Basically, this reaction happens when sugars and proteins are transformed by the heat of the cooking making food – not just meats – more tempting making us want to dig into whatever it is we smell. It comes from the roasted and browned smell of the cooked food.
Think about it. You smell that great burger on the stove or grill and you first see that great browned look on the surface and the aroma it is creating. You can’t wait to eat it! This effect is created using high heat for the surface browning to happen. And you need to be sure to pat out any excess moisture on your ground beef when preparing it. By taking the excess water off the top of the meat enables you to get that browning effect. Don’t worry, there is still plenty of moisture inside the meat to keep it nice and juicy.
As a side note, this is why you would cook leaner meats such as chicken and turkey at higher temperatures because the heat browns the outside and the inside retains its juiciness. High temps in the oven for shorter cooking times and high temps on the stove to brown and then reduce the heat a bit to finish the inside will always give you the juiciest meat.
Is There a Better Choice of Ground Beef for Your Burger?
So what kind of ground beef for burgers is the best? The 80/20 mix will give you the juiciest burger, but you can still get a great burger with a higher lean to fat ratio. It just won’t be as juicy as with the higher fat content beef. And, if you can, get different cuts of meat and grind your own. Cuts such as brisket, chuck, and short rib will give you a great blend, but be aware of the fat content.
The store wrapped meat you will see is more dense and sticky because it is wrapped firmly. When you grind your own meat, it will be loose and you know exactly what you are getting. Check out this great video from Cooks Illustrated showing the difference in the meat used.
When you do buy ready-made ground meat at the store – not all store-bought meat is bad – look for Angus beef and you can also combine different ratios to get the exact ratio of lean to fat you want. Don’t buy ground beef that just says it is hamburger – who knows what is in that!
You can also ask your butcher to grind some beef for you. Any good butcher should have no problem doing that.
Conclusion
When deciding what is the best ground beef to use for burgers be sure to take the fat content and cut of meat into consideration. A ratio of 80/20, or ground chuck, is the most highly recommended for a great, juicy burger. You can get a great burger with higher lean content, but you won’t get as much of the flavor due to the lower amount of fat in the ground beef.
Let us know what you use for your best burgers. We love to hear from you and want the burger-making community to have all the knowledge they can.
Below is a Pinterest-friendly photo . . . so you can pin it to your Burger Board!
