Hamburger School

On the school bench

1.  The best meat can be purchased from a good butcher or a well-stocked grocery store.

2.  Wet your hands with cold water when making burgers so the meat does not stick to your fingers.

3.  Treat your meat with care!  You will end up with juicier burgers that way.  Too much handling will make the meat too compact and dry.

4.  Burgers coming off the grill often look more like tennis balls than burgers. This is because meat changes shape when it is heated. We can avoid this problem by making a hole in the middle on one side, which will result in thicker sides than the middle. When the burger is grilled this way, it will ultimately become flat, which is the perfect base for the added condiments.

5.  Do not be tempted to press down on the burger with the spatula. When you start to grill, you must leave the burger alone. The good juices will flow out if you mess with the meat. Use only the spatula to turn the meat, and preferably only once.