Resist the Urge to Flip! Patch's Grilling Tips

If you're planning a barbecue this weekend or over the holiday, Patch has compiled some grilling tips to please your family and your guests.

1. Patience is a Virtue! Resiste the urge to flip the burgers. Start with a nice hot grill. Let the meat get a nice sear and then flip.

2. Clean the Grill. If you start with a clean grilling surface your meat won't stick and it will look more appealing than if it has leftover bits stuck in it. 

3. Make sure your grill is fully preheated. If the grill is too hot, you’ll char the outside and leave the inside raw. If you put the meat on before it's hot enough, then your meat will stick.       

4. Season generously with salt and pepper. Guests shouldn’t need to salt and pepper their burger. Sprinkle the S & P generously because a lot of it will pass through the bars in the grill.

5. Don't Overcrowd the Grill. If you put too many burgers on the grill it will lower the temperature. Grill just a few at a time if your grill is petite.

6. Add a Dimple? Unlike cooking a burger in a skillet, a dimple may make sense when cooking on a hot grill, where the patty is exposed to direct heat on all sides. This causes the patty to shrink (the collagen in the meat contracts) or cinch as if by a tightening belt.

7. Keep the Meat Cold Before Grilling and Minimize Handling. Consider forming the meat into a ball and using a plate or bowl to push down to form the hamburger patty instead of warm hands.

8. Butter the Bun.  Butter your buns and put them on the grill. But make sure the buns are away from any juice that might splatter from the meat. That would make the buns soggy.   

Note: Many of these tips were drawn from an article that previously ran on Patch.