Comments on: July 4th barbecue, new and improved http://genevalunch.com/savouring-switzerland/2009/07/02/july-4th-barbecue/ Savouring Switzerland Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:01:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ellen Wallace http://genevalunch.com/savouring-switzerland/2009/07/02/july-4th-barbecue/#comment-48 Ellen Wallace Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:01:03 +0000 http://genevalunch.com/the-rambling-epicure/?p=2045#comment-48 Christina, I think you've just hit on something that is a problem for Americans in Europe: the ground beef is leaner, as a rule. I remember moving from the US to Paris and shopping with friends who bought ground beef and then added butter to it, which horrified me. But their hamburgers were definitely better for it, and I suspect the meat was still lower in fat than the ground beef we had in Iowa, where I grew up, and which made terrific grilled hamburgers! With fresh corn on the cob and big juicy garden tomatoes, mmmmm. Christina, I think you’ve just hit on something that is a problem for Americans in Europe: the ground beef is leaner, as a rule. I remember moving from the US to Paris and shopping with friends who bought ground beef and then added butter to it, which horrified me. But their hamburgers were definitely better for it, and I suspect the meat was still lower in fat than the ground beef we had in Iowa, where I grew up, and which made terrific grilled hamburgers! With fresh corn on the cob and big juicy garden tomatoes, mmmmm.

]]> By: Christina Daub http://genevalunch.com/savouring-switzerland/2009/07/02/july-4th-barbecue/#comment-47 Christina Daub Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:47:01 +0000 http://genevalunch.com/the-rambling-epicure/?p=2045#comment-47 You don't need a binding agent when shaping your meat patties into baseballs or softballs or if using the griddle which I do as an indoor alternative. However, for the grill, depending on how thin you make your hamburger patties, you may need to add bread crumbs or as my mother used to do, a raw egg mixed well into each pound/half kilo of ground meat. I prefer only to add salt and pepper to my ground meat, mixed in well, rolled into a ball and "rolled" around on the grill instead of flipped. It will flatten quite a bit during this process. Also, the less fat content of the meat, the more likely it is to fall apart and the more you will need to bind it. You don’t need a binding agent when shaping your meat patties into baseballs or softballs or if using the griddle which I do as an indoor alternative. However, for the grill, depending on how thin you make your hamburger patties, you may need to add bread crumbs or as my mother used to do, a raw egg mixed well into each pound/half kilo of ground meat. I prefer only to add salt and pepper to my ground meat, mixed in well, rolled into a ball and “rolled” around on the grill instead of flipped. It will flatten quite a bit during this process. Also, the less fat content of the meat, the more likely it is to fall apart and the more you will need to bind it.

]]> By: Ellen Wallace http://genevalunch.com/savouring-switzerland/2009/07/02/july-4th-barbecue/#comment-44 Ellen Wallace Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:55:53 +0000 http://genevalunch.com/the-rambling-epicure/?p=2045#comment-44 Hmmm, I think I win the debate at our place! We always used a bit of oatmeal at home, with a touch of catsup and mustard and egg, worcestershire to bind. Hmmm, I think I win the debate at our place! We always used a bit of oatmeal at home, with a touch of catsup and mustard and egg, worcestershire to bind.

]]> By: Rob Bennett http://genevalunch.com/savouring-switzerland/2009/07/02/july-4th-barbecue/#comment-40 Rob Bennett Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:02:49 +0000 http://genevalunch.com/the-rambling-epicure/?p=2045#comment-40 To keep your hamburgers together when you grill them, you need to mix a binding agent into the meat. So take some bread, remove crust, soak in milk, and then knead it all together with the hamburger. Add some grill spices to the mix, knead it some more, and then form your patties (roll a chunk of the mix into a ball and then flatten the ball). This should do the trick. To keep your hamburgers together when you grill them, you need to mix a binding agent into the meat. So take some bread, remove crust, soak in milk, and then knead it all together with the hamburger. Add some grill spices to the mix, knead it some more, and then form your patties (roll a chunk of the mix into a ball and then flatten the ball).

This should do the trick.

]]> By: Ellen Wallace http://genevalunch.com/savouring-switzerland/2009/07/02/july-4th-barbecue/#comment-39 Ellen Wallace Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:50:30 +0000 http://genevalunch.com/the-rambling-epicure/?p=2045#comment-39 We have a running debate at our house about how to keep hamburgers from falling apart and then falling into the charcoal. What's the secret to keeping grilled hamburgers in one piece, especially at that critical flipping point? We have a running debate at our house about how to keep hamburgers from falling apart and then falling into the charcoal. What’s the secret to keeping grilled hamburgers in one piece, especially at that critical flipping point?

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