Build your best burger with signature toppings and custom grinds

Every grilling guru has a signature entrée to impress guests – burgers often top the list. Forget secret ingredients and wild ideas, though. With a few tips and a trick or two you’ll be serving the best burgers on the block.

Great taste begins with the grind … and we’re not talking your daily cup o’ Joe. Chef Michael Ollier of the Certified Angus Beef ® brand offers these tips:

Tip No. 1: Use the best ingredients. Choose cuts of beef with generous marbling. Those little white flecks throughout the beef ensure optimum flavor and juiciness.


Tip No. 2: Experiment with various cuts. The flavor of a specific cut of beef depends on the amount of fat it contains. Brisket has a higher fat content than a lean cut like sirloin. “Adding brisket to a burger grind would produce a bold, beefy flavor,” Ollier says. “Sirloin yields burgers with a milder taste.” There is no right or wrong when making ground beef. For custom flavor, ask your butcher to mix various cuts in the grind until you find a flavor that suits your taste buds.

Tip No. 3: Be creative. Add layers of flavor to the ground beef. Mix in spices when forming patties or stuff the burger with favorite ingredients – try cheese, onions, mushrooms, hot peppers or a combination of flavors. And don’t forget to top it off. Cheeses, vegetables, sauces – even fruits like pineapple can add crowd-pleasing flavors that garner rave reviews.

Now let’s talk technique. Handle less and never press.

Tricks of the trade:
• Gently and quickly shape ground beef into a circle about ¾-inch thick.
• Make an indent in the center of the patty to prevent burger bulge while cooking.
• Do not press or flatten the burger with a spatula. You’ll squeeze out the juices.
• Cook for several minutes before turning the burger. Flip only once.

Chef Michael’s Mix:
Ask your butcher for a custom grind. Try a ground beef mix of half brisket, half chuck. And remember, use the best ingredients. Premium Certified Angus Beef ® brand cuts boast generous marbling and deliver mouthwatering flavor, tenderness and juiciness in every bite. For tasty burgers recipes with fabulous flavor, visit certifiedangusbeef.com.