Burgers | Basics with Babish

Hey, what's up guys! Welcome back to Basics with Babish, where this week we'll be making

burgers

and fries. Do I really have to make a whole...sales pitch? Let's get to the

basics

: Basics with Babish and Squarespace brings you all the new

basics

with Babish.com. Head there now to see recipes from the show, kitchen equipment lists, posts from my personal blog, and more. Get 10% off your first Squarespace with offer code: BABISH Whether you need a domain, website, or online store, make your next move with Squarespace. Alright guys, the first thing we need to do is start the process of making fries.

This means peeling and cutting some potatoes. So we'll start by peeling potatoes, of course, and then we'll cut them into boards and then into shapes almost like potato chips. So thick. or thin as you like, this will only change the frying time. Then we'll immediately drop these bad boys into 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190.5 degrees Celsius) peanut oil. That's my favorite frying oil, if you have an allergy. with peanuts, try canola or vegetables. Now you might be saying, "Hey, baby, those fries aren't ready!" To which I would respond, "I know and that's not my real name." What we are doing is freezing the fries after frying them.

This will crystallize their insides and make them fluffier after a second fry, while those guys freeze for at least 4 hours. It's time to address perhaps one of the two most important parts of the burger and the fries. Here I have my favorite selection of meats to grind Short ribs, brisket and sirloin They all bring something different to the table Whether it's fat, minerality or meat And they will come together and make a beautiful, fatty and really tasty burger. The first thing we need to do is get rid of the short rib bone, if it has a bone in short. rib It is best to buy them boneless because you will get more meat and have to do less butchering.

Once you've removed the bones, cut off any silver skin you see because this won't decompose. It will be chewy. chunks in your burger and you don't want that and then start cutting it into 1 inch strips which we'll then cut crosswise into about 1 to 2 inch chunks, which will be perfect for our meat grinder. Then we're going to rinse and repeat with our other cuts of meat. In the breast this is nothing more than fat, we can preserve all this. As long as the knife cuts through it easily, it's probably fine for your burger. Now there is some hidden silver skin. in the middle of our sirloin.

So let's pull it apart at the seam to reveal the dastardly imp hiding inside. Once you've removed all the tendons and the silver skin and all the shredded meat, it's time to put all of this together. a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 15 to 20 minutes. To firm meat for the meat grinder. Time during which we could have the burger accessories ready. I'm just going to slice some tomatoes very thinly, I like about a quarter the width of a sheet of paper and a few slices of red onion and last but not least some iceberg lettuce.

This is the only type of lettuce that belongs on a burger because it has almost no flavor. We will simply grind it by cutting it in half. the heart and then cut into thin slices along the middle of the lettuce and then cut crosswise into perfect little burger-sized pieces and with that I like to cover the burger, put whatever you want on there, but I reserve the right to judge you. Like if you didn't put special sauce on there, I'd think you were a real weirdo. And the special sauce is pretty simple to make. Simply mix equal parts ketchup and mayonnaise, maybe half a cup each.

Add a good pinch of garlic. powder and onion powder Then I like to add a little smoked paprika, but you can use regular paprika if you don't want too much of a smoky atmosphere A generous helping of sweet seasoning And that's it, just mix the Everything together Even if you mix equal parts of ketchup and mayonnaise, it is a delicious sauce to put on a burger, dip your fries or simply eat with a spoon. That's why I won't judge you, I promise. Taste it a little, make sure it's good. Of course it is. So it's time to start grinding the meat now that I have my mincer parts chilling in the freezer with the meat. for a little longer, maybe 30 minutes to an hour To make sure everything is really super cold This keeps the meat from getting stained when we push it through the feed hole That's what it's called...

We can see that our meat is everything firms up after about 20 minutes in the freezer. And, avoiding the spinning wheel of death at the bottom of our stand mixer, we're going to start feeding the meat into the grinder. A few pieces at a time, pushing the meat down the tube with whatever was included Baseball bat or baton The grinder came with And watch the cascade of meat, merrily pouring out of the medium-sized grinding plate Which I think is the best size for ground beef, for ham

burgers

Make sure something gray comes out Which could indicate your grinder is grinding metal.

Also make sure there aren't any long, stringy things coming out that could be tendons or that your meat isn't cold enough. And take a moment to appreciate the beautiful pebbly ground beef you can achieve when you grind your own. meat at home This pebble texture will help us create a burger with a less closed texture than one made with store-bought ground beef, which is a little soft and doughy. So now we're going to start gently pressing them into 4 and 1/2 to 5 ounce patties. I'm going for a solid 1/3 pound burger. But make them as thick as you want.

It is your house. Once we have the burgers formed, they can chill in the refrigerator while we finish. our fries We have the oil reheated to 375°F (190.5°C) We take our rock solid fries out of the freezer and put them in the oil. The initial frying took about 8 minutes, this will be 4 to 6 minutes until we have beautifully browned exteriors and light fluffy interiors. As soon as you've let these guys drain for 30 seconds to 1 minute. We'll immediately put them in a bowl and mix them with a healthy pinch of kosher salt. Forward. and try one to make sure it's not poison Maybe two just to be sure And then these aren't the only things that get salted Back to the burgers, who will get a generous pinch of freshly ground, kosher salt. pepper Never put salt on your burgers before forming the patties.

Please don't ever let me catch you doing this. Now, one of the most important things that you guys know, that I love to do and that you should do with every burger you make. en Toast your rolls with a little butter. Please, I'm sorry I'm being so emphatic right now. But these things are important. Make a nice golden toast. Add some vegetable oil to your cast iron skillet and get that guy hot! Before I add the beef patty, I'm just making one to demonstrate. But you can do up to 4 at a time. Let it sit over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until a nice crust forms on one side. you can see a little bit of cooked brown going up the side of the burger.

Once you've flipped it, we'll almost immediately hit it with some American cheese. I hate American cheese all you want. It is the best cheese. for hamburgers Then we are going to add approximately a tablespoon of water and cover the hamburger. We let the cheese melt and help the burger cook more evenly. I mean, come on. Look at that. Use an instant-read thermometer to determine if you have cooked your burger to the desired degree of doneness. And it's time to place it on the plate. On a bed of lettuce waiting, we are going to place our burger.

It is always better to put it. the lettuce under the burger, as this helps prevent the lettuce from wilting. And then top with our tomato, onion, special sauce, the top of the bun, the bottom of the bun if you want to be extra special. Cover everything and serve. with your fries And there you have it A serious homemade burger and fries Now it's time, of course, for the required cross section. I'm going to show you three levels of acceptable doneness. Let's start with medium. That's where you remove the burger. heat to about 135°F letting it sit until it reaches maybe 140°F Then for slightly braver souls.

We rarely remove it at 120°F letting it rest until 125°F And then the sweet spot medium rare 125°F to 130°F Tender, juicy, delicious If you're scared of beef cooked below recommended cooking temperatures by the USDA You have a lot less to worry about if you're grinding your own meat at home So give it a try. Any minor risks there are are outweighed by the importance of enjoying a truly delicious burger.