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Did you know that hamburgers came to light in the 19th century and were known as Hamburg steaks? These steaks were considered to be quite luxurious, but the only problem was that when eating them on the go, they would be too hot to hold. So, the solution was to hold the meat between two pieces of bread, thus creating the hamburger we know and love today.

Today, hamburgers can get quite complicated since there are so many different ways to cook a burger. From grilling a burger to learning how to make a stovetop burger, you're in the right place to learn all the delicious details.

How to Grill a Burger

The benefit of grilling a hamburger is that the burger will absorb all the delicious smell of the coals or chunks of wood you use for the grill. However, before you put anything on the grill and before you even turn the grill on, the first thing you need to do is make sure the grill is clean. If your grill is dirty, your burgers will take on the burned residue of old food which is not at all ideal.

Scrub down the grill's grates and once you're done, soak a paper towel in olive oil and coat the grates. This will make sure that your burgers won't stick to the grill and it will also give your burgers a bit of extra flavor. After that's done, you'll need to make sure that you bought the right meat for your burgers.

After all, not any type of ground meat will do to create the perfect burger. You'll want to opt for an 80% lean pack of ground meat. If you get anything leaner, your burger won't be as juicy and flavorful as you want it. If you get it too fatty, there will be too much grease and you might feel just a bit gross after eating your meal.

When you get your ground beef, feel free to mix in whatever seasonings you want. Keep in mind that you should not mix too much. If you overwork the meat, the cooked patty will usually be pretty dry and crumbly which is not what anyone wants from a burger.

If you like rare burgers, you should cook your patties for about 4 minutes. For well-done burgers, on the other hand, cook them for 9 minutes or so. Medium burgers only require around 6 minutes. 

Cooking a Stovetop Burger

If you don't have a grill on hand, don't worry! As long as you have a stove, you'll still be able to come up with the best burgers in the neighborhood. Pan-cooked burgers are extremely convenient, although they won't have the smoky smell that grilled burgers tend to have.

As mentioned before, make sure you have the right kind of ground meat on hand before you try to cook anything. Then, make sure you have the right pan. A flat pan is usually best for hamburgers.

Pour in enough olive oil to coat the pan and turn on the heat. You'll only want to put the patties in the pan when they sizzle upon touching the olive oil. If you don't hear a sizzle, wait for the pan to heat up a bit more.

Let the first side of the patties cook for a few minutes. You can check to see if the first side is done by seeing if it has become a nice golden brown. Then, you can flip it to the other side.

Don't worry if your burger starts to crumble as you flip it. The benefit of using a pan is that you can smash the patty back together with your spatula. Depending on how well you like your burgers cooked, you can remove the patties from the pan based on how pink the sides look.

How to Broil a Burger

You might have never considered broiling a burger before, but it is actually a very easy (and delicious) way to make burgers. Broiling your burgers is also ideal if you're on a diet since any fat in the meat tends to melt away when it's exposed to your oven's extreme heat.

To start, make sure your oven rack is as close as possible to the top of the oven. Then, turn on the broil setting. In the meantime, shape your ground meat into patties and then place them on a baking sheet that can tolerate very high temperatures.

When your oven is preheated, place your patties on the baking sheet into the oven. For the best results, the patties should be about 4 inches away from the flames or heating elements. You'll want to keep a very close eye on these patties since they will cook very fast.

After about 3 minutes, take the patties out and flip them over before putting them back in for another 3 minutes or so. After this process, your burgers should be done. You'll find that broiled burgers are unique compared to burgers cooked in other ways.

Broiled burgers tend to have a crunchy exterior and a soft and juicy interior. This is possible because broiled burgers not only cook fast but their structure also won't be ruined by too much fiddling from your spatula.

The Different Ways to Cook a Burger

If you love burgers, you should never limit yourself to cooking burgers in only one fashion. By knowing more about the different ways to cook a burger, the possibilities for creating delicious burgers are endless.

To learn more about cooking, don't hesitate to explore the recipes page on our website.

Photo by Nadezhda Moryak from Pexels