Prepare Your Burgers The Night Before If You're Planning A BBQ
Tired of throwing your burger patties down on the grill grate only to see them crumble? Or maybe you're tired of spending gatherings stuck in the kitchen forming burger patties instead of spending time with your guests. These problems all have one simple, single solution. Form your patties in advance and let them rest in the fridge overnight. "If you get this done the day before, set them in the fridge so they stay nice and firm — that way they don't fall apart on the grill," says celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay (via ABC). As an added bonus, you won't have frantically flitted from kitchen prep to working over a hot grill, which frees up more time to enjoy your backyard barbecue.
The night before your barbecue, take out ground beef and your preferred burger seasoning. Mix the meat with your hands and divide it into even sections, then make the patties to your desired size. Be sure to remember that burgers will shrink significantly during grilling when determining your patty size. Finally, put the formed patties on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, season them thoroughly with your spice blend, and place them in the fridge. Leave them overnight, and you have a major part of tomorrow's prep work out of the way.
How to cook a chilled burger patty
Be sure to give your patties a few minutes out of the fridge before placing them on the grill. You'll only need a few minutes to let them come up to a more moderate temperature. If you cook burger patties while they're still cold, the patty won't be able to heat through in the middle properly. "Let the meats relax a little bit, don't take them out of the fridge ice cold, otherwise they will be dry on the outside and raw in the middle," says Gordon Ramsay.
Once the patties are on the grill, "the secret is to move it as less as possible," Ramsay adds. Movement disrupts the searing process and increases the chances of a sad, crumbled patty. Let your burgers cook for a few minutes on each side, adding cheese if you please, then plate them. It's really as easy as that: The cooking part of your day is done, so you have ample time to enjoy your hassle-free burgers. Need ideas for your next gathering? Try Gordon Ramsay's burger recipe or one of these copycat burger recipes to impress your friends and family.