Use freshly ground beef.
Get the right fat content: 80% lean/20% fat ground chuck is the ideal blend for most burgers.
Keep ground beef in the refrigerator until you are ready to form into patties.
Don’t overwork the raw meat too much, or your burger will be dry and tough. With cold hands, gently roll the meat into a ball, then squish it into a patty.
Don’t salt the meat until you are ready to cook. Salt draws out moisture.
On average, use 5 ounces of ground chuck for thin, crispy burgers; and 8 ounces for thicker, pub-style burgers.
If you make your patties ahead of time, keep them on a tray or platter, covered, and bring them up to room temperature before cooking.
Make a small, shallow thumbprint in the middle of the patty before cooking. This will help keep the burger from puffing up as it cooks.
Make sure the grill, skillet or flat top is very hot — the hotter the better. That’s the only way you will get that char and crust on the burger.
Only flip the burger once, and don’t squish down on it during cooking or you’ll lose all the juices.
Remember to let burgers stand for a few minutes when they come off the grill.
