My husband, Ron, and I have been experimenting with hamburgers for years. A good hamburger should have onion slices, tomato slices, lettuce, mayonnaise, sweet pickles and a fresh toasted bun. However, these ingredients are universal, but what about meat preparation. Most hamburger meat you buy at the super markets is ground from the select grade of beef which has no marbling and loaded with peripheral fat, that fat which surrounds the various cuts. Select grade, historically called USDA Good, is just a fancy name given to meat one grade above Canner/Cutter meat which is used in canned and processed meats. The old saying “garbage in, garbage out” also applies to hamburger.
When making hamburgers, buy the best you can buy, of course the price is the limiting factor. Some super markets may sell Choice hamburger, but Prime grade is out of the question. There is another so called grade sold as Angus Beef which may or may not be from the true Angus breed, but has Angus traits. This cut of beef is the best tasting for the money. The following is a recipe my daughter, Terri, gave me and I have hopefully improved it.
COWBOY HAMBURGERS
1.5 lbs. Black Angus hamburger
1 Packet (0.4 oz.) Ranch Buttermilk Salad Dressing
½ Cup milk
Mix Ranch Buttermilk Salad Dressing powder with milk
Knead mixture into hamburger meat
Patty and palm (depress center of each patty)
Broil in oven for 20 minutes or until meat temperature reaches 175 degrees F.
Enjoy, Miss Patsy’s Kitchen.
