Are you one of those people who love to cook from scratch? Do you love tasty homemade burgers which taste like they were from your favorite burger joint? Do you wonder what are the best meat cuts to use for homemade burgers? Are you looking for easy-to-follow and delicious burger recipes? Well look no further.
What are the best meats to grind for burgers? The best meat cuts to grind for making tasty homemade burgers are the chuck, sirloin, brisket, round, hanger and short rib eye cuts. These meat cuts are relatively inexpensive, tasty, flavoured and easily available.
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Reasons to Grind Your Own Burger Meat
The key reasons to grind your own burger meat are:
- Save Money: Grinding your own meat results in saving a reasonable amount of money. The ground beef you find in local supermarkets is often overpriced. Why not grab your favourite cuts of meat on sale and grind them at home?
- Healthier: Most store bought ground meat contains chemicals such as nitrogen to make the meat appear bright red and fresh. Furthermore, the frequent outbreaks of E. coli and Salmonella with commercial ground meat speaks to the often unsanitary conditions ground meat is produced in. By grounding your own meat, you are ensured of the quality of the meat you feed your family.
- Get the Best Flavor: When you grind your own meat you can choose your favorite cuts. You can pick fresh chuck, sirloin, or brisket cuts at your local butcher shop, grind them, and cook great tasting meat the same day. Supermarket bought ground meat isn’t always the most fresh, made from choice cuts, or flavorful.
Tip: Check out our guide to the Best Meat Grinders if you’re in the market for a godo meat grinder.
Best Meats to Grind for Burgers
The six meat cuts best suited for making delicious and mouth-watering burgers are:
Chuck Cut
When we think of a classic burger we think of the chuck cut. Chuck is an economical cut from the upper shoulder area of the cow. A lot of burgers are made from 100% chuck meat so this is our first choice.
Chuck meat is well-marbled and known to have a buttery melt-in-the-mouth flavour. The chuck cut also has the perfect amount of meat-to-fat ratio (80/20) needed to make a finger licking burger. A classic chuck meat burger will be delicious and juicy rather than oily or greasy.
When you go shopping for a chuck cut at the supermarket or your local grocery store you are likely to find it labelled as “chuck pot roast”.
Sirloin Cut
Sirloin is known as the back region of the cow. It is a complicated area with different cuts of varying taste. For the purpose of making a delicious burger we recommend the top sirloin – a superior cut when compared to the other sirloin area options.
Adding sirloin to your burger patties enhances the beefiness of the burger. Sirloin has a slightly sour, grassy and nutty flavour and is moderately tender. Sirloin is healthier meat cut than chuck with a meat-to-fat ratio of 90/10.
When shopping for a sirloin cut you can also choose to use “sirloin”, “tenderloin” and “bottom loin”.
Brisket Cut
The brisket cut is known as the blue-collar cut and comes from the chest area of the cow. It is one of the nine primal cuts of cow meat. This is meat found at an economical price and can be roasted, braised and boiled.
This cut is known for its distinct, slightly sour, grassy meaty flavour and has a high fat content which create a good humble “meat and potatoes” sort of a burger. The brisket cut needs to be ground properly as it contains inter-connective tissues which are tough.
When shopping at your supermarket look for brisket labeled “flat cut” if you want a leaner grind; or the “nose cut” for a fattier option.
Round Cut
The round steak comes from the rear leg of the cow. This is a cheap and healthy cut of meat with a low meat-to-fat ratio (85/15).The round steak is a lean piece of meat which is tough to cook but great for burger meat.
The round cut of meat is great if you want to reduce the fat content in your burgers. The round steak is another cut which makes for a great tasting burger when mixed with chuck cuts.
When shopping for round cuts some of the cuts available are “top round”, “bottom round” and “eye round”.
Hanger Cut
The hanger steak is also known as the butcher’s steak. This steak is taken from the diaphragm area of the cow. This is a great cut of meat to put in a burger as it’s inexpensive and known for its gaminess.
The hanger steak has a moderate fat content and is a healthier option to include in the burger. This cut has a distinct meaty, cheesy flavour and an interesting overtone.
Short Eye Rib Cut
The short eye rib cut comes from the short section of the rib which has meat attached to it. This is a cut from the front half of the cow and from below the loin area. This meat is a great value add to your burger and is a relatively inexpensive option.
The short eye rib has a rich and nutty flavour, sans the grassy or sour taste associated with other meat cuts. This cut has a high meat-to-fat ratio which allows for a good tasting burger. The fine marbling of the meat helps it stay moist even when the burgers are cooked.
Quick and Easy Meat Grinding and Pattie Making Tips
- Freeze your chosen cut of meat for at least 15 minutes before you cut them into small cubes. Meat is easier to cut when cold.
- Freeze the meat grinding attachment, blade and plate for 30 minutes before use. Meat grinding is easier when meat grinding equipment is cold.
- Before grinding, break your meat down into small, uniform chunks, about 1 to 2 inches.
- Grind your meat twice for best results.
- Season the meat during the grinding process for a more heightened flavour.
- Once the meat is grounded, gently shape patties without too much mixing and kneading. Shape patties on a platter immediately after they are grounded.
- Add salt after the patties are formed. Salt is added last as it dissolves muscle proteins, which keep burgers moist and tender.
- Refrigerate meat patties until cooking time.
Five Delicious and Easy Burger Recipes
The Old Classic
This is a great burger to start with if you are a novice at cooking. It’s simple and deeply satisfying.
details
8 People
50 minutes
Print
Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 Kg chuck steak, roughly minced
100 ml stout (dark beer)
2 tablespoon brown breadcrumbs
2 teaspoon chopped herbs (parsley or thyme)1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Garnishes, sauces and rolls, as desired 1 tablespoon oil
Directions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat, and sauté the onion until slightly brown.
- Spread the beef out and sprinkle over the onion. Add the stout, breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning and mix together.
- Divide the meat mixture into 12 portions and shape into flat burgers. Cover and put in fridge for an hour.
- Cook burgers on medium to hot barbecue or griddle pan: leave undisturbed for 3 minutes then flip them over, add a slice of cheese on top.
- Cook 4 minutes more for rare, and 7 minutes more for well done patties, let the patties rest a few minutes before serving.
- Toast buns, cut-side down, and serve with preferred sauces, relishes and vegetables.
Sirloin and Chuck Burger
If looking for a simple and meaty treat then look no further than the sirloin and chuck burger.
details
8 People
50 minutes
Directions
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and put aside for later.
- Combine ground beef, divide into 8 portions, and mold into 8 patties.
- Season both sides of patties with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Heat one side of gas grill on medium or charcoal grill until coals are white in colour. Place coals to one side in charcoal grill.
- Place burgers on grill away from heat. Close grill and cook for 15 minutes.
- Place bacon on skillet until almost cooked. Add mushrooms and soy sauce and cook until slightly brown.
- Transfer burgers to the heated side of grill. Cook 2-3 minutes until the bottom side chars. Flip burgers and top with a slice of cheese each.
- Cook until cheese melts.
- Spread bottom of each bun with sauce, place burger on bun, top with more sauce, mushrooms and bacon, and 2 onion rings.
Brisket Burger
details
8 People
50 minutes
Ingredients
1 Kg beef brisket, ground
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 medium red onions, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
6 slices cheddar cheese
6 burger buns, halved
3 hearts of romaine, halved
3 whole dill pickles, sliced
2 tomatoes, cored and sliced
Ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard, for serving
Directions
- Build a medium-heat fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium.
- Make brisket into 6 portions and shape into 6 patties. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate patties until cooking time.
- Heat a skillet on a grill; place patties in skillet and top with onion slices. Cover with grill lid and cook 3 minutes; flip patties and cook 3 minutes more.
- Top with cheese and cook until cheese melts.
- Grill buns, lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes until charred
- Divide patties, vegetables, and condiments between buns.
Rib Eye Steak Burger
This recipe is a lovely treat for those who are fond of trying the off-beaten path burger experience.
8 People
50 minutes
Ingredients
650 g of rib eye steak, ground
½ large red onion
1 large clove off garlic
2 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon smoked chilli powder
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
teaspoon Maldon salt
A few drops of tabasco sauce
A few drops of Worcester sauce
A few drops sesame oil
Directions
- Grind coriander and chilli powder, black peppercorns and Maldon salt together.
- Next sauté the onion and garlic until brown.
- Add onions, spices, sauces and oil to meat and mix.
- Divide seasoned meat into 4 portions and shape 4 large patties.
- Refrigerate patties until they need to be cooked.
- Heat a griddle pan, brush patties with olive oil and cook 3 minutes in each side.
- Once patties are cooked, grill the buns.
- When buns are ready add cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions or dill pickles.
The Ultimo Burger
This burger is a meat lover’s delight and combines the chuck, hanger, round, brisket and short rib cuts. It’s an essential try for the burger connoisseur.
8 People
50 minutes
Directions
- Mix all the beef together with a fork.
- Divide meat into 8 portions and shape 8 meat patties.
- When patties are ready, add in salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Heat a skillet to medium heat and then fry the burgers 3 minutes each side or until they are done to the desired level.
- Once burgers are done put the buns on the skillet and heat until charred.
- When buns are ready, spread sauce, or relish on buns, put in the meat patties, cheese and salad vegetables in.
Conclusion
Good burgers don’t have to cost an arm and a leg and need not take a lot of time to make. Why not experiment and try these different cuts of meat? Buy them, take them home, grind them, and make delicious homemade burgers which taste like they come from a top-notch burger joint.
