Thread: Cooking burgers on a gas grill

On 7/7/2010 2:32 PM, Christopher M. wrote:
> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid the
> burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's barely
> enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of butter or
> cheese in the middle of my burgers.

You should leave it open to grill burgers.

Your grill isn't hot enough. Turn all the burners on and pre-heat with
the lid closed for at last 10 minutes or more. You want it HOT when you
put the meat on the grill.

George L

"Christopher M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:i12knv$fh5$[email protected]..
> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid
> the burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's
> barely enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of
> butter or cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>

Perhaps you need a more powerful grill. Mine does burgs very well. Sear
lid up then close it.

"Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ...
>
> "Christopher M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:i12knv$fh5$[email protected]..
>> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid
>> the burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's
>> barely enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of
>> butter or cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>>
>
> Perhaps you need a more powerful grill. Mine does burgs very well.
> Sear lid up then close it.

I guess it isn't that bad. Seems to take twice the cooking time though. I
use a Weber model that doesn't work with briquettes.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

On Wed, 7 Jul 2010 15:47:39 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Perhaps you need a more powerful grill. Mine does burgs very well. Sear
> lid up then close it.

Don't close it if you like your burgers with color other than brown
inside.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Jul 7, 3:32*pm, "Christopher M." <no-spamcm_ano...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid the
> burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's barely
> enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of butter or
> cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>
> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

Just cook your burgers and all will be fine. In other words,
experiment with different heats, lid up/down etc. I prefer high high
heat, lid open.

On Jul 7, 3:32*pm, "Christopher M." <no-spamcm_ano...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid the
> burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's barely
> enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of butter or
> cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>
> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

Mine does an excellent job of grilling burgers. It's a Weber Silver-A
model. I'm not sure what size burner it is. I have the papers but I
don't feel like looking for them right now. I preheat with both
burners set on high until the temperature gauge is all the way up,
around 550°. I place the burgers on the grill, close the lid, and
turn the burners down to medium. I flip them 5 minutes later and cook
them an additional 5 minutes. I like my burgers well done. If I'm
adding cheese, which is always the case, I put the cheese on the
burgers, turn the burners to low, and close the lid. It usually takes
about 2 minutes for the cheese to melt.

A Moose In Love <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Jul 7, 3:32*pm, "Christopher M." <no-spamcm_ano...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the
>> lid t
> he
>> burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's
>> barel
> y
>> enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of butter
>> or cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>>
>> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
>
> Just cook your burgers and all will be fine. In other words,
> experiment with different heats, lid up/down etc. I prefer high high
> heat, lid open.


I was going to add, rather than spice and sauce the outside of the
burgers, mix it in, then shape the burgers so the flavors don't get burnt
off right away.

I cooked on gas with an open lid so I could see flare ups rather than
run-away grease fires upon lifting the lid.

I closed the lid to melt cheese on them for 1/2 minute.

Baking a cheeseburger on a BBQ gas grill sounds humorously impossible.

Andy

On Jul 7, 12:32*pm, "Christopher M." <no-spamcm_ano...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid the
> burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's barely
> enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of butter or
> cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>
> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

I cook great burgers on my gas grill. I have one that has ceramic
briquettes over the burners so they heat up as well and
make good smoke. I looked far and wide to find one wth the ceramic
briquettes. I don't like the diffusers they use for
gas grills these days. I find the ceramic briquettes mimic the
charcoal ones in heat and good smoke.

I heat my grill with the lid closed for about 30 minutes before I use
it. I want it screaming hot.
Put nice thick burgers with the "thumbprint" in the middle on and
close the lid for about a minute.
Turn the burgers to get a cross hatch grill mark and close the lid.
After about 2 minutes, flip the burgers over. They have great grill
marks and are nicely browned.

Repeat for the other side.
We like our burgers medium to medium rare so it doesn't take long if
your grill is screaming hot.

In article <i12knv$fh5$[email protected]>,
"Christopher M." <[email protected]> wrote:

> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid the
> burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's barely
> enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of butter or
> cheese in the middle of my burgers.

Get a peace of 3/8 inch flat iron and turn your gas grill into a
griddle. Or buy something like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Camp-Chef-...ill/4809688?wm
lspartner=GPA&sourceid=44444444440371616373

Super heat the iron with lid closed and it will retain an incredible
amount of heat. Cook 'em with the lid open, turn when they cook loose.
Best burgers ever and no flare ups and they don't fall into the grill.
Steak, burgers and spatchcocked chicken are all great on a superheated
griddle. If you want some smoke add a couple chunks of wood in an area
where the griddle is not covering the grate.

sos

ImStillMags wrote:
> On Jul 7, 12:32 pm, "Christopher M." <no-spamcm_ano...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the
>> lid the burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open
>> there's barely enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a
>> chunk of butter or cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>>
>> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
>
> I cook great burgers on my gas grill. I have one that has ceramic
> briquettes over the burners so they heat up as well and
> make good smoke. I looked far and wide to find one wth the ceramic
> briquettes. I don't like the diffusers they use for
> gas grills these days. I find the ceramic briquettes mimic the
> charcoal ones in heat and good smoke.
>
> I heat my grill with the lid closed for about 30 minutes before I use
> it. I want it screaming hot.
> Put nice thick burgers with the "thumbprint" in the middle on and
> close the lid for about a minute.
> Turn the burgers to get a cross hatch grill mark and close the lid.
> After about 2 minutes, flip the burgers over. They have great grill
> marks and are nicely browned.
>
> Repeat for the other side.
> We like our burgers medium to medium rare so it doesn't take long if
> your grill is screaming hot.

That's almost exactly what I do, except my grill heats up to 400 degrees in
about 10 minutes... oh the propane! The dimple is essential, plus I shape
my burgers with a lid from a deli coleslaw package so they are uniform in
size. Another key to great burgers is to only use fresh beef, 80/20 for
juiciness. Frozen beef does not make good burgers.

On 7/7/2010 4:35 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> Mine does an excellent job of grilling burgers. It's a Weber Silver-A
> model. I'm not sure what size burner it is. I have the papers but I
> don't feel like looking for them right now. I preheat with both
> burners set on high until the temperature gauge is all the way up,
> around 550°. I place the burgers on the grill, close the lid, and
> turn the burners down to medium. I flip them 5 minutes later and cook
> them an additional 5 minutes. I like my burgers well done. If I'm
> adding cheese, which is always the case, I put the cheese on the
> burgers, turn the burners to low, and close the lid. It usually takes
> about 2 minutes for the cheese to melt.
>

We also have the Weber Silver-A. Tonight we cooked ribs and we grilled
yellow squash, zucchini and onions. After the vegetables came off the
grill, they were put in a bowl, drizzled with Italian dressing and we
put the lid on it.

Becca

On Wed, 7 Jul 2010 15:32:13 -0400, "Christopher M."
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid the
>burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's barely
>enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want to put a chunk of butter or
>cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>
>
>W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
>

You can close the lid, but make sure the burger is on the warming rack
and not on the bottom grill.

dj wrote:

> Mine does an excellent job of grilling burgers. It's a Weber Silver-A
> model. I'm not sure what size burner it is. I have the papers but I don't
> feel like looking for them right now.

You only need papers if you're in Arizona.

Bob

On Wed 07 Jul 2010 05:21:29p, Stu told us...

> On Wed, 7 Jul 2010 15:32:13 -0400, "Christopher M."
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close
>>the lid the burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it
>>open there's barely enough heat to cook the burger. I don't want
>>to put a chunk of butter or cheese in the middle of my burgers.
>>
>>
>>W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
>>
>
> You can close the lid, but make sure the burger is on the warming
> rack and not on the bottom grill.
>

There are other ways, but personal preference is a big issue. We like
our burgers well-browned (almost crispy) on the outside, and just
barely well-done and juicy on the inside.

I always use 80% lean beef. Leaner than that and they wont crisp and
they won't be juicy. They may also be tough.

I preheat the grill to as hot as it will go, about 550 degrees. If
your temperature is high enough the burgers won't bake, they will
grill.

I generally make 1/3 lb burgers and put the patties on the main grill
surface, immediately closing the lid.

I time 1-1/2 minutes, then turn each patty 45 degrees on the same
surface, then grill another 1-1/2 minutes. At that point I flip the
patties and repeat the same process for the second side.

Depending on the grill, you may need to back the heat down when
grilling the second side.

If I up the patty weight to 1/2 lb., I increase the time for each cycle
to 2 to 2-1/2 minutes.

--

~~ If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. ~~

~~ A mind is a terrible thing to lose. ~~

************************************************** ********

Wayne Boatwright

On Wed 07 Jul 2010 05:38:35p, Bob Terwilliger told us...

> dj wrote:
>
>> Mine does an excellent job of grilling burgers. It's a Weber
>> Silver-A model. I'm not sure what size burner it is. I have the
>> papers but I don't feel like looking for them right now.
>
> You only need papers if you're in Arizona.
>
> Bob

Yep, don't try to move that grill across the border without papers, and
watch out for Joe Arpaio.

--

~~ If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. ~~

~~ A mind is a terrible thing to lose. ~~

************************************************** ********

Wayne Boatwright

On Jul 7, 2:32*pm, "Christopher M." <no-spamcm_ano...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? I

Yes, it possible to cook a very good burger on a gas grill. It is,
however, impossible to make a great burger on gas. That requires
wood.
>
> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

--Bryan

In article <i12knv$fh5$[email protected]>,
"Christopher M." <[email protected]> wrote:

> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? If I close the lid the
> burgers bake and all the flavor is lost. If I leave it open there's barely
> enough heat to cook the burger.

In that case, you need a better grill.

Isaac

On 7/7/2010 19:20, Food Snob® wrote:
> On Jul 7, 2:32 pm, "Christopher M."<no-spamcm_ano...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? I
>
> Yes, it possible to cook a very good burger on a gas grill. It is,
> however, impossible to make a great burger on gas. That requires
> wood.


Do you mean wood as in wood chunks, natural wood briquettes or just
briquettes?

Save the natural wood for barbecuing or grilling foods that need the
smoke and/or require more cooking time. Burgers cook up too fast. Don't
waste natural wood on them. A great burger can be grilled on gas.

On Jul 7, 11:58*pm, Pennyaline <norwegianb...@deadparrot.com> wrote:
> On 7/7/2010 19:20, Food Snob® wrote:
>
> > On Jul 7, 2:32 pm, "Christopher M."<no-spamcm_ano...@hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >> Is it possible to cook a good burger on a gas grill? I
>
> > Yes, it possible to cook a very good burger on a gas grill. *It is,
> > however, impossible to make a great burger on gas. *That requires
> > wood.
>
> Do you mean wood as in wood chunks, natural wood briquettes or just
> briquettes?
>
> Save the natural wood for barbecuing or grilling foods that need the
> smoke and/or require more cooking time. Burgers cook up too fast. Don't
> waste natural wood on them. A great burger can be grilled on gas.

Speaking of smoke, does anyone else besides me really not care for the
taste of meat that's been smoked to death? I like a little smokiness
for flavor but I want to be able to taste the meat, not the smoke. I
was at a family picnic over the weekend and everyone kept saying how
great the barbecued ribs were. I couldn't finish mine because all I
could taste was smoke. The flavor of the smoke should complement the
meat, not overpower it. The same is true of the sauce.