Mom’s Good Old-Fashioned Hamburgers

Whisk or beat egg lightly. Mix all ingredients together gently by hand. Do not over-mix. The mixture should be not too wet, not too dry. Too dry patties will crumble on the grill and also taste dry. Too wet patties will not hold their shape, will stick to the grill, and fall apart. When working with the beef mixture, it should make your hands moist but not dripping wet. If it’s too wet, add more bread crumbs. If too dry, add 1-3 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil. Big onion chunks will also cause your patties to fall apart so make sure you have a very fine dice. Lean ground beef will not make the best burgers because the fat is needed to make a juicy burger that holds together. My beef is home-grown and has been frozen.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Use a 1/2 cup measure to make 1/4-pound patties. The recipe should make 8 large patties. Use a hamburger press or shape the patties by hand. Place the patties on the cookie sheet and freeze for 4-24 hours. If using the hamburgers later, you can transfer them to a Ziploc freezer bag with pieces of wax paper between each burger as you stack them.

To grill the burgers, place frozen patties directly on the grill and cook for about 20 minutes, turning once or twice. It works best when the grate is oiled with cooking spray. If the burgers are sticking when you want to flip them, try allowing them to cook a little longer on that side. When they have reached desired doneness, remove and serve.

This all-purpose pattie is good in any style burger—with cheese and ketchup, mushrooms and Swiss cheese, or with veggies of all kinds.

I’ve been mixing up a big batch (like 5 or 6 recipes) at the start of summer, so we can grill these yummy homemade burgers in the summer months. Using a 2/3 cup measure, I make 1/3 lb burgers with my large Tupperware hamburger press. After pressing the meat into a perfect round, I use my fingers to indent the middle slightly, giving the burger a handmade look and making them easy to grill (the middles cook faster). These bigger burgers fill a hamburger bun and make an easy meal.

Note: Other optional seasonings I have added sometimes include 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, 1 tablespoon Mrs Dash seasoning blend.