Time to run with the BIG dogs and show your guests you Da Grill Master(ess). If there’s one way to instantly up your burger game and join the big leagues, it’s to grind your own meat, something we had yet to try. We instinctively knew, doing so would offer superior texture with more loosely packed patties and a more open, juice-trapping structure. So a recent opportunity presented itself to run with the pack…

All three kids were in town to celebrate The Hubs, and his middle son Dan’s, dual birthdays and we wanted a simple, yet special, outdoor BBQ. Remembering our KitchenAid meat grinder attachment (which we hadn’t used at all since we got it years ago) I suggested making our own burgers, and Russ was immediately on board. He got most of these tips from Serious Eats chef J. Kenji López-Alt.

For starters, we bought a little over 4.5 pounds of chuck roast from the Farmer’s Market which made 9 healthy-sized patties. Even though one family member doesn’t eat red meat and chose a turkey burger, and another is vegan and had a “Beyond Meat” plant-based burger, all but one of the Thick and Juicy Home-Ground Grilled Cheeseburgers were consumed between the remaining five of us.

Instead of seasoning with just salt and pepper, I added Adobo Seco, a savory, all-purpose spice mixture, into the meat as Russ was grinding it and before the second pass through the grinder. Why grind twice? According to J. Kenji, as fat and juices render out, they simply leak away and fall onto the hot coals (or grates) below, leaving the meat dry. With a finer grind, on the other hand, the fat is emulsified into the lean more thoroughly, ensuring that it stays trapped in place even as it begins to liquefy.

We kept the twice-ground meat chilled in a metal bowl until the grill was heating and then the patties were formed. In the end, while the burgers were delicious, we thought they were slightly too-well done for our preferences because they cooked faster than expected. Note-to-self for next time: check the burger temp sooner… Dessert was a homemade strawberry pie with graham cracker crust and homemade whipped cream topping, alas, no birthday candles…

Note: For even better flavor, use a combination of short rib, brisket, and sirloin in place of the ground chuck which we plan on doing real soon; the summer hasn’t even started!