The quest to build the perfect hamburger may seem like a long culinary saga that often ends with dry, crumbly burgers piled on a bun. If this sounds a little like your burger story, you may want to hit pause and borrow some tips from Ina Garten to help you up your cooking game . According to Food Network , when it comes to burgers the Barefoot Contessa adds extra large egg yolks to the ground beef and mixes the two together with her hands like you would if you were making meatloaf.
It may seem like an unexpected recipe plot twist for your hamburger, but egg yolks are actually a common binding ingredient that helps ensure your burgers don't fall apart as they cook on the grill or in your frying pan. Garten uses a mix of chuck and ground sirloin as her beef of choice for this backyard barbecue favorite, along with salt and pepper for seasoning and a little steak sauce. But it's the egg yolks that add a rich taste and velvety texture to them.
Their fat and moisture transfer to the burgers, giving way to a juicy, succulent handheld meal. To add to that richness, Garten also inserts a little pat of butter into each patty, but you can skip this ingredient if you want. Use the right yolk to beef ratio The most important takeaway when using Ina Garten's secret ingredient for your hamburgers is to use the right ratio of yolk to ground beef.
She uses two egg yolks per pound of beef for hers, but if you find that makes your burger too rich, you can adjust accordingly. The cookbook autho.