Grill Night Basic Seasoned Hamburgers

Food tastes so much better when cooked on a grill. From meats to vegetables and fruits the flavors just burst with excitement. Unfortunately, we do not have a grill, yet. But, we are still able to enjoy typical BBQ fare roasted in the oven or seared on a skillet. Plus, we can always go to the nearest burger bar and grill to enjoy our favorite grilled foods.

For marinades and seasoning I tend to turn to my brother Todd, he is always experimenting with spices. I am not as creative so I usually use Montreal Steak Seasoning or a blend my sister-n-law sent me or Emeril’s Chicken seasoning. My friend Kate gave me another fast tip last summer when she was describing how easy and fast it was to pull together a meal on the grill after work. Before work she throws a couple chicken breasts in a zip-loc bag along with generous amount of Italian salad dressing. The chicken is marinaded and ready to plop on the grill as soon as she gets home. Salt and pepper or BBQ sauce are great simple alternatives to marinades.

Another tip I have learned about grilling is to always bring the meat to room temperature. If the meat is cold it takes longer to cook and the meat tends to boil in it’s own juices rather than grill. Resulting in completely a different taste. Lastly, meat continues to cook after it is removed from the heat. So watch the cooking time.

1-2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground chuck
1-2 tbsp seasoning blend
1 tbsp oil

In a large bowl mix the ground beef, seasoning and oil. Scoop a palm full of the mixture and roll into a loose ball, flatten gently to avoid compressing the mixture too much. Make hamburger patties slightly larger than desired size as they shrink during cooking.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high. Cook patties about three minutes on each side or until desired doneness.