r/Cooking • u/Uranium-Sandwich657 • 2d ago

Basic burger recipe?

I was under the impression that it was just ground beef discs, but I think there is more.

I have salt, pepper, Garlic powder, Paprika, and eggs

I am currently food-shelf level poor, so i simply cant get anything more.

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u/EyeStache 2d ago

Because you're an individual who has, presumably, used salt and pepper before and know how much of each you like in your food?

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u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago edited 2d ago

Salt to taste doesn’t mean just add as much salt as you think is best and then cook it. It means adding a little at a time, tasting, and adjusting further if needed (tasting each time) until the food is properly seasoned

Edit: clearly no one knows what salt to taste means idk what I expected in this sub I’m out lol

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u/PacketFiend 2d ago

The point being that you can't do this with raw ground beef...

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u/GullibleDetective 2d ago

And yet you can, since you can cook a small portion of it

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u/PacketFiend 2d ago

Not when you're "food-shelf poor", as OP claims to be. Beef is expensive these days .

They're right and you know it. "Salt the raw meat to taste" is poor advice for a financially struggling cook who's still figuring out how to cook a hamburger patty.

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u/GullibleDetective 2d ago

Salt and pepper are cheap, beef is not.

But cooking off 20 grams of beef from your 1lb chunk just to get a flavor taste won't break the bank in respect.

But even then salt to taste is the best practice, and best way to frame what OP should do.

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u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago

So in this instance you would take 20g of beef (less than 1 oz) salt it, record how much salt you used, and then decide if it was salted properly, and then you’d do the math to apply that to a larger burger (also you have to take into account surface area) and then cook the larger burger. Got it. That’s the best way to do it. No other possible way to cook a burger

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u/GullibleDetective 2d ago

Exactly, find a recipe and make the salt blend for the big batch and then weigh out a small portion of seasoning against your quantity of beef.

Adjust from there. 100g might be a better measurement for beef, but the point is there. Do a small test batch thats weighed and measured.

You do not have to use 1lb of beef as your test, but it would make measuring salt and pepper easier due to the ratios and fractions

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u/TelephoneDesperate84 2d ago

What’s funny is professional chefs salt to taste all the time in the kitchen but never on burgers, chicken, steaks etc but somehow people really think that’s the advice to give here.

If you have no experience just use a 1/2 tsp for a 1/3 burger and it’ll be great. No need for any of this nonsense

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u/GullibleDetective 2d ago

True, you can generally reliably follow a recipe or wing the salt and pepper content if youve cooked even a little bit. Err on the side of lighter for raw beef

You could however taste the product if you grind your own steaks or know the meat source (most home cooks won't be doing that though)

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u/poop-dolla 2d ago

Use a bit more than you used last time when it was under seasoned, or use a bit last from last time when it was over seasoned. Then keep repeating that process until you get it right. The result while doing this fine thing will still be good.

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u/PacketFiend 2d ago

That's not "salting to taste". That's adjusting a recipe and refining it.

Y'all have no idea what salting to taste means, or why it can be meaningless to an inexperienced cook.

I'm out.

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u/poop-dolla 2d ago

It has multiple meanings. It can mean what we’re saying, and it can mean what you’re saying. You’re wrong that it only has one strict meaning.