How to Prepare Hamburger Patties Safely

A grilled patty on a bun is one of my favorite food. Although hamburger patties may have a bad word because of its high fat and cholesterol content you can still prepare a satisfying hearty and healthy meal using the right patties and cooking them appropriately. In this article you will learn over ways on how to prepare hamburger patties safely and without the fat and cholesterol.

How to Prepare Hamburger Patties

Some people will tell you that preparing a hamburger patty is a difficult task. You can individualize the technique to prepare these patties but it is not as difficult as it may seem.

The first thing you need to know to start making healthy hamburger patties is what kind of patties you should buy. I would avoid the frozen stuff. They are made industrially and fat content can go as high as 35% on those. After all, fat is cheaper than meat, so that is how the food industry makes money: they sell you fat at the meat's price. If you want to prepare healthy hamburgers you need to buy your own lean ground meat. Buy the 85-93% lean ground beef. I have been able to buy even a 95% lean meat which is excellent for preparing healthy hamburger patties.

Take your ground meat and put it in a bowl, add some salt (or do not add it if you want a healthier hamburger) and add some spices. You can add pepper, garlic, chopped onions, cilantro, etc. Some times I even add some finely chopped spinach to increase fiber intake. This is especially good for kids since the spinach can be "hidden" in the hamburger patty.

Take the seasoned meat (hand full portion) and roll it into a ball, then flatten it to make it as a patty. Keep doing this until you have finished the whole mix you prepared.

Safety tips

Ground beef is one of the riskiest food in regard to foodborne diseases. Ground meat can be contaminated anywhere in the food chain from the meat store (or supermarket) to your kitchen. Keep the meat as cold as possible. Keep it always in the refrigerator as soon as you get home from the supermarket or food store. Use clean cooking utensils.

Cook hamburger patties well. Grilling is the most effective way to cook hamburger patties. In addition to the high temperatures that grilling produces (thus killing all those nasty germs), grilling also makes fat to come out of the meat and drip off. Thus grilling effectively reduces the fat content of the food, especially in hamburger patties.

Sources
Personal and professional experience

Redman, N (2007). Food safety: a reference handbook. ABC-CLIO, ISBN 1598840487, 9781598840483