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You
may have heard BBQ experts exclaim that hamburger should only be made with ground
beef with a little salt and pepper. According to them, adding breadcrumbs, or
crushed cornflakes or crushed Saltines somehow transforms the burger into
meatloaf.

 

I
am not sure, if that is true. Besides I like meatloaf and so do my grandkids,
who love my mother’s meatloaf recipe. For that reason, I decided to commit BBQ blasphemy
and converted mom’s recipe into a procedure, described below, for making meatloaf burgers.

Sauteed onions became a
popular burger topping during the Great Depression, to enhance the flavor of
the patty and to serve as filler, when ground beef prices rose significantly.
Slice your onions as thinly as possible and sauté in butter and olive oil. 

 

The
next time that you want a juicy grilled hamburger, try my meatloaf burger
recipe. If mom had grilled these burgers when I was growing up, I imagine that
I would have channeled my inner Chazz from The Wedding Crashers, and
would have yelled to her: “Mom! The meatloaf burgers! We want ‘em now?”

 

Ingredients

1
pound of ground beef (or a mixture of ground beef and Italian sausage)

1
beaten egg

1
tbsp. BBQ sauce

2
tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1
tsp. BBQ rub

½
tsp. garlic powder

½
tsp. onion powder

¼
cup of Italian bread crumbs

2
tbsp. Karo light syrup

 

Wisk
the egg, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Karo syrup, BBQ rub, garlic powder
and onion powder. Combine the bread crumbs into the mixture.  Break the meat into small pieces, adding them
to the blend. See the picture below. Combine the ingredients with your hands
until evenly distributed. Do not overwork the meat.

 

Onion Soup Mix Variation

2 pounds ground beef

1 package Lipton onion soup mix

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

2 beaten eggs

½ cup Italian bread crumbs

1 teaspoon BBQ rub

1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup (optional)

If you want your burgers to be
a uniform shape and thickness, press the meat mixture into a hamburger ring.
(Shown below.) 

 

Transfer
the formed patties to 6” x 6” pieces of waxed paper. You can stack a few of the
patties on top of each other until you are ready to grill the meatloaf burgers.
You can also freeze the uncooked patties separated by the wax paper sheets,
putting them in a suitable freezer bag.

 

Keewah 4.5 inch Stainless Steel Large Burger Ring allows
you to form perfectly shaped burgers at a uniform thickness. These rings are
also helpful in making cheddar cheese stuffed burgers, which Minnesotans call
Juicy Lucy Burgers.

 

Arrange
the charcoal briquettes on one side of your grill for direct grilling. You
should use enough coals so the fire produces a medium high heat. The other half
of your grill should be designated for indirect cooking.

 

While
you grill is cool, clean the grate with a red or maroon painter’s ScotchBrite
pad. Oil the grate with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.

 

Grill
burger patties directly over the fire. After 3 minutes, flip the burger. After grilling
the opposite side for 3 to 5 minutes, transfer the burger to the cool side of
the grill and replace the grill cover.

 

Check
the internal temperature of the burger using a digital thermometer. Continue to
cook the burger indirectly with the cover on the grill, until the internal
temperature reaches 160º F. If you are making a cheeseburger, place slices of
the cheese on the burger patty.

 

After
the meatloaf burgers rest for a few minutes, serve them on toasted buns with
your favorite toppings, such as sauteed onions, fried bacon, lettuce and tomato
slices. Toasting the buns helps prevent them from getting soggy.

 Preventing Your Burgers from Falling Apart

It can be
frustrating when burgers fall apart while grilling. Fat, breadcrumbs and eggs
can act as binders helping your burger hold together. Here are three rules of
thumb to follow when making your burgers:

●
Use 80/20 ground beef for your burgers. The additional fat in the meat not only
adds flavor but also helps bind the burger together.

●
Add ¼ cup of breadcrumbs per each pound of ground beef.

●
Add one beaten egg per each pound of ground beef.

Burger
Sauces 

For
your special meatloaf burger sauce, try the following recipes.

 

Burger Sauce #1

Mix
together the following ingredients:

½ cup of
mayonnaise

2 tbsp. of
Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. of
a zesty Texas-style BBQ sauce

2 tbsp. of
A1 Steak Sauce

1 tsp. of
Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Rub or your favorite rub

2 tbsp. of
chopped salad olives with pimentos

 

Burger Sauce #2

This sauce
is my copycat version of McDonalds secret Big Mac sauce. Mix together the
following ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon yellow or Dijon
mustard

2 tablespoons French salad
dressing

2 tablespoons of pickle
relish

1 tablespoon apple cider
vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon MSG

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 

You can
concoct your own variations of these sauces. A word to the wise, either recipe
makes a lot of burger sauce. Unused sauce will only last for 5 days to a week
in your refrigerator. Plan accordingly.

 

Bon Appetit!

Try These Other Signpost Recipes

Easy
Turmeric Yellow Rice

The
Best Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

The
Best Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

The Best Hot Dog Toppings

Armadillo
Eggs

Beer
Brats

Grilled
Buffalo Wings

© 2021 Jim Hingst, All Rights Reserved