I really like a nice thick, juicy, lean, homemade hamburger. I usually make mine with some breadcrumbs, fresh garlic, onions, smoky paprika, liquid hickory smoke, and whatever other ingredients strike my fancy. But frankly, I’ve never been satisfied with their texture, which runs a little on the dry and mealy side.  I’ve blamed this on the fact that I tend to use very lean meat, whereas steakhouses and burger joints tend to go for the cheapest and fattiest cuts, hence better texture and mouthfeel.

Then last year I read an article in one of the foodie magazines that the trick to a great burger is to handle the meat as little as possible. Sure, go ahead and add whatever you want but mix it in very quickly and without “kneading” the meat. Apparently overhandling the meat breaks down the protein fibers and compresses it into an airless, evenly textured slab that offers little interest to the mouth and tastebuds. Well sir, I tried this the last few times and the difference was startling. Even with extremely lean meat such as horse (about as lean as chicken breast), the texture was as full-bodied as the best high-end stakehouse burger (and at a fraction of the fat and calories). In fact, my burgers have been so good lately that I don’t even add anything to the meat prior to cooking. I just add some salt and pepper to the formed patty just before tossing it on the grill or pan.