No-Fuss Easy Hamburger Recipe

Hamburger is generally made from ground beef scraps that the butcher cuts away from better parts of beef. There are various types of ground beef; the most common are 70/30, 80/20 and 90/10. When you see these numbers on hamburger, the second number denotes the amount of fat in the burger mix. The less fat in the mix, the less shrinkage you will have when you cook the burgers. You will have a better tasting burger if you choose a 70/30 mix, especially if you cook the burgers on the grill.

Hamburger has a long history, dating back to the 1200s when Genghis Khan and his men would put shredded meat under their saddles. The meat was eaten raw, and was tenderized between the saddle and the horse's back. This burger was generally made from mutton or lamb.

When Genghis Khan invaded Moscow, his men brought this unique food with them. The Russians called this Steak Tartar (the Russians called the warriors "Tartars").

In the 15^th century, ships from the German seaport of Hamburg called on Russian ports. This meat was brought back to Germany and was called "tartar steak."

The hamburger eventually made its way to New York, where eating stands offered, "steak cooked in the Hamburg style" to attract the German sailors. It was generally ground beef with regional spices.

Today Americans consume millions of hamburgers each year.

One of the best ways to make hamburger is to create a meatloaf-like mixture and cook the patties over the grill.

No-Fuss Easy Hamburger Recipe for the Grill

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef, preferably 70/30
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• ⅛ cup ketchup
• ½ large onion, diced
• ½ large green pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 drops Louisiana Hot Sauce

1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Let sit in the fridge for about two hours, so the meat has a chance to soak up the flavor of the spices.
2. Form into four large patties or six medium patties.
3. Grill to desired doneness. Do not poke while cooking-you want as much of the juices as possible to remain inside the burger. Do not flatten with a spatula while flipping-this also squeezes all the juices out of the burger and dries it out.
4. Once flipped, and about three minutes prior to taking the burgers off the grill, top with a slice of cheese.
5. Serve on hamburger buns with ketchup, spicy brown mustard and relish.