Meat – Why do the burgers end up round

It strikes me that it would be a bit overpowering, and that even with a binder you would have a hard time keeping it together. Cured ground beef just seems like it would be nasty :-)

I've experimented myself with two 'inclusions' in fresh beef patties. One is bacon (cooked), the other is salami. They are both interesting, and if minced finely and added to the grind they do not interfere with texture but add some excellent flavors and saltiness.

I would imagine pastrami would give you a nice result as an inclusion too. I'd chop it up and mix it in with the cubed up beef before you run it through the grinder.

With burgers really the fresher the better. I grind about 2 hours before grill time, and that is only so I can throw the patties into the freezer. I like them thin and cooked through, so I need to freeze them so they hold their shape better during the first side cooking. If you like your burgers to have some pink you'll probably want to skip the freezer.

This 'trick' is used by many a fine chef. Meat is salted, wrapped and refrigerated hours or even overnight, prior to cooking. Yes, salt will draw moisture from the meat initially, but over time that moisture will migrate back into the meat taking the salt with it! The salt also breaks down the protein structure in the muscle rendering a more tender steak. The steak is rinsed and dried (a wet steak will steam not char), seasoned, and fired. Ground beef can be handled in the same fashion. Using a medium or coarse salt and erring on the less salty side, you can find the right proportion to suit your taste. Season before forming or after. Some contend that the seasoning is made bitter by the heat and flame of the grill. Go figure.

Other tips: The meat should be mixed and formed with a gentle hand — use only as much pressure as it takes to hold the patties together. For almost foolproof rare or medium-rare meat, go right from fridge to grill.