I’m still gearing up for my first Tyler Florence recipe, maybe next weekend. However, I was watching an episode of his show on the Food Network where he was making burgers, and he suggested having brisket flat ground up for burgers, as it’s got good flavor and a good fat/lean balance.
It can be a mess to grind your own meat, so I asked the meat guys at Dorothy Lane Market to grind up a chunk of brisket flat (about 2 lbs or so), with fat trimmed down. They didn’t charge me to do it, which was cool of them. I noticed that the ground meat was a deep read, with bits of marbling throughout. Compared to the ground chuck available, it looked ‘beefier’.
I wanted to make sure to really try the brisket as a burger, so I didn’t load it up with rubs or anything, just some kosher salt and black pepper. While the burgers were getting ready to cook, I chopped up a sweet onion to caramelize a bit for a topping. My mom taught me years ago how to flip stuff in a pan, and onions are one of the easiest things to do this way. Every few minutes, I’d just flip the pan, then keep doing whatever else I needed to do. Just a hint… You don’t actually flip the pan to do this. You push it away from you, then pull back quickly. it’s an out and in movement, not up and down. Up and down = mess in the kitchen!
I also fixed some pepper bacon in the oven. TF did this with the bacon, too, but I actually got that from Alton Brown on Good Eats. It makes less mess, and the bacon gets done evenly, nice and crispy.
I chopped up some of the Roma tomatoes I’d smoked last fall that were vacuum sealed in the freezer. I added the chopped tomato to mayo for the burgers. I just can’t believe how good that smoked Roma mayo is! I could sell this stuff, I think.
The burgers weren’t touched while they cooked other than to flip them just once, and the came off at medium doneness. I added a thick slice of Vincent cheese, which is a mild, aged gouda and went really well with the burger. The bun got a bit of a grilling, with olive oil first brushed on it, then piled with kosher pickles, a burger, cheese, onions, pepper bacon, then topped with the sauteed onions.
The verdict:
This was a great burger! I can’t say I’ve ever had a burger much better than this one. And served with an Otter Head ale just made a great meal.
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That burger looks amazing…!
… my mouth is watering
awesome burger! love the variation
CS, corinne and dawn..
thanks. It was maybe the best burger I’ve ever made. The brisket flat was just the right blend of lean and fat, and great flavor. When brisket can be found for less than chuck, it’s an easy choice to use this instead.
My biggest issue is that it’s tough not to just smoke a brisket, but to use it for burgers instead.
I have to say that burger looks so very yummy. I wonder if my butcher would do the same? I am without a doubt going to try this. Thanks for sharing.
yeah absolutely mouthwatering picture - and I rarely eat red meat!
That burger is fabulous.
Gin, it’s worth asking your butcher. It takes almost no time to grind up some meat with the setup they have.
Gfron1, thanks… Some good quality red meat now and then has to be a good thing. At least this was all natural instead of that feedlot junk.
C&C, thanks!
Those just had to have been amazing. And smoked Roma mayo! You should seriously bottle that stuff.
Kathy,
That mayo is really good stuff. I just make a little bit at a time, but I find that it gets better overnight, so I need to plan ahead more!
I haven’t tried brisket for hamburgers….just beef chuck and sirloin….looks and sounds good.
Have a little problem finding brisket, period, but I will try the specialty meat markets.
Thanks for great information. I am going to put your link on my blog.
Best to you and your family!
Thom,
Just about any good meat department should be able to get brisket for you; just ask the meat guy!
I’m going to surprise my brother in-law with these burgers he’s the beef guy in our family. I’m sure he’ll appreciate them.
Angela, I’m sure he’ll love them. This is the way I’m going to do burgers from now on. It’s definitely worth it!
I’ll have to make a mental note to always eat before I visit your blog, because every time I do, I’m ready to gnaw my arm off! Those burgers look sublime, and the thought of using brisket had never occured to me. I like you use of gouda, as well… a far underappreciated burger-cheeze.
Jeff,
Thanks for stopping by, and I’m glad you like the food shots. And I agree on the gouda… there are some really good goudas out there, and it melts really well on a burger. Enough flavor to know it’s there without overpowering a good burger.
Great post-I’ve always wondered if brisket would make a good burger, now I know.
Andrew, it’s worth a try to see if it’s better than what you’re used to… But I’m a believer now!