It’s Quality In, Quality Out for Burgers


Grub Street’s Collin Keefe makes an appearance in today’s Inquirer, writing about better burgers and the blends of meat that go into them. He also touches on how to grind your own burger meat for your backyard barbecue.

Grinding your own beef cuts out any uncertainties about what might be in it.

All that’s needed is access to a butcher, a meat grinder or food-grinding attachment for a KitchenAid stand mixer, a little sense of culinary adventure, and a hunger for hamburgers.

LaFrieda’s basic blend combines equal parts of beef shoulder, the fattier clod portion of the shoulder, brisket with the deckle fat attached, and boneless short ribs. The shoulder brings a sirloin-like flavor to the mix, while the clod’s inter-muscle fat keeps the patty from drying out on the grill. Brisket adds depth and some bite, or firmness, to the texture. And the short rib lends a richness that amplifies the mixture’s beefy qualities.

Building a better burger, with tips from the pros [Philadelphia Inquirer]