Mince burgers are patties made up of finely chopped meat, similar to the American hamburger. Although beef is a popular choice, mince burgers also can be made from lamb, chicken or a variety of other ingredients. Creating mince burgers might seem like an easy task at first, and to some extent it is, but there are certain problems to be avoided. Small, seemingly insignificant factors such as the size, shape and density of the patties can have a large effect on how the cooked burgers will turn out. The ingredients used, including the spices, and even the temperature of the meat can all affect the final result.
When forming mince patties, it is important to pay attention to the amount of pressure used. Mince burgers that have been compressed too much while being formed will be very dense. This means the heat will take a longer time to penetrate and warm the center while cooking. A patty should be pressed with enough force to hold it together while leaving it loose enough so the heat can move easily to the center of the meat.
People enjoy mince burgers cooked in different ways. Some enjoy a rare burger while others don't want any pink in their meat, and chicken mince always demands thorough cooking to fully remove all traces of pink. It might seem that a burger has had plenty of time to cook yet remains pink inside, but there could be another culprit. When diced onions are added to meats that have been minced, especially beef, it will prevent the meat from turning fully brown on the inside. So even though the burger could be well done, the meat in the center may remain pink for a much longer time.
Many mince burger recipes call for spices to be added while mixing the meat. This method is widely used but can have its drawbacks. When certain spices, particularly salt, are integrated into the mince meat, it can cause the burger to dry out on the inside. This result is a burger that can be chewy, tough and dry. It is better to put seasonings on the outside of mince burgers, patting the seasoning into the surface before cooking.
When making mince burger patties, put a depression in the center. The burger is going to expand vertically when it begins to cook. A traditional homemade burger patty will swell in the center, because that is where the most meat is. By placing a small depression in this area to reduce the amount of meat, the patty will cook more evenly and be flatter when finished.
If a recipe for mince burgers calls for the addition of binders or other ingredients that will be incorporated into the meat, it is important to make sure that they are cut very small and very consistently. When all of the pieces of vegetables, cheese or bread are cut into equal sizes, they will cook evenly. This can avoid the problem of having large pieces of uncooked vegetables inside the burgers.