"Kick-Ass" Barbecued Burgers

By: Joyce Parslow, P.H.Ec. (with permission from Canada Beef)
Excerpted from Homegrown, by Mairlyn Smith. Reprinted with permission of Whitecap Books, 2015.

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“Medium ground beef makes a juicy burger for the barbecue. Grilling will reduce the total fat in a burger patty by about a third, leaving you with a tender juicy burger full of flavour. You can’t tell if a burger is done by cooking to colour, so use a digital instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into each patty to confirm. Using a food thermometer is how chefs do it—it’s not a geek tool! Cook burgers to 160°F (71°C)—just remember, ‘Your burger’s done at 71.’” —Joyce

INGREDIENTS
2 lb (900 g) medium ground beef (see note)
1 onion, grated or finely diced (see note)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 omega-3 egg
1/4 cup (60 mL) 100% whole wheat breadcrumbs or Panko crumbs
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp (1 mL) iodized salt 1/4–1/2 tsp (1–2 mL) freshly ground pepper 


METHOD

1. Crumble beef in a large bowl. Add onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs (or Panko crumbs, if using), Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Combine gently but thoroughly. Divide meat mixture into 8 equal- sized balls and gently shape into 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick patties. Make a shallow depression in the centre of each patty to keep patties from puffing up during cooking.

2. Preheat barbecue on high. Place patties on and reduce heat to medium-high (400°F/200°C). Cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, testing doneness with a digital rapid-read food thermometer inserted sideways into centre of each patty; burgers are completely cooked when thermometer reads 160°F (71°C). 

INGREDIENT NOTES
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Medium Ground Beef—If you are wondering what makes this Kick-Ass Burger worthy of its name, taste the difference that medium ground makes vs lean beef. With only a 6 percent difference in fat content compared to lean ground beef, the difference is well worth it.

​Onion—Grating the onion on a box grater helps to incorporate it better into the patty so there are no ‘alien bits’ that young picky eaters might take offense to.


Makes 8 patties One serving = 1 burger patty (without bun or condiments)

Per serving: 344 Calories, 13 g Total Fat, 5 g Saturated Fat, 0.4 g Trans Fat, 198 mg Sodium, 4.3 g Carbohydrate, 0.6 g Fibre, 1 g Sugars, 0 g Added Sugars, 36.4 g Protein, Carbohydrate Choices: less than 1