How long

[I_UndergroundPanther]

Should i cook a burger on each side to make it medium rare? I always end up overcooking it. The few times I got it right it was delicious.

[Kali]

1. depends on how thick and what heat setting

get a good kitchen/instant read thermometer and learn to cook by temp not time. better results consistently.

[rubbersole]

3. Yep.

Good advice. It works. Especially if folks like their burgers/meat at different levels.

[msongs]

2. for steak, cook one side til blood comes thru, flip and cook til blood comes thru again

and that should be med rare. hamburgers might work the same if they are thick enuff and u dont smash em with a spatula

[Warpy]

4. Meat thermometer is the most reliable way

especially for thick burgers. 130F is what you want. Don't forget to let it rest for a couple of minutes, at least, while you're decorating it and the bun.

[Retrograde]

5. You can sort of do it by feel

if you have enough experience - rare is roughly the feel of the lower chin, medium is roughly the feel of the nose. But I use a thermometer to be sure.

And yes, resting is a must. If you put a slice of cheese on it just when you take it off it's ready to eat a bit after the cheese melts.

[Warpy]

9. I still do steak by feel (or did the last time I was willing to pay that much $$ for dinner)

but everything else gets the thermometer

[hippywife]

6. When we were kids...

and my mom had mixed up the ground beef for meatballs, two of my sisters used to eat pinches of it before she cooked them. They thought it was delicious. I don't recall them becoming sick from it, or if they did, any connection was made.

However, even though there are now supposed to be more safety standards, there are fewer USDA inspectors and inspections than there needs to be. The meat packing industry, among others, is expected to be their own watchdog and self-report. Unfortunately, they don't do a great job of it. Sure, they institute recalls, but they usually happen after the horse is out of the barn. They generally don't happen until people have been sickened, and some have died, before the public even knows they've possibly bought meat that might be tainted, because of profits over people.

I will definitely eat a steak med rare, as the heat kills any bacteria on the exterior of the meat. That is not the case with ground beef as anything on the exterior is transferred throughout the product. I would never trust any of it cooked less than well. Eating ground meat less done than that, to me, is like playing Russian roulette - it may not happen often, but not worth taking that chance.

[Freddie]

7. I think it's safe

If you have the butcher grind the beef for you or do it yourself, as opposed to buying a pack of ground beef at the store.
Not my issue as undercooked ground beef makes me want to hurl.

[hippywife]

8. And where do the butchers get their meat supplies?

From the meatpackers, who get it from disgusting feed lots. No, it's really not safe.

[Warpy]

10. If you absolutely insist on steak tartare

start with the steak, wash the outside of it, and grind it yourself. That's the way to be sure.

I'd never eat raw hamburger.

Packing house workers do their best, but things can slip through since they are generally being rushed by greedy management.

[hippywife]

11. Yeah...

I've never been even a teeny bit tempted to eat under-cooked ground beef.

[trof]

13. chop

with 2 cleavers
chop-chop

[Warpy]

14. That's how I do it.

The cleanup is so much easier. I use Chinese cleavers.

Food processors tend to produce paste.

[trof]

15. Chinese cleavers are the BEST.

I have 4 of varying sizes.

[Warpy]

16. I have a Beijing market stall special

and a slightly more expensive US made one. I usually use the cheapo for most chopping, the bamboo handle is just the right shape and size to use as a pestle for smashing garlic and ginger in a custard cup.

While cleaver skills were a little tough to get used to at first, now that I'm losing my sight I'm glad I persevered. Knowing where the knife is at all times is essential and you can't miss a big Chinese cleaver. My docs are amazed I still do my own cooking and don't have cuts and scrapes.

The only thing I ever used a food processor for is cutting butter into flour for pastry. It's an amazing tool for that job.

[trof]

17. I'm losing my sight too.

ARMD
It's still dry, so far.
Pretty much no central vision.
sucks

[Warpy]

18. Keratoconus for me

along with a rare autoimmune thing that makes using contacts impossible.

ARMD might be coming at some point, I have Drusen bodies aplenty.

Whoever said your other senses sharpen so much you don't miss your eyes is full of shit.

I'm just glad I got used to my Chinese cleavers while I could still see.

[trof]

12. The Cannibal Sandwich

Many years ago ('60s) there was a cozy bar and grill in Crystal Lake, IL called St. Michael's Pub and they served the Cannibal Sandwich.

Chopped raw sirloin, seasoned with salt and black pepper, served on almost black pumpernickel bread, with a thick slice of raw onion and mustard.

I loved those things.
With a large schooner of draft strohs.