How to make the Perfect Burger at home, according to science.

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In this video, we break down the fundamentals of what makes burgers taste so good and put us on the pathway to making the perfect burger at home.
📚 Videos & Sources mentioned:
▪ Meathead - amzn.to/3acjMGN
▪ Guga Foods Burger Fat video - • if FAT is flavor, thes...
▪ My Steak 101 video - • How to make Steaks at ...
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📃 Burger Recipes I've done:
- Bacon Smash Burger - www.ethanchlebowski.com/cooki...
- Breakfast Burger - www.ethanchlebowski.com/cooki...
- Cumin Lamb Burger - www.ethanchlebowski.com/cooki...
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USEFUL KITCHEN GEAR
🥘 Griddle from Made In - madeincookware.pxf.io/oe3GLn
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🧂 Salt Pig: geni.us/SaltContainer
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🛒 Wire Rack: geni.us/WireRack
🍳 Saucepan: geni.us/Saucepan
🪓 Woodcutting board: geni.us/SolidWoodCuttingBoard
⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:33 The pathway to the Perfect Burger
1:50 What is ground beef made of?
3:31 Experiment 1 - Lean Meat vs Beef Fat
6:40 What does 'fat is flavor' mean?
7:29 Experiment 2 - Chicken Burger with Beef Fat
10:30 What makes up 'beefy' flavor?
11:24 How does fat affect burger texture?
12:51 What are burger juices?
13:40 Experiment 3 - Lubrication Test
15:05 Why do we love burger juices?
16:33 Experiment 4 - Seared vs Steamed Burger
17:51 Experiment 5 - Crust Formation
18:37 Final Taste Test - 93/7 vs 80/20 vs 70/30
21:05 Conclusions
🎵 Music by Epidemic Sound (free 30-day trial - Affiliate): share.epidemicsound.com/33cnNZ
MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Epidemic Sound
Filmed on: Sony a6600 & Sony A7C
Voice recorded on Shure MV7
Edited in: Premiere Pro
Affiliate Disclosure:
Ethan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to [Amazon.com](amazon.com/) and affiliated sites.

[@86samsky]

As a burger connoisseur. I'd like to give thanks to all the cows (and one chicken) that gave their lives in the name of perfecting burger knowledge

[@mytech6779]

A steer or cattle. Less likely to be a cow.

[@diddlez2]

@@mytech6779 Why are you this way? Also imagine thinking cattle isn't the plural form for all bovine. Cows/heifers/steers are all cattle.

[@mytech6779]

@@diddlez2 Correct, cattle is plural and generic. Which is exactly why it is appropriate to use you don't know the specific animals or count. "Beef cattle" would also be appropriate and somewhat more specific, but redundant in this contex as it is tautological that beef comes from beef cattle.

[@kerryrus]

@@mytech6779 ​ @MyTech True, but the word cow, in common parlance, is any domestic bovine, regardless of sex and age.

[@seanpgillis]

@@mytech6779 The word "steer" would also be redundant.

[@stevej71393]

I think the bun gets overlooked a lot, especially at neighborhood BBQs. Speaking for myself, I want a nice thick bun that can absorb all the juices and still give me a nice bready bite to complement the patty and condiments. I don't want a cheap bun that turns soggy within 1 minute of the patty being added to it.

[@arborbyrd935]

Dave's Killer Burger Buns then, all the way.

[@jht3fougifh393]

I love soggy buns. Hate that I just typed that, but it's the truth. So long as it isn't excessive, like actually soaked and straight up wet. Chewy over fluffy, for me.

[@bencochrane6112]

Dry buns that break apart are the worst though. There are quite a few cheap bun brands that do that.

[@knightshousegames]

If I can't get some big, thick kaiser rolls at the store when I do burgers, I don't even bother.

[@dark12ain]

Brioche buns 🤤

[@lauraredenbaugh2440]

My sister has this to say about burgers-when you eat your burgers plain-there’s no hiding the quality. Therein lies my only issue with the tests although you actually talk about it-that the single patty plain test demonstrated the differences much clearer than the “dressed” burgers. That tells me that toppings hide a multitude of sins when it comes to burgers.

[@Great_Olaf5]

As someone who eats burgers fairly plain (the vast majority of the time the burgers I eat are meat, cheese, and bun), this very much holds. I never really cared for McDonald's burgers because they rely so heavily on those sauces that the average person would never be able to tell what the patty on its own tastes like. Even when I go with more on my burgers, there's never a sauce, I do not like messy food, the most 8 can tolerate is cheese melting off of the burger, because melted cheese is always good.

[@Dr.JustIsWrong]

Ugh, cheese.. 😑😑

[@lurklingX]

i have to say, quality MATTERS. i have a simple dish i created, basically ground beef, browned, with sautéed caramelized red onion and green pepper (salt, pepper, garlic) over jasmine rice. ABSOLUTELY DIFFERENT if the beef isn't quality. also, in making some tacos, i tried some of the meat just cooked up with nothing. the one makes you wanna devour it. the other... meh. go for small farms, good treatment of animals. up here in GA there is one that is nearby and is stocked in publix and holy WOAH is there a difference. price is the same. (and it's not just sustainable farms and stuff. certain ones will be better taste-wise.) it's pretty incredible.

[@Great_Olaf5]

@@lurklingX There are also some things you can make that only work with poor quality ingredients. Trying them with high quality would genuinely ruin them, not just waste, but ruin.

[@lurklingX]

@@Great_Olaf5 i get that certain things don't require the high quality, and the quality would be lost (even with alcohol for example, using something as a mixer that is very high qual is truly a waste)... but how would it RUIN the high qual ingreds? example?

[@Phantom-vo8jy]

if you steam burgers just go directly to jail

[@DrPhillipMcCracken]

Or straight to hell

[@jeffreycole2816]

Old family recipe.

[@yazoosquelch7065]

@@jeffreycole2816 Steamed Hams are the best

[@christophercarroll7315]

​@@yazoosquelch7065and aurora borealis

[@Ryan_gogaku]

I would love for Ethan to look into cooking styles that actively *avoid* Maillard browning. In Thai cuisine, for example, laab is commonly made by essentially boiling the ground beef, and protein like chicken is added to a green curry in the sauce itself once there's already a liquid, again preventing browning. Japanese cuisine has famous dishes of both types: yakitori, where the whole point is browning from the charcoal grill, and then something like oyakodon, where the chicken is added to a liquid broth. Why not brown the meat first and add the fond to the broth/curry? What does that do to the flavor? I've always been curious, but never did a side-by-side.

[@3_up_moon]

Vietnamese cuisine and other asian styles use "layers of flavors" just like you just mentioned!

[@organizerbmo]

Definitely! Also I know some cuisines cook the garlic first, which seems absurd from a western home cook perspective where you always hear to add the garlic after vegetables have softened

[@Enokha]

didn’t even think of that great suggestion wtf

[@Starbuck32123]

Trust me, I've started browning my meats before cooking them in other things. The flavor difference is massive. My family has always been making food by trying to brown it after slow roasting and it just makes it dry.

[@pile_of_kyle]

Avoiding maillard browning is just objectively worse, though.

[@twtchr44]

I love your particular brand of food science. It's not organic chemistry or molecular gastronomy, it's just "at home" science. So much more accessible and practical, and I'm way more likely to use what I learn from you than some of the "pro" level videos. Keep it up!

[@violetviolet888]

twtchr44, you'd like Kenji Alt-Lopez. Practical kitchen science that you will carry with you for life.

[@johnhpalmer6098]

@@violetviolet888 Agree on Kenji, but it's Kenji Lopez-Alt though, not as you wrote it, just FYI.

[@Applinglingling]

Yes, Kenji, Alton brown (ofc), Claire king (tasty), Epicurious, Mike G, Adam ragusea..

[@adambruton6686]

slapped "XD

[@Bigdg2011]

This is a lot more closer to how engineering works, very results focused but the underlying first principles of science are there if one wants to go look further

[@leonstevens1382]

What I admire about Ethan is his scientific approach to everything.

[@_timetravels4528]

the facts he explains why and not just how makes all the difference in learning what he tries to teach.

[@Alexander5R]

And the sacrifices he and his brother are making along the way 😅🤤

[@SunKissedPeach]

I love these videos you make, so much time is put into them and it shows and i want to rewatch them because they are just well put together

[@edwin5419]

I appreciate the addition of Vivaldi's Summer to build hype

[@FixNK]

I like how he smiles when someone else is eating a burger... This man is genuinely enjoying sharing the secrets of foods to the world.

[@thomasrisgaard4597]

@Feng Why the F would it be fake? Its his own brother eating his burger. Why would he fake being happy about that

[@realperson9951]

@Feng youtube commenter try to understand empathy challenge (impossible)

[@Sergey-wg7ne]

The thing I found works well for low-fat burgers is mixing red onions into the ground beef. Works wonders for juiciness!

[@egregius9314]

I work ground/chopped small onions into my burgers all the time. Makes for great caramellisation as well!

[@IndependantMind168]

Both awesome ideas. I'll add both to smash burgers and see how that comes out.

[@briandecker9932]

Or you could just eat the healthier tastier meat (70/30) without having to cover the horrible lack of flavor in 93/7

[@Sergey-wg7ne]

@@briandecker9932 it's not always available where I live.

[@Perfect_Pizza]

@@briandecker9932 70/30 is not healthier than 93/7 😂😂

[@theFrozeman]

I'd be really interested to see this repeated with a grill. Given that instead of pooling, you lose the fat that drops out I'd be curious how that would affect the ideal mix.

[@robertoswalt319]

I am there with you on this. When I cook steaks and burgers I use a traditional grill and not a griddle. The challenge with a higher fat content on a grill is a huge grease fire.

[@tmcche7881]

On a charcoal or gas grill it's 80-20, high quality ground chuck. Less fat is dry. More fat doesn't seem to enhance anything. That's my own experience, for what it's worth. Try it out. ps, don't let the burger catch on fire, keep burger far enough from flames, no more than periodically licking the burger. Let burger rest 5 minutes, so juices are reabsorbed.

[@razor5cl]

@@tmcche7881 them little licks of flame that create those tiny lil charred bits, yummy!

[@paulpeterson4216]

That is a very good question. I'm not a fan of burgers off of the grill vs. off of the griddle, though the charcoal flavor does have its appeal.

[@johncox9868]

I would too. On a grill the fat drips into the charcoal increasing the heat. In my experience when people buy cheaper meat for grilling (higher fat content). You end up with small charcoal briquettes instead of hamburgers. Me personally, I am quite happy with 15% on the stove. But, I make smash burgers on high heat. There is plenty of Maillard reactions this way.

[@nickfaver]

“This is not some recipe video touting a burger recipe I have as the perfect one - instead, my goal in this video is to put us on the pathway to a perfect burger” My man’s done it again! Love your fundamentals/blueprint approach to everything. I love me some recipe channels, but when I set out to make something, I always find myself watching several videos making the same thing so I can compare/contrast and try to get to the core principles behind the dish. I feel like a great cook doesn’t just blindly follow instructions but understands the building blocks so they can be confident and make it their own. That’s exactly what your channel helps me do! Keep it up bro.

[@darkerbinding6933]

Love your videos and all the actual facts of cooking and why/what works. Thanks for the work on giving us this great content. 👍

[@calvinsimpson1301]

In my experience, if youre going to make your own burger at home and have a meat grinder your best burger will be a combination of chuck and short rib trying to get it around 20-25% fat. There is an astounding difference in quality between "ground beef" and two specific cuts you grind yourself.

[@jowdemanne]

Ethan, this is *exactly* why I subscribed to your channel and love your content! You don't just give recipes or whatever, you try to understand how food works and how to make it even better and take us along for the journey! Thanks for the extensive testing. Loving it!

[@HungryManKitchen]

Just an idea for the next episode, lamb burgers inspired by traditional kebabs? I suggest to experiment with lamb fat, which is the signature ingredient for great authentic kebabs.

[@NiSHAN256]

I mix %15 lamb fat with my beef and it's spectacular! Deeper flavor than beef fat which taste bland in comparison.

[@rickross5421]

Like Keftas/Koftas

[@keremkelleboz6959]

I live in Turkey and there's a burger place near me that makes this burger with a lamb patty, pickled onions and goat cheese. Its pretty good

[@CoolJay77]

@@keremkelleboz6959 There are many gastropubs in USA that serve lamb burgers. However most people who are not raised eating lamb, do not enjoy the gamey flavor of many of the cuts in the lamb.

[@CoolJay77]

Doesn't lamb fat result in gamey flavor? Perhaps using lean lamb that does not taste gamey, and adding 30% blend of beef fat would be another good experiment.

[@samde9922]

Really cool video, not seen anyone take this approach before but I think it's gonna be really useful in helping ppl understand why things taste good and how to improve! Looking forward to testing this myself!

[@Metaio83]

Thank you for this. All the work to bring that content... I really enjoyed it!

[@timwhite1349]

This might be the most practical and informative 20 minutes about burgers I've seen. So often content creators are out in left field with special equipment or hard to source ingredients, or maybe just a process with way too many steps to be practical. I loved the spreadsheet infographic for summary. It will inform future burger choices. Thank you!

[@DoritoWorldOrder]

Ethan... this is a magnum opus video. You're such a treasure. I'm so glad that somebody with an analytical mind like yours has decided to apply their insight-generation potential to humble home cooking questions like how to make the best burger. You're up there with icons like Kenji in the research-driven insights you develop and share with your audience.

[@richmondvand147]

its the alton brown method - you teach the why instead of being a puppet. Though it took for me some really good insights from Raymond Blanc's how to cook well which focuses on cooking method ie grill, braising, poaching etc.

[@cale1231986]

@@richmondvand147 no, it is a Serbian method, used from at least 1830, if not before. Americans reinventing the wheel here

[@abonynge]

@@cale1231986 It dates back far beyond 1830. Serbians didn't invent it. This is what classical era Greek education was built on, and they didn't invent it either. It's a very effective method of teaching a concept and it has been reinvented a million times.

[@B81Mack]

I find this gentleman similar to Alton Brown in his explanations of food and cooking science. Makes for an excellent foundation to understanding cooking.

[@FreePokemonGiveaway]

This was a really fascinating watch, thank you so much!!

[@cheporestrepo]

The facts are 20% fat 80% beef is the absolute perfect mix between flavor and fatness

[@Madgod112]

Here's an idea: Maillard browning is improved in alkaline environments - people sometimes use the "baking soda trick" when saute'ing onions. Maybe applying that trick to the lean burger would improve browning enough to compete with the fattier ones, or make the fattier ones even tastier? Loved the video by the way, incredibly in-depth.

[@hisholiness4537]

What's the baking soda trick

[@4.0.4]

@@hisholiness4537 it may involve adding baking soda, but I'm just guessing.

[@NeillSmith]

@@hisholiness4537 You add baking soda to things you want to brown

[@hisholiness4537]

I was asking for details

[@soulwithabody5521]

I'm just guessing here but like with the double frying method, if you were to pull an item to be maillarded within a certain time frame and remove its released water content, then reintroduce it to the cooking surface, as long as you had remaining fat to be rendered, it could result in a crispier and more flavorful end result. The idea being, extract excess water, but leave enough behind for the second cook to both leave it not dry and the fats to render enough on the outside but also be dissolved within the meat itself. Perhaps there's an innovative cooking surface structure that could be invented that allows for water to release to the cook surface but not fats. A faster version of low and slow.

[@Gehtdichgarnichtsan805]

Ethan: I'm moving to Paris to broaden my culinary horizons! also Ethan: Here is a 20 min video about fat in burgers ;)

[@mortenhappy]

I see the video shot in the US (look at electrical sockets and light switches in the background). Maybe Ethan can tell us more what's up with "the French adventure" :D

[@FreshfrogmarketingUk]

@@mortenhappy Possibly visa issues is my guess.

[@Scranny]

@@mortenhappy ever heard of an electrical adapter?

[@Scranny]

yes, in Paris you can broaden your culinary horizons to cuisines like Arabic, and... well that's about it ;-)

[@patrickr9716]

FINALLY! A Foodtuber that talks about what cookware they are using in the video. I've had to do too many deep dive searches on other channels and videos trying to figure out what products and brands were being used.

[@additudeobx]

Hi Ethan. Love the way you dissect foods. It brings it to layman's terms. Thanks. This video was just the scrapings from the bottom of the pan! This video was basic preliminary burger making. 30% fat is a requirement for making a beef "Real Burger". We need to talk about: 1. Type of "meat" is very important. Hamburger is like at the bottom of ground beef quality. Next step up is "Ground Chuck", then "Ground Round", then "Ground Sirloin". Ground Chuck and Ground Round makes great tasting burgers. 2. Frozen meat or never frozen? 3. Fresh ground meat and ground to what size diameter? 4. Smashing burger meat and squeezing the "juice" out of the burger as; opposed to doing hand shaping patties. 5. Adding 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup of distilled water to 1lb of burger meat. Increases the "juice factor" 6. Thru-temperature of the patty prior to placing the patty on the griddle. Room temp? Refrigerator temp? Somewhat heated? I think that all these need to be included in the discussion on making a great burger.

[@copyeditcopypaste8032]

Besta comment yet

[@Dina_tankar_mina_ord]

This ia what I love with this channel. Well done Ethan. :) And your brothers honest answers elevates the whole show. Ive experimented with fat and xantangum to retain the fat in the meat. But I got to think. What if you dust a smal amount of cornstarch on your grounds. That would I think in theory keep the fat in the burger without adding to much flavor only alter the texture slightly? right?

[@EthanChlebowski]

Thanks! Definitely an interesting theory, I'll write that that one down. A video about juice retention could be pretty interesting 🤔🤔

[@turalsndor]

I think based on the video that the objective is to get the fat to melt out and provide effective thermal transfer for the malliard reaction. Getting the fat to stay in the beef would be counter productive.

[@bartoscar]

ATK does have a "well done" grilled burger recipe that incorporates a panade

[@Dina_tankar_mina_ord]

@@bartoscar like morpheus in the matrix. "Show me" :D

[@MichaelREFLECTS]

I think you misunderstand what xanthan gum is...it wouldn't "retain" the fat in the meat. Thats not how protein chain linking works. The xanthan would still ooze the fat out as the space between the meat as it is literally a mechanical squeeze. A good read into food microbiology and physics might be in order to better understand this. You're misassuming a lot due to basic understanding of xanthan. It wouldn't due to shear forces as well. The entropy isn't favored. There is a good reason panade is the go-to even on a Michelin level.

[@LovelyLori193]

absolutely looooooved how thourough and in depth everything was. Incredible video!

[@EthanChlebowski]

Thank you, it took awhile, but I had a ton of fun making it!

[@lisaredwine4857]

My favorite burger is actually a lean burger, but mix the raw meat with minced mushrooms (I used baby bellas) and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. The mushrooms add flavor and moisture and gives a better texture.

[@keeanmorishita8457]

that sounds just like my meatloaf

[@Metaio83]

I will try this out for a healthier option! Thank you for sharing.

[@inti_graphics]

Me and my husband would like to THANK YOU for this video 😊 we just had some for dinner again and all we can think of is how come we spent half of our life making burgers wrong? Also, we would like to let you know that this and many other recipes from your channel have changed and improved our meals. Thank you 🤩🙌

[@benjamincolson]

One aspect of texture that would be interesting to do a side-by-side of is the difference between fresh ground and store-bought ground beef, and if possible, the coarseness of the grind, and what effect this has in the final texture. Also what difference salting in advance might do to the texture. As well as a comparison of 100% beef patties to something like what we do with meatballs, where we add additional binders.

[@rileywebb4178]

You should never salt the meat ahead of time, or overmix the meat. That will increase the toughness greatly

[@jdecar1]

I salt my patties in advance the same way I dry brine any kind of roast. 3g salt per lb of meat. Less is more here, don't over-salt! (I use a milligram scale, but a literal pinch of kosher salt per patty is about right.) Then I vacuum pack the patties, and refrigerate for 24hrs to let the salt penetrate. After that I freeze or cook. Results are noticeably better than unsalted patties- better flavor, and a lot juicier.

[@mattjones3361]

@@rileywebb4178 not true, salted just before adds nothing, true. But 24hrs before adds plenty.👍

[@rileywebb4178]

@@mattjones3361 salting the ground meat 24hrs beforehand is not wanted because it will denature the protein and cause the meat to be chewier in a bad way, similar to too heavily mixing the meat. If you mean salting the surface right beforehand I definitely agree that it is not a problem, although I thought that mixing the salt in is. I'd have to check J Kenji's tests for whether mixing the salt in beforehand was tested, if not Ethan should totally test it! Edit: Kenji did indeed test salting prior to mixing and it was better than a longer brine but it was worse than not salting before mixing.

[@mattjones3361]

@@rileywebb4178 I misunderstood, I thought you meant meat in general, not pattie Specific. My point was that meat salted 24hrs before hand can add a lot, steaks especially. Whereas salting just before adds nothing.

[@BakersTuts]

Can you test optimal patty sizes? Like 2oz up to 8oz? Is there a max and min limit for smash burgers? For pub style? Etc

[@nwskier]

For what it's worth, the best I e made at home were 2 oz patties, for a double. Cheese in middle, half turkey half 80/20 with 3 thick slices of bacon diced up and added to the meat (per pound)

[@BakersTuts]

@@nwskier bacon bits are raw, partially cooked, fully cooked, or what?

[@BakersTuts]

@@nwskier and yeah I was assuming two 2oz or 3oz patties are good enough for a double

[@saelendraanto6621]

You're great Ethan, this video is perfect. I want to open my own burgershop, and your video is the only one who explain throughoutly about fat /lean ratio clearly.

[@SidAkbar]

Brilliant video, very informative, very entertaining, well-paced. Bravo!

[@ooodman]

This kind of video is why I've been a fan for a long time. The effort put into actually going and doing the experiments yourself and making observations is amazing. The editing, structure and use of visual aids is getting better every day too. Big ups to you, Ethan!

[@Number8Entertainment]

I’ve literally just discovered your channel a month ago, and I’m 100% convinced that you’re going to be my reference when it comes to cooking science! Wishing you the best Ethan!

[@user-dx6cg3ci8o]

You didn't mention one extremely important variable which is the grind size. Grinding finer (or twice) works magic regarding both juiciness and juice retention.

[@me-yh2kb]

The question would be now is how external fats effect burger quality can an 80/20 cooked with butter equal a 70/30 without butter? Oh! what about pork fat blends?

[@toriless]

It make 0% difference with the proper meat.

[@evemarie1605]

A suggestion:- try adding powdered meat tenderizer (a few grams per 1000) and buttermilk plus some cornmeal to soak up the excess water to your ground beef burger mix and then let the patties sit in a fridge for a few hours to age. The enzymes in the tenderizer and the acid and calcium in the buttermilk will release meat peptones to enhance the flavor plus the sugar in the buttermilk will promote maillardization so you should get a better flavor in the final cooked burger. You might also add some powdered lecithin to better emulsify the fat phase into the meat phase and promote fat retention in the final cooked burger with better final flavor:- I'm a kitchen sorceress on a secret quest to make a regular 70/30 burger taste like Wagyu beef without the Wagyu price!

[@panzerkiller13]

Eve, have you found any certain quantities of each that seems to yield the best result?

[@pnp8849]

Rare or med-rare wagyu burger is so wholesome love that it has so much fat. I think to make wagyu you'll need to smashes meat and fat really well and may need butter at the end. Will try natural papaya tenderizer, buttermilk but will use rice flour method.

[@PhaTs00p]

Just buy wagyu beef tallow and use this. Meat tenderizer on ground meat just creates a crumbly mess.

[@pghgeo816]

I was let down when he said the "beef flavor comes from the fat". Fat helps carry flavors to your palette. The beef flavor comes from the muscle and the older and tougher the muscle is the beefier it tastes. A really old steer can get to the point where it tastes minerally almost gamey. The reason fillet doesn't taste as beefy as a Delmonico is the Delmonico worked harder. He should cook an all-lean piece of round and an equally lean piece of fillet and taste them side by side while the round is going to be much tougher it will have more beef flavor.

[@nathanwahl9224]

Meat tenderizer? Screw that, but good meat. Yuk.

[@NicholasBasile]

I got my degree in Food Science and also took courses in meat science. I love your videos and this is a great demonstration that is easy to understand. As I'm very rusty having graduated over 10 years ago and no longer working in the food industry, it's nice to be refreshed on a lot of the curriculum I studied. Thank you for your work!

[@pghgeo816]

I was let down when he said the "beef flavor comes from the fat". Fat helps carry flavors to your palette. The beef flavor comes from the muscle and the older and tougher the muscle is the beefier it tastes. A really old steer can get to the point where it tastes minerally almost gamey. The reason fillet doesn't taste as beefy as a Delmonico is the Delmonico worked harder. He should cook an all-lean piece of round and an equally lean piece of fillet and taste them side by side while the round is going to be much tougher it will have more beef flavor.

[@yosemitesam9576]

@@pghgeo816 To be fair, he got corrected almost immediately with the chicken experiment.

[@pghgeo816]

@@yosemitesam9576 I'm not sure what you are commenting on.

[@pghgeo816]

@@yosemitesam9576 If you are referring to this comment below I sent that comment to another viewer named Nicholas Basile. look at the chain of comments. I will say this the maker of these videos makes tons of mistakes. He shouldn't be doing cooking videos. He is entertaining, a great personality his video are shot expertly, but his knowledge and chops when it comes to cooking leave a lot to be desired. compared to real experts. 1 month ago I was let down when he said the "beef flavor comes from the fat". Fat helps carry flavors to your palette. The beef flavor comes from the muscle and the older and tougher the muscle is the beefier it tastes. A really old steer can get to the point where it tastes minerally almost gamey. The reason fillet doesn't taste as beefy as a Delmonico is the Delmonico worked harder. He should cook an all-lean piece of round and an equally lean piece of fillet and taste them side by side while the round is going to be much tougher it will have more beef flavor.

[@user-gi2uh2vc6k]

@@pghgeo816 you must be new to internet comment sections but when you're making a point by commenting, you can expect people different from whom you've addressed to reply to that point since your comment is not private but public.

[@dinoflagella4185]

I did my own experiments with burgers awhile back. I used ground sirloin and ground chuck, and ground ribeye. I really liked the ground ribeye, but it was as very costly. I ended up using the ground chuck. I then tried the 80/20, 90/10, and the 93/7. I figured the 93/7 would be a healthy choice, but the burgers came out pretty dry. I got a lot of good feedback on the 80/20, so I now make my burgers out 80/20 ground chuck.

[@joncarroll2040]

This is key. Fat is fat but there's a difference in the lean meat from different parts of the animal. One of the advantages of burgers vs steak is that you are basically combining the positive aspects of the cuts you mix together.

[@calvinsimpson1301]

I use a mixture of chuck and short rib I highly recommend. I did a couple experiments too and that was the winner when it came to fat content, flavor and tenderness. Short rib is a fantastic cut for burgers

[@InitialDL84]

​@@calvinsimpson1301I definitely need to try that!

[@Bound4Earth]

Yeah the low fat meat is dry because it already lacks fat so when you cook it, tends to dry out. If you get a chance try 75/25 ground chuck, harder to find but that extra 5% fat does some heavy lifting. Not healthy mind you, but this is a burger.

[@Bound4Earth]

@@joncarroll2040 He said Ground Chuck, meaning it is only made with chuck roast. Unlike ground beef which changes flavor drastically depending on which parts you get.

[@abrilalvarado6603]

Love this video so much and all the work done

[@xRyroxGHx]

You can tell he really enjoys making these videos, real nice to see him having authentic fun and getting excited in the video

[@TheCyab]

What I love about Ethan’s channel is that it is informative and really great content. I used to fear cooking as a beginning but this channel has made me feel more comfortable to try things out in the kitchen

[@malikTaha425]

I was just looking for a quick recipe to make burger at home and don't know much about burgers this is helpful.

[@bigd4229]

As a lover of cooking smash burgers, this video was amazing. Will be watching again. Thank you sir!

[@feiryfella]

I love the Guga reference, then adding you're own style and explanations. It really adds to my knowledge! Thanks! Oh, try making 'beef scratchings', then you'll know just how beefy the fat is! Lamb sctratchings are also awesome.

[@rickeycarter]

Nice bit of work! Thanks for the detailed experiments. For followup, I would be interested in tests of 70:30 burgers where the cut of muscle meat varies. Chuck, ribeye, brisket, etc.

[@EthanChlebowski]

Thank you! I actually thought about including that test in this one, but then realized I was already looking at a 20+ minute video. I definitely want to try some custom blends with burgers in a future video.

[@fusionxtras]

@@EthanChlebowski if im being honest, i think this is an interesting enough subject for a 40+ minute presentation

[@AlexAnder-yj1qs]

I’d watch a two hour Netflix documentary if it’s shot like this and includes the text on screen as this video has.

[@Adam12128]

@@EthanChlebowski I think we can all get behind the idea of making a "burger series" where you do a couple videos going over every aspect of a burger, because there's so much to something that seems so simple. Also, one of the most popular foods in America

[@daname1491]

I tried it a couple weeks ago. Honestly I was a bit disappointed that I couldn‘t taste any difference’s.

[@tomrowse6250]

Excellent explanatory video as you delve deeply into food science-Thanks!!

[@smerk429]

Beautiful brother. Keep up the great work breaking down science behind everything. It really does help us out a lot and pretty much will help us put out better food in the world. Much love. ❤

[@jc13781]

dude this is such a good nerd session, and i think you're reallllly evolving from the typical or proto-typical food tuber. instead of just making the same old recipes that are hot at the moment, or adding some twist to recipes we have all made a thousand times, you're really exploring how things work. top tier content brother!

[@aselrahc]

I appreciate these kinds of videos way more than the "I improved so and so's recipe" videos. Keep doing this and I'll keep watching! I'd love to see part two!

[@TakBonez]

Why you gotta put Uncle Josh on blast like that?

[@AthenaKeatingThomas]

I really enjoy your food science experiments! Keep up the great work with those. Now I have a better idea what to look for in the supermarket.

[@MaxwellNewton]

This video is a perfect example of why I love your channel... fundamentals and science first.

[@JonCole]

some really interesting results here. one of my favorite ways to make a burger at home is a patty melt a la whataburger, now i'm thinking that i could use a pretty lean blend for my patties and just go slightly heavier on the onions + pepper sauce, or maybe even bulk/juice it up with some sauteed mushrooms. thanks for the unique perspectives ethan

[@willdean9513]

Ethan, for a follow-up, can you try the technique that ATK (among others) has used - adding a little baking soda to the ground beef? It’s supposed to promote browning of leaner meat without affecting the flavor. Unless you use too much :)

[@toastedsesamebun]

baking soda helps the meat retain its moisture, which would have otherwise exited at high heat cooking. It definitely promotes browning (less wet) and also keeps the meat juicy.

[@IBryanValko]

Man this is really cool. I think a lot of leveling up in cooking across the board is learning these types of things! Once you understand what's happening with food when it's getting cooked, that's when you start getting comfortable improvising with other types of cuisine.

[@stevenhowson4674]

Great video, I'd be interested to hear your opinion about the coarseness of the grind. Time permitting I like to grind my own beef, usually chuck, at around the 70/30 ratio and I prefer the smash technique. Finer ground holds its shape well, but I think the courser grind has a nicer mouth feel, but it's harder to hold together while cooking. Love your channel.

[@deepitjain]

My man Ethan’s basically done a PhD in food science. I love learning the science and basics behind dishes so I can make them my own. Thank you so much!!

[@robinisomaa]

When I make burgers, I use store-bought ground beef with 17% fat. My problem was always getting the perfect texture on the patties, so that they keep together until you take a bite and get a mouthful of juicy beef goodness. The best tip I found was to keep the beef in the fridge until just before you're going to start cooking, and then just grab a chunk and quickly form an irregularly shaped patty, working the meat as little as possible, and throw it in the pan, where you season it. The cooking time is a bit longer since it's fridge cold rather than room temperature, but that makes it more difficult to overcook it.

[@pghgeo816]

Do you choose the 17% for health reasons?

[@DailyPragmatism]

@@pghgeo816 na he’s just superstitious

[@thecolonel-truesoutherngen2230]

@pghgeo816 there are no health reasons for low fat. animal fat is good for you . check out vids on keto and carnivore.

[@wereid1978]

One of the smartest ways to advertise I've seen in a long time. I'm a cook and I would buy that griddle.

[@chrismarzarella2106]

New subscriber! Great video(s). Really helping me with understanding my steak and burger mistakes. My flavors are on point but I always seem to miss the mark and overcook.

[@truenorth2653]

Dope tests brother. Keeping everything relatable to the home chef is where you shine. Love it.

[@glendagonzalez2469]

It's breakfast time here but I would love a burguer right now. Awesome video. I'm going to put it to the test this weekend.

[@Larryputt1]

Yes, you confirmed, why I like the Ground Chuck at 80/20 the best.

[@helmutkrusemann9194]

Ethan, help please!!! How will I get super juicy bone in, skin on turkey thighs, 1 pound in weight??? I always end up with either dry meat that „falls off the bone“ or tough meat like shoe leather!? I get all kinds of suggestions, from braising and low and slow cooking to high heat and fast cooking?! Internal temperature suggestions from 165 up to 200!? I tried almost everything but nothing works?! My thighs are free range and organic, lots of connective tissue but low fat. I want juicy thighs, drumsticks and whole turkey legs. Today I put them in the oven at 400 and within 30 minutes they hit 175 internal temperature, meat tough! Yesterday slow cooker 2,5 hours, dry! Help please. Please make a video if you don´t mind and explain how to cook cuts like this, low fat, a lot of connective tissue. Thank you very much for sharing so much great content!

[@tom-ju6y]

great suggestion, thanks

[@dirkoechsle55]

Definitely will be interesting to see how to cook these cuts plain and simple but juicy!

[@EthanChlebowski]

I've got an in depth video on turkey here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m36Xk4Gvmt6Cn7s The thighs are pretty tricky to get perfect. For best results, I would dry brine overnight then slow cook via sous vide, braising, or at a lower temp in the oven. Sear on a griddle to finish!

[@angelodelemos316]

@@EthanChlebowski in this video you roast the turkey on hight heat, now you recommend low and slow!? This is kind of confusing!

[@dexterm2003]

I think you missed a key variable. The consistency of the grind I feel makes a huge difference to the taste of a hamburger. The majority of the patties that I saw you make were very coarse ground and would have a crumbly consistency. My favorite beef patty has a much more homogeneous texture from a finer grind and is pressed well when formed to give an incredibly tender and juicy bite. I use 1/4 lb RM frozen beef patties (from winco) preheat my gas grill to med-high place the patties on frozen, splash some worcestershire sauce the sprinkle on Montreal steak seasoning. I will typically turn my grill down to medium then watch for red juices to come to the top and the edges to slightly brown then one flip and repeat with sauce and seasoning. Then watch for clear juices to come to the top then pull the patties. They turn out amazing everytime and are the best burger patties I have ever had tender, juicy, flavorful with good grill marks but no hard crunchy bits. The consistency of the patty, flavorings and flipping once and only once are all key. I made these for some friends and they raved about them! They said they were the best they had ever had. I told them I cooked them from frozen patties and they could not believe it. Give it a shot some time I highly recommend it. If you want to do cheese burgers then add the slices after flipping and seasoning. If the cheese doesn't melt to your liking then gently move them up to the warming rack and let the cheese melt for a little longer after the 2-3 minutes on the second side.

[@cigilpatrick80]

I've found that when you use a finer grind, especially if it's overworked/pressed too much, it results in a less juicy burger. Kudos though for finding your style! It would be interesting to Ethan compare the two though so I'm definitely with you there!

[@Inspectorzinn2]

He specifically said he was skipping that key variable as he spent too much time on the other elements. It was skipped due to time constraints, not missed.

[@iSchmidty13]

He said at the beginning that he was purposefully skipping that variable, along with others in order to keep this video a reasonable length. That's why he said he'd cover those other variables in a follow up video.

[@Dwynfal]

I'm a coarse grind aficionado, I can't seem to make a juicy burger if it's finely ground. That's said, I grill over charcoal and not gas, so maybe that's another variable!

[@violetviolet888]

@@Dwynfal Heat is heat. If it's too hot with charcoal, then you need less charcoal or you need to move most of the charcoal to one side and use the other side with less charcoal.

[@pdubbs88]

Halfway thru this and I already learned so much.

[@bumblebright4032]

Please I need a pt 2

[@firetofork]

The discussion about moisture increasing pleasure was absolutely classic. But this is also the best burger rundown I have ever seen I used to think George Motz gave the best breakdowns, but this might just tale the cake (this is coming from a full-time foodtuber)

[@deanmclean5447]

This would be a really cool deep dive series and I think this format really suits you! I’d like to see what the difference is texturally and experientially in a pub style burger with the different mixtures.

[@martinchacon2597]

Amazing video!!!! Please keep it up. Super interesting stuff. Huge fan, bro 🤙🏽

[@alfieboy4022]

One big variable is the grind. I've found that you can get away with leaner cuts with a coarser grind but not so much in a fine grind. Re-grinding also is another option which results in a drastically different burger than one initially ground coarse or fine. Honestly the crust on those burgers was generally lacking too because of likely the cooking setup. Good smash burgers need inferno like temperatures to give you a nice lattice-like crust.

[@Patrick-cc3ub]

For those who want to know, the piece from 0:30 - 1:16 is Summer from the Four Seasons: Movement 1 (Allegro non Molto), by Antonio Vivaldi.

[@rockshot100]

Ethan, I wish you would have tested putting the smallest amount of baking soda on the out side of the burger. I saw this on Cook's Ill. and much to my shock, it works VERY well with browning beef. You could mix up some baking soda with water then SLIGHTLY pat the burgers. Or ideally spray a solution on, but that is too much trouble. My bothers and I always add the slightest amount of bread crumbs and onions to the beef, don't ask me why, but you will never have a cold, stale, greasy burger, Even the next day, they are fantastic.

[@nazirmudasser1672]

just great I've always wanted to do these type of experiments, thank you

[@bpp325]

I like the 'beef vinaigrette' analogy. This makes sense the way you present it. Thanx.

[@datwaybrooks2719]

God this filled my nerd meter to the top. LOVE LOVE these in depth videos with all the science behind it. My family looks at me crazy when I explain these things, feel like Einstein lol. Keep up the amazing work Ethan and I appreciate you for helping me become a better chef!

[@EzMack89]

Awesome video Ethan. Always appreciate you including parts where your experiment doesn't necessarily yield the results you expected, adds a level of authenticity you don't see often. If you've got access to an outdoor grill (perhaps both gas and charcoal) would definitely enjoy seeing a deep dive video into the differences and perhaps recreating the char-broiled aroma of a Whopper which is a guilty pleasure of mine :)

[@gaminikokawalage7124]

Definitely like that he included those parts

[@jonnyptaylor3252]

Thanks Ethan! Useful.

[@lern2swim]

I think the 70/30 is better for a smash burger because you're smashing a bunch of the fat down and out anyway, so it gets more concentrated. If the final test was done with a regular burger I'm willing to bet the 80/20 would have been proven to be the sweet spot, due to more balance between lean and fat in the middle portion of the patty.

[@brayoungful]

These were also all done on a skillet. If cooked on a grill, I agree that 80/20 is better. It retains its shape and holds together a little better with less shrinkage, and the higher fat of the 70/30 causes more flare-ups. Pooling fat also does nothing on a grill (unless you're cooking on a skillet on a grill).

[@beepbop6697]

I agree, the smash burger is covering much more surface area and allows the high fat content to render quicker. What he called "pub style" (regular burgers, not smashed), I think 80/20 is better.

[@Lokaoxisde1]

Your brother is a great addition specially to these experimental videos, keep going man

[@gordontubbs]

The 93/7 smash burger was a solid diet insight! I would love to know how the *starting temperature* of the patty (from room temp to frozen) impacts crust formation and texture. The economic relevance is whether or not we should splurge on fresh beef or buy pre-formed frozen patties.

[@noktilux4052]

When I do make burgers, I use ground lamb and employ the "smash" technique. There is simply no contest -- beef is very second-rate by comparison.

[@StarKnight70]

@@noktilux4052 idk if its just me, but overall lambs and goats feel waaaay fattier than beef, like, idk maybe more intramuscular fat? Maybe that helps with why you feel it tastes better

[@mmbarbon2955]

I like a bit of pork in my burger.. Not sure why given the roughly equal part fat in both meats.

[@denisefarmer366]

This video helped me immeasurably to understand burger deliciousness is easily attainable. My next burger will be 70/30 with no hesitation at all. Thanks!!

[@Ejjamz58]

Awesome video and I never knew what goes into best burgers.

[@MrRobd23]

I had my doubts about what this video would accomplish with so many burger videos out there. And while the conclusion reached was what i expected (the more fat the better) im glad i watched this entire video and did learn some things. This was a worthy endeavor Ethan, cheers

[@williamhoodtn]

Great video Ethan! Will for sure need to try 70/30 ground chuck for my next smash burger cookout. I'll make 4oz. balls instead of the normal 3oz balls of 80/20 meat to compensate for size reduction. As for my pink burger sauce, I do half Duke's mayo, half BBQ sauce, a dash of L&P Worcestershire sauce and yellow mustard, chunky chopped up dill pickles and some Kinder's Salt/Pepper/Garlic. And yes, I toast my Potato buns using real butter.

[@desartster71]

What a fantastic video. Well done Sir and thank you.

[@leeh9420]

Awesome, and super-informative!

[@trebledawson]

Great video. Would be interesting to see a similar set of experiments but cooked on a grill instead of a griddle. The smashburger is excellent but the browning characteristics are definitely different when the fat is dripping down instead of being used to directly sear the meat. Also, on a grill the fat will burn and aerosolize as it drips onto the flame, which can add additional flavor compounds.

[@GaryPiazza]

Great work, Ethan! Loved this episode. Feel that there should definitely be a part 2 as the type of beef and grind must come into play as well. I prefer to grind my own, adjust the fat content to my liking and set the grind also to my liking. For smash burgers, I find that two patties, only one slice of cheese between and only pickles and burger sauce is the best combination for me. Two slices of cheese just makes it too...cheesy. For pub style, a four inch ring mold, 1 inch thick and a 70/30 fat and course grind is the best. Load it up with pepper and cook it medium rare. Again, minimal toppings on brioche and I'm in heaven. I rarely, if ever, buy pre-ground meat.

[@crazyg74]

I love how you mentioned the thermal conductivity of the fat. I've always known this, but never heard anyone else describe it. Apart from the crust, a fatty burger (or sausage) actually fries itself inside with it's own fat. If you make lean cased sausages and you'll learn this lesson the hard way. They just don't cook properly.

[@dnoordink]

Also, variety is the spice of life.. so many options!

[@TheSlavChef]

I love these long educational videos, always a pleasure to see. Thanks Ethan for the great video again.

[@danyboy99]

Love to see you here :D

[@TheSlavChef]

@@danyboy99 hi comrade!

[@kanelawless8358]

Enjoyed the video a lot Ethan. Something I noticed in the final comparison (which you may have thought of already) is the size of the patties. I spent alot of time also trying to perfect my smash burgers and I get my patties around 65g each for a double patty burger, using 80/20. The crust and juiciness is out of this world at that level of fat when the patties get properly smashed thin. You may see less of a difference between the 70/30 and 80/20 at that weight, and more between the 93/70 and 80/20. Just wanted to share my experience with you and anyone else reading. Its easier for me to convince my girlfriend to eat "lower fat" foods! haha. Look forward to the next video

[@richardsilva-spokane3436]

Your video MADE MY DAY!!!! Excellent plan, information, and execution. For my next family Grill-Party in May, we’re doing the 70/30 Smash Burgers, potato salad, baked beans, and (suggestions, anyone?). Thanks for a super great video 👍👍👍👍👍

[@travellerseko]

The most scientific burger video I’ve ever seen. Thanks much for your efforts to prepare this video. Definitely a must for burger lovers.

[@frostynips5757]

A great way I’ve found to improve burgers is mixing in small amounts of cheese into the mince before you cook it that way it melts throughout the burger like fat marbling in a good steak.

[@IndependantMind168]

We're soulmates. 😀

[@cinbeano]

Does it not burn the cheese at all if you’re cooking it for the same amount of time as the raw beef?