Why Adding Mayo To Ground Beef Is The Key To The Perfect Burger

Why Adding Mayo To Ground Beef Is The Key To The Perfect Burger

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  • Plenty of people put mayo on their burger, but there’s another way you can use the condiment to take things to the next level
  • Here’s why you might want to think about adding mayo to your ground beef before you cook it
  • Check out more cooking tips here

I’ve been on a big burger kick lately. Big. That’s because the bar down the street from me that just opened has the best burger in all of New York City. I got it twice last week and am going tonight.

I don’t really care what they do to make it so damn tasty; I just know that it is.

I do know there are certain techniques people swear by when it comes to making the perfect burger, but I have to say I was slightly taken aback by one I stumbled upon when I was reading an article Washington Magazine published concerning some tips and tricks from an expert who’s dubbed himself the “Burger Guru.”

Some of them may not come as news to anyone who knows their way around a grill or a griddle, but there was one piece of advice that really made me do a double-take: folding mayonnaise (specifically Duke’s) into the raw ground beef before forming a patty.

Now, I’m no mayo prude. I enjoy it on sandwiches and fries and love chicken salad. But that’s cold mayonnaise. This will be hot. Hot mayonnaise. Grrrr.

However, here’s why the Burger Guru thinks it’s worth a shot:

Secret ingredient #2: Duke’s mayonnaise. The rationale: “With mayo, you’re adding moisture and adding fat. Fat that won’t melt away under heat. Mayo also stays in its fat form as it cooks…

I have to make my burger stand out from 50 competitors. I have to make that first bite be—aha! I have to make people say—Oh my god! Mayo’s the best I’ve come up with.

It transmits the natural flavor of the product. It doesn’t get in the way of the taste of the beef, which happens with cheeses.”

The rationale for Duke’s: Duke’s has more egg in it than Hellman’s, making it richer and lusher. Can’t find Duke’s? Whip an egg into Hellman’s. Either way, you want to incorporate two tablespoons per pound of meat.

It might sound crazy, but who are you to argue with someone who calls themself the Burger Guru?