Adding Cheese To Grilled Burgers All Comes Down To Perfect Timing
Whether you're stuffing burgers with an off-beat food item or simply topping them with a traditional ingredient, there's no question that the classic savory hunk of ground beef presents you with a canvas where your creativity can soar. Condiments aside, for some burger lovers it's just not a proper meal without cheese. Turning a regular burger into a cheeseburger might seem like a very simple step, but without careful consideration of the timing of this addition, you're wasting the potential of what that gooey, melted goodness could become.
If you put the cheese on too early, it could burn before your burger is done cooking and, in turn, ruin all of the flavor you were hoping for. On the other hand, if you adorn your burger with a slice of cheddar too late, it won't have enough time to properly melt before you need to take the burger off the grill. That's why, for the very best grilled cheeseburger, you should add the cheese just minutes before the meat's cooking time is through.
Cheese melts quickly, but still needs time
Placing cheese on your patties with just a couple minutes of cooking time left allows the cheese to get a good melt without overdoing it. Of course, how long you should wait will depend on how well done you like your meat. For example, a medium-well burger will take about nine minutes to finish when you grill it over high heat. If this is your preferred level of doneness, once you hit seven minutes it's time to open your grill and place the cheese on top. As soon as the cheese goes on, close your grill's lid and let the heat trapped inside do the melting work as it finishes cooking your burger patty as well.
In addition to timing, it's essential to consider the correct preparation of your cheese of choice. Firm, traditional cheeses, like cheddar, should be sliced or grated before adding them to your burgers. At the same time, it's best to crumble softer, more underrated cheese options to achieve an even melt. So the next time you're ready to break out the grill and show off your burger skills, remember that patience is a virtue, even when making a perfectly melted cheeseburger.