Paul Newman Said Beef That Is 'Too Good' Is The Biggest Burger Mistake

Undoubtedly, Paul Newman is best known for his life in cinema. Yet, ever the man-about-town, Mr. Cool was quite the food personality throughout his 83 years of life, too. Newman's Own, the food product company owned by a nonprofit foundation, may be his greatest legacy when it comes to feeding people, but Paul Newman was a cookbook author as well. And, an opinionated one at that. In 1993, during an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Newman offered up what he felt was one of burger cooking's biggest mistakes.

"Don't make the mistake of using ground round or sirloin," Newman told reporter Robin Benzlē. "Many hamburger cooks fall short of my standards because they use meat that is simply too good. I cook all my hamburgers on the outdoor grill or the indoor fireplace grill, and ground chuck is best suited to a hot, charcoal fire."

If one thing's clear from Newman's quote, it's that how we define "good" versus "bad" beef has changed a lot in 30 years. For many, Newman's use of either might be flipped: chuck is good, while sirloin is bad. Or, we might use good and bad to define how we consider beef products with regards to producer aspects like livestock welfare, diet, or the cattle species being harvested. But in the '90s, Newman's implication is that the good stuff — ground beef made from lean meat — makes bad patties. Whereas the best beef for your burger is meat that contains a bit of fat, like chuck. Regardless of what decade you're in, Newman's idea of identification of this common burger mistake remains astute.

Burgers should have a lean-to-fat ratio of no more than 80/20 if you're interested in keeping things moist and put together. Ground sirloin can be up to 90% lean meat, and ground round pushes between 80-90% lean meat, so both are beef blends that could result in a dried up patty. Yet, while the marbling of your burger meat is important, going with something like 70/30 might net you a burger that's too greasy to enjoy.

If you're looking to cut back on beef fat but still find the craving of a burger too much to resist, there are some ways to ensure your lean meat burger stay juicy. One ingredient you can add to the mix is grated potato, which will introduce a bit more moisture as well as a binding effect. Alternatively, some grated cold butter mixed into the beef can have the same effect as a little extra beef fat. Other important techniques to consider when cooking lean burgers are to reduce the amount of time you handle the patties, dimple the portions before pressing them into shape, and using high heat for a short interval.