Food - Drink
Why It Pays To Chill Burger Patties Before Cooking
By JOE DILLARD
Grilling the perfect burger may be among the greatest culinary feats for the average home cook. Cooking burgers over high, direct heat is ideal for producing a juicy inside and crisp exterior, but an extra way to help you achieve great results is to chill your burger patties before cooking so they'll stay juicy and won't fall apart.
While some meats, like steak, cook better when brought to room temperature, a chilled burger keeps its shape better than a warm patty, making it easier to flip. Chilling the burger also keeps its juices intact and slightly prolongs the cooking time, so you won't feel frazzled and rushed by how quickly your burgers cook (or burn).
Keeping your burgers in the fridge until right before cooking also prevents bacteria from growing on them, which is a real risk with ground meat at room temperature. The USDA discourages keeping ground beef outside of the fridge at room temperature for more than 2 hours to reduce the risk of bacterial growth.