Food - Drink

Why You Should Wet Your Hands Before Making Burger Patties

By HALDAN KIRSCH

Whether you're a true connoisseur who grinds their own meat, or you grab the cheapest pack of ground chuck at the store, shaping your own patties can let you more thoroughly season your hamburgers. However, to elevate your burgers at the next neighborhood cookout, you should shape your patties with wet hands.

Ground meat tends to stick to your hands thanks to a protein called myosin. As this protein breaks down it forms a sort of "meat glue" that will start to bond with other objects. By dipping your hands in cold, wet water before shaping a burger you're able to prevent that protein breakdown while you shape.

In contrast, breaking down the different proteins present in ground beef will result in tough hockey pucks coming off the grill instead of a juicy, tender patty. Serious Eats says that the same result can also come from overworking ground beef before it's ever shaped. Remember that burgers aren't meant to take a lot of work, so keep it simple.

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