The photos took me instantly to the last time I had that very dish and spurred the thought – why has it been so long since I made it?

Sick of mushrooms running away from your burger when you bite in? Me too.

I’m happy to admit this one’s a bit ridiculous. I love having mushrooms on my burgers but they always fall off and become a messy hazard. I thought to myself, perhaps if I used melted cheese to glue them in place…

Nothing too crazy here other than the amount of cheese used. If you want to recreate:

1. Cook the mushrooms in a hot cast iron skillet.
2. Throw your hamburger on the grill and cook one side.
3. Flip and add a layer of your cheese of choice. Allow to melt.
4. Add cooked mushrooms on top of that layer.
5. Top with more cheese. I went with a double layer.
6. Cook the burgers to perfection, prep, and enjoy!

The approach was rather brutish and rudimentary but successful. Certainly not a gourmet burger winning any awards but it was an entertaining way to spend the evening!

Finding the Right Hamburger Meat

A lot of people do not pay enough attention to one of the simplest, but most important parts of the process: picking out your hamburger meat.  When possible, go with high quality, local meat if you live in a good area for it.  It may not seem like it, but the quality will make a difference!

Also, many people want to be very healthy and select hamburger that is very lean and has a low percentage of fat.  You can do so, but if you do you must know that your hamburgers will be noticeably dry compared to hamburgers with a higher percentage of fat.  That is why lean hamburger is often better reserved for other meals, such as spaghetti, where the dryness of the meat will not be noticed.

Making Perfect Patties

A lot of your success when grilling hamburgers will also be dependent on how well you make your patties!  This is really a very basic idea, because if you make very thick patties, they will take longer to cook, and vice versa.

You generally want a baseball-sized amount of beef for each patty.  Try to make the patty as thick around the edges as you do in the middle, and make the patties larger around than the buns that they will be eaten with.  Otherwise, you will end up with those small, thick hamburger balls that no one wants to eat!

Grilling for Success

Your grill should be set at a high heat.  Hamburgers are easy to grill on a charcoal grill as well as a gas grill, because the heat does not have to be lower or at a specific level.  Instead, you can just fire up the grill and get ready to go.

Oiling the grill’s grating is probably a good idea if you are worried about your meat sticking.  Place the patties on the grill, and then cook them equally on each side.  You will generally need to grill them for about ten minutes total, so five minutes on each side.  However, this is largely dependent on how hot your grill is!  Until you get the hang of it, use a meat thermometer to tell if the hamburgers are done.  You are shooting for about 160 degrees for a medium-cooked hamburger, or a little hotter for well done.

There you have it!  While you can personalize the preparation by adding seasoning or using toasted buns (and let’s not forget the toppings!), that is the basic method for cooking hamburgers on the grill.  As you can see, it’s not so difficult after all!

[Header image source.]

Learning how to grill steak is something best learned when doing it for two. If you can master grilling for your significant other – someone who should be brutally honest with you – then you will be in a good place.

Things to remember:

• Skill can make a decent steak great
• A lack of skill will make a great steak mediocre
• Use cuts with a good amount of marbleization
• Let steaks come to room temperature before grilling

Guide Summary

1.    Preheat the grill
2.    Season steaks with kosher salt and cracked black pepper
3.    Let steaks stand if still cold
4.    Sear steak on first side
5.    Flip and cook through to desired temperature
6.    Remove from grill and let steaks stand
7.    Enjoy

Preheating the Grill

If your grill is charcoal, start the process. Coals are ready when the heat is even and there is an even ash on the majority of the coals. If you have a propane grill, simply preheat it to the appropriate temperature. Then go put on a skirt and some sweet smelling perfume. Just kidding.

Seasoning the Steak

Wars have been fought on how to season steak; people use rubs, marinades, steak sauce, even barbeque sauce. Start simple. Master the art of grilling steak using only simple ingredients. Kosher salt and crushed black pepper will outperform steak seasoning and marinades with most crowds.

The Importance of Temperature

For those with a discerning palette, only a few degrees separate perfection from a ruined dinner. It is important to let steaks come to room temperature before grilling to ensure an even cook. Steaks that are almost freezing in the center when they go on the grill are certain to come out one of two ways: underdone and inconsistent or overdone and dry.

Know your temperature and know the desired temperature of those you are cooking for and remember, a few degrees makes a big differences to those who even moderately appreciate steak. Use the beef temperature chart below (credit: wikipedia) for quick reference.

Cooking Steaks on the Grill

Choose a part of the grill that is hot enough to get the job done but is going to be manageable to work with. If you’re reading “how to grill steak” then the hottest part of the grill is not for you. Find a place with consistent, strong heat and lay down your steak. Once it’s down, don’t move it unless it’s an emergency. Over-flipping causes uneven grill marks and uneven cooking; both of which are unappealing. Aim to flip once.

Add cross hatches by rotating the steak clockwise after an acceptable sear.

Some sources will have you believe there is some sort of magic in knowing when to flip. When the bottom of the steak appears brown and has healthy grate marks on it, flip. After this flip, things come together pretty quickly. Again, avoid magic here. Many people methods like poking, squeezing, or eyeballing. They can be pretty accurate… but a digital grill thermometer is perfectly accurate. Simply insert the probe into the middle of the steak and remove the steak when it is a few degrees away from the desired temperature. The steak will continue cooking while resting.

Resting and Serving

One of the most important steps in the steak grilling process is resting. Resting a steak simply means leaving it alone for a few minutes after cooking. This allows the temperature to stabilize and juices to redistribute. Never cut into a steak before it is allowed to rest; the juices will all end up on the plate.

Serving steak comes down to style and personal taste. Soft rolls, grilled vegetables,   and sauteed mushrooms are particularly popular accouterments. Grilling steak can be simple, fast, and can make for a great dish. With practice and constructive criticism from a trusted source, you will be a master of grilled steak in no time.

[Header image source.]

Handsome cuts of Filet Mignon. Good color; well-marbleized.

Filet mignon even sounds intimidating. However, grilling this tender cut of meat does not have to make anyone nervous. It’s actually a pretty simple process. The one key to remember throughout the entire process is that less is more—less preparation, less interference, less stress, and more enjoyment of a steak that will literally melt in your mouth.

To prepare the steak you will only need some simple spices. For lean meat, or if the fat has been removed from the outer edges of the filet, you may want to wrap a strip of bacon around it to keep the juices in. Then, rub fresh ground pepper over the filet for the perfect marinade by itself, and only add kosher salt to the meat after searing it on the grill. After all, the last thing you want is a dry filet mignon. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, any steak rub or traditional marinade will suffice for flavor. Either way, let your filet mignon sit for thirty to forty-five minutes before placing it on the grill. This will allow the meat to reach room temperature as well as to facilitate in the absorption of the spices.

While you are waiting for your filet to reach room temperature, preheat your grill. For a gas grill, a medium-high setting is best for searing, and it should take 15-20 minutes to preheat. For a charcoal grill, the coals should be evenly distributed and you will know it is ready when the coals are red-hot and covered with white ash. Proceed by placing the filet on the grill with tongs. It is important to never pierce the meat, as the juices will drain out. Always use tongs when turning the steak. Once the steaks have been seared for 3 minutes on each side, cook them for an addition 1-6 minutes on each side by indirect heat, depending on preference and thickness of the steak. For a gas grill, turn the middle burner off, and for a charcoal grill, move the majority of the charcoal to one side and cook on the other. For both grills, cook with the lid down.

Once your filets have been grilled to your liking, remove them from the grill. If you are unsure whether your meat is cooked correctly, you may test the doneness by pushing on the steak. A rare steak will leave an indention of your finger on the surface. A medium steak will give a little, but not leave an indention. You may also use a digital or instant-read meat thermometer. For medium, cook to 145F (63C); for rare, cook to 130F (54C). When removing the filets from the grill, it is best to place them on warm plates. Always allow filet mignon to sit for five minutes before serving to ensure that the flavors have time to settle, and then you may slice the meat and serve as desired.

Grilling filet mignon obviously does not have to cause anxiety in anyone. The important things to remember are to allow your meat to reach room temperature, to never pierce a filet, and to allow the juices to recollect after cooking the steak. That way, you can savor each and every mouth-watering, melt in your mouth bite.

[Header image source.]