It's hard to say what the secret of the perfect meat pie is, because there are countless ways to make it. But there are some basic principles that should not be overlooked.
How and where to get it
If with absolute certainty if you want to go, it's best to get it from the right place. Of course, you have to be careful here too, because only the the best ingredients working, mostly from a professional site, should be obtained from a dealer. If you are a caterer, it is important to get your meat from a reliable partner who can consistently present the same quality. This is also of paramount importance, so that the meat patties we choose are always and in all circumstances be available. If something is on the menu, there should be no shortage of it, at least ideally.
Meatball has become a world food
A meat patty started its world tour with the story of the hamburger. It has something to do with John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich, who, being a lover of card games, refused to leave the table, so he sandwiched it between two loaves of bread meat for you. That's how the sandwich came about. And the hamburger is actually a product of Hamburg, or emigration. As a port city, it became an important centre for immigrants to America. They crossed the ocean and tried to make their own food there. This is how, for example, New York began to sell dishes named after the city, such as Hamburg steak. That is, meat sandwiched between two loaves of bread, and later baked goods, and later meatballs, some other vegetables and sauce. This simple dish has now conquered the world. And with it, the age of the meat pie.
Meatballs have been used ever since and are known as the primary ingredient in burgers. However, it is no longer used exclusively for this purpose. It can be eaten with other dishes or on its own with a salad all year round, but it is a big hit at barbecues, which are in season. You can find it in restaurants, beach bars, food trucks, in short, the choice is huge. In fact, a whole industry has sprung up around the meat pie, and we are living in its heyday.
The secret to the perfect meat pie
Perhaps the secret is that there is no secret. We have countless recipes at our disposal. Everyone makes it differently. We could go on at length about the meats used and the seasoning. You can list the methods and steps, which differ from one to another. The essence is basically always the same. Quality ingredients, attention. In fact, the starting point is that if the quality of the meat is not good, then we can be sure, that our meat pie won't be either.
Many people swear that meatballs, especially for burgers, can only be made with ground beef. Of course, this is where we can already run into differences of opinion, as you can already find lamb burgers, goose burgers, fish burgers and so on. All these terms, of course, mean what the ominous meat burger is made of.
Meatball bases
Let's start with beef. Sirloin or shoulder is the best part for it. It is of prime importance that it should not be dry under any circumstances! The fat content of the meat should be a minimum of 20% and a maximum of 40%. If drier meat you manage to obtain, you can add a suitable proportion of beef tallow.
Meatballs are made from minced meat
Hamburger patties/meat patties are made from minced meat! Therefore, you should basically get it as minced meat or have it minced by the butcher. In this case, get it home as soon as possible, because it must not dry out! The point is that the fresher it is, the better, and the juicier it is, the better. The next step is to season the minced meat. We'll go into this in a bit, but it's best to use a specific spice mix. What's important is NOT to add salt! Salting should be avoided at this stage because salt loosens the protein structure and makes the mince „runny”. You can still prepare it this way, but you should expect that it may result in a slightly rubbery, stiffer meat pie after cooking.
Mix well to make it as homogeneous as possible! The next step is to put it in the freezer. The simple reason for this is to allow it to solidify a little. A firmer consistency is important because it allows you to retain the fat, there is no loss and it is much easier to shape your meat. The meat will also rest a little while it's chilling, which will help the texture!
Forming, baking, seasoning
After resting, shape it quickly so it doesn't get too hot! Be careful when choosing the size, there will be some baking loss, so it will lose its original size! Once this is done, you can start baking. It is not a question of using a well preheated pan, grill or iron plate!
Here comes the seasoning. There are several schools. One of them is to add spices while the dough is still being shaped, or directly during baking. Both can be useful. Again, the question of which spices to use is a matter of debate. The basic solution is nothing special. Salt and pepper. Slushy! The other solution is that it depends on the kitchen, taste and recipe - you can add garlic, cumin, red pepper, mustard, ketchup. But here too there are countless variations. Here, too, a pre-made spice mix can be a good choice.
Baking is almost the easiest, but you can go wrong here too! Start at a slightly higher heat, 3-5 minutes is recommended. This of course depends on the thickness of the meatballs. Keep turning and if you haven't seasoned it yet, you can add salt and pepper to both sides (be careful with the pepper, if you burn it on, you'll ruin the whole thing). When you've got a nice crust on both sides, lower the heat and cook for a few more minutes - 3-5 - turning. No longer, as you can also ruin the texture and taste!
Our meatballs will be perfect if they stay soft, juicy, don't fall apart, and when cut in half, the inside has a deep pink hue. Then it is neither undercooked nor overcooked. But again, it's really all down to taste.
Good advice for burgers: will be perfect if you cut the burger in half and fry it a little on the inside!#
