Ditch The Butter: For Succulent Burgers, Fry Them In This Fat Instead

It seems like everybody and their butcher has some kind of brilliant burger tip or trick. A lot of those protein secrets have to do with the fat. Now, the best type of ground beef for juicier burgers is basically a no-brainer. About 80% lean to 20% fat is broadly accepted to be the best ratio. But then you've got more outlandish folks like Gordon Ramsay, who swear by frying a patty in a whole stick of butter. And listen, we've rarely known that creamy compound to make anything worse. Be that as it may, you can also add us to the list of burger opinion peddlers.

You can skip the butter, oil, or wherever else, and cook your burgers right in beef tallow for the kind of bovine continuity other fats just can't match. Beef tallow, of course, is rendered beef fat that's strained for smoothness and allowed to settle into a scoopable, cream-colored cooking agent. You probably won't want to dip chips in it, but its flavor is unmistakably beefy. And rather than basting your burgers with the typical alternatives, tallow can imbue beefy qualities back into your burgers. Although people don't cook with beef tallow as much as they used to, you can also pick up a readymade jar practically anywhere.

If you make burgers on the stovetop with enough regularity to be committed to a routine, great news! The beef tallow switcheroo takes zero extra time and the same amount of effort you're used to, once you have it in hand. You'll combine your ground beef with the seasonings of your preference, careful not to overmix, and form into the patty size and shape of your desire. Heat your pan to medium high and begin melting about a tablespoon of beef tallow just like you might have done with butter. The tallow's higher smoke point also buys you more time before it threatens to burn.

Cook the burgers for a few minutes on each side, flipping as much or as little as you wish as they sizzle in the tallow. Once you've achieved your desired doneness, it's time to sandwich on some toasty buns and top with all your favorite accoutrement. The finished product should result in a particularly savory bite that leaves no beef behind.