The tastiest, juiciest, meatiest hamburger is going to taste like a hockey puck if you keep pressing down on the spatula while the burger is grilling. There is too much at stake (no pun intended) for this practice to be allowed to continue. It has got to be stopped, right here and right now. Put the spatula down, and don’t pick it up again until you read the rest of this post! Learn how to make the best hamburger you can possibly make.

1. Start off with ground beef that has at least 20% fat. If you grill with meat leaner than that, you’ll be eating that hockey puck regardless.
2. Much as it is appealing to sink you hands into the chopped meat and whichever add-ins you add in (herbs/spices, egg, bread crumbs, sautéed onions, etc.), resist the temptation of handling it too much or you’ll just be making mush.
3. Remember the old cooking school adage: You can always add flavor, but you can’t take it away. Some people will taste the meat before cooking - yes, raw (that’s what steak tartar is, after all) - while others will cook up a small batch first. Either way you do it this is the opportune moment to adjust the seasonings.
4. Place your gently-and-sparingly shaped hamburger patties on a tray, cover with wax paper and freeze for about 20 minutes. This really helps prevent them from crumbling on the grill.
5. Pre-heat the grill to high. You will need to either oil the grate or spray cooking oil sparingly on your burgers to keep it from sticking. Once on the grill, leave the hamburger alone. Don’t keep pressing it down to make the juices run; all you’ll succeed in doing is dry it out. When the meat is properly seared, it will release from the grill easily, but if it sticks, it’s not seared enough.
6. Ideally, you will check the internal temperature of your hamburger to ensure that it’s cooked to the liking of the eater. A burger cooked rare will have an internal temperature of 120° to 125°; medium-rare is 130° to 135°; medium is 140° to 145° and medium-well is 150° to 155°. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hamburgers should be cooked to at least 160°F or “well-done.” Provided you don’t have a USDA agent lurking nearby, the choice is yours.