How was this burger cooked?

[T.G]

Juicy in beef is often thought of along the lines of water, but water isn't exactly known for it's flavor, so if it tasted good, it's fat. A high fat content in the meat will do that - keep it moist and then when you bite into it, the juices flow. 75%-79% lean ground beef will gush when packed and cooked on a griddle like that. Flavor could also have been made more "beefy" by using ground chuck rather than ground "beef" (could be anything - trimmings usually) or even seriously amped up by using ground brisket.

A dome lid might have been used to trap the heat to melt the cheese, not sure what effect, if any, it would have on the meat for such a short period of time.

Another "trick" for uber-juicy burgers, although I'm not sure too many restaurants would go through the trouble to do it, would be to stick a thick slice of salted butter in the center of the patty when hand packing it. Oy. Yum. Almost as good as bacon.

Can't say for certain how they cooked it, but there's my 2-yen.

[MikeyC]

Originally Posted by T.G

Juicy in beef is often thought of along the lines of water, but water isn't exactly known for it's flavor, so if it tasted good, it's fat. A high fat content in the meat will do that - keep it moist and then when you bite into it, the juices flow. 75%-79% lean ground beef will gush when packed and cooked on a griddle like that. Flavor could also have been made more "beefy" by using ground chuck rather than ground "beef" (could be anything - trimmings usually) or even seriously amped up by using ground brisket.

IMO this is why so many home burger chefs get a dry burger. Everyone is so concerned about their health that they buy very lean ground beef. You can't even find a brisket with a decent fat cap on it in a local supermarket around here. They trim it off so all you ever get is dry brisket. 80% lean is about the best hamburger meet I can find locally. I never get anything leaner than that. Everything in moderation!

Originally Posted by T.G

Juicy in beef is often thought of along the lines of water, but water isn't exactly known for it's flavor, so if it tasted good, it's fat. A high fat content in the meat will do that - keep it moist and then when you bite into it, the juices flow. 75%-79% lean ground beef will gush when packed and cooked on a griddle like that. Flavor could also have been made more "beefy" by using ground chuck rather than ground "beef" (could be anything - trimmings usually) or even seriously amped up by using ground brisket.

The last time I bought tri-tip in bulk I had the butcher put one of the roasts along with fat trimmings from the others through the grinder twice for me. The butcher said it was about 20% fat, but it looked closer to 30%. Each patty, including the well done ones oozed with juices at about the same thickness as yours, leaving a puddle in their wake. They were awesome. It's all about the fat.

Oh, I grilled them. LOTS of fat, and loosely packed.