Video:How To Grill Great Hamburgers

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Transcript:How To Grill Great Hamburgers

Hi, I'm Chris Chmura for About.com Food. I'm here with one of my favorite finger foods, grilled hamburgers.

Choose Hamburger Meat

To make hamburgers, you'll need about 1/5 to 1/4 pound of ground beef per patty. Today we're using really lean meat that's just 4% fat. There are tons of other choices in the meat department.

Dressing a Hamburger

Be sure to grab some fresh buns, like these scrumptious ones with sesame seeds, and your favorite condiments. Cheese and bacon are at the top of my list, followed by the usual suspects-- tomatoes, ketchup, mayonnaise, and for us southerners, some yellow mustard.

Prepare the Hamburger Meat

Before you begin working with the meat, this is a great time to add herbs or spices. Some folks add steak seasoning, and sauces. Salt and pepper is perfect for me.

Form the Beef into Burger Patties

Now, start forming the ground beef into balls. Really compact them with your hands, so they stay together over the flames and you don't end up with broken clumps on the barbeque. Place your finished product on a plate and repeat.

Next, squish them down one by one down and even out the edges using the inside of your hand. Depending on your taste, you'll want to make sure the height is a half inch to an inch. My family favors thin patties, so these are kind of short.

Prep the Grill

Fire up the barbie--- I've always wanted to say that. Let it warm up to medium high before moving on. In the meantime, you can give the grates a quick scrub.

Grill the Hamburgers

OK, plop each patty over the flames... and let the heat do its thing. Try to flip the patties only once after about five minutes. Resist the temptation to press down. Early on, you could push the raw meat in between the grates. Later on, you cold burn your burgers. Either way, you're asking for trouble.

Toasting the buns a bit will help pass the time, but don't wander. They take just a few minutes. The U.S. Agriculture Department recommends cooking burgers' until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F.

When they're just about ready, add a slice of cheese and let it melt. Minutes later, you're ready to move to the real hamburger helpers.

Dress and Serve the Burgers

Stack 'em however you like -- and don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong. Serve with a side of chips and your all American meal is ready to eat.

Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us here on the Web at food.about.com.