10 tips to make the best burgers on the grill

Each Wednesday, we plan to release a new recipe vlog that showcases different recipes and cocktail mixes using Duplin wines and gourmet products. We'll invite different guests to join in and share some of their favorite concoctions. Do you have a great recipe you would like us to feature? Just submit it below in the comments as a suggestion. Cheers!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

You can't go wrong with a burger on Memorial Day, especially one that is perfectly tender and juicy, with a touch of smokiness and plenty of beefy flavor to go with your favorite glass of Duplin wine. We call that the ultimate burger, and we have a few tips on how to make your own absolutely best burger ever at home.

1. Fat is your friend. Choose a ground beef blend with a little fat. We like an 80/20 or 85/15 ratio of lean-to-fat.
2. Want a crazy tender burger? Add an egg yolk to a pound of ground beef.
3. Want a crazy tender and flavorful burger? Grate 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter into a pound of ground beef.
4. Want an absolutely no-fuss perfect burger? Blend 3 tablespoons of Duplin Muscadine Smokehouse Grilling Sauce into a pound of ground beef. That’s what Duplin Winery’s “Dine & Wine” food video series host Frank Glidden likes to do. It gives burgers just-right smokiness even if you don’t cook them on the grill. See Frank’s favorite recipe below.
5. Keep flavor and tenderness in mind when choosing your ground beef blend for burgers. Consider a blend of sirloin for beefy flavor, brisket for bite and short rib for juicy, fatty goodness.
6. Select a great wine to go with burgers. We like Carolina Red Reserve and Sweet Rosé. Pair spicy burgers with sweeter wines like Hatteras Red or Sunset Red. Select a drier wine like Burgundy or our new Sweet Poppy with classic burgers, cheeseburgers or black and blue burgers with black pepper and blue cheese.
7. Use freshly ground beef. Ask the butcher to grind your selection of cuts or grind yourself at home in a food processor.
8. Season ground beef liberally. Salt and pepper are mainstays, but do not salt ground beef until you’re ready to form and cook the patties. Salting too early can lead to tough burgers. Go with coarsely ground black pepper and coarse sea salt or kosher salt for extra zip.
9. Keep everything cold. Cold ground beef will keep the meat’s fat from sticking to your fingers as you work, and it will keep the fat from becoming overmixed into the meat.
10. Mix ever so gently. Don’t overwork the ground beef as you’re mixing in seasonings. If you overmix, you’ll end up with tough burgers.