When it comes to making the perfect burger, we tend to debate the same few questions: Should you cook it on the grill or stove? To smash or not to smash? And what about the cheese?
But you can't have a perfect burger without great meat, and many people are ruining dinner before they even leave the supermarket.
Butcher expert Pat LaFrieda is sharing the most common mistakes he sees people make when buying meat — and how to fix them.
Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors has been supplying prime meat to the country for more than a century and you can find its burger patties in top New York City restaurants, as well as Shake Shack. LaFrieda is currently gearing up for his return to Flavors of the Open, where he plans to feed more than 700,000 US Open fans alongside top chefs like "Chopped" star Alex Guarnaschelli and Southern cooking queen Melba Wilson on August 24.
Don't buy beef based on the lean-to-fat ratio
LaFrieda told Insider that you should never base your meat purchase on the lean-to-fat two-number ratio (like 80/20 or 90/10) that you see on the label.
"That only describes the fat content," he explained. "That doesn't tell you where the meat is from, what country it's from, what cuts are in there, its date of production. None of that is in there."
Instead, LaFrieda said you should always talk to a butcher — and ask for domestic product.
"There's nothing better," he added. "I prefer a grass-fed, grain-finished product. It's a lot sweeter, and now it looks like it winds up to be better for the environment than just corn."
Your beef shouldn't be just one color
"You want to look at a burger and not see just one homogeneous color," LaFrieda said. "You want to see the particle separation between protein and fat because that's what's gonna give the burger some texture and some definition."
Getting the right patty size is also important
LaFrieda believes between six to eight ounces is the perfect size for a homemade burger.
"Personally, I like a six-ounce burger if I'm cooking at home — especially on the grill — because I know I'll finish it, and maybe even have half of another," LaFreida said. "It's thick enough where I can still cook it the way I like it, which is medium rare."
Don't freeze your meat if you don't have to
"One thing about America is that we have a beef system and a meat system where you can buy fresh meat a couple times a week," LaFrieda said. "You don't have to buy it and freeze it, because that takes away a lot of quality also."
"The ability to have fresh meat on demand — I don't think many Americans understand how special that is," he added.
More than 225,000 burgers and hot dogs are expected to be cooked at Flavors of the Open, and LaFrieda told Insider he's honored to help contribute.
"I love the Open to begin with, I love the energy, I love the vibe," LaFrieda said. "And just bringing all these chefs together and watching everyone work together in unison to get the job done, it's a great team-building feeling and something that we don't see enough of — especially in our industry."
"There's no greater place to be able to present food than at the US Open," he added. "To me, it's the best sporting event in the country."
