Everyone has made hamburgers before. Have you ever put burgers on the grill and they end up falling apart and going through the grates? Or you wonder how to get those perfectly round hamburgers that look so nice on the bun? Well it’s really easy and I’m going to show you how in the video below.

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A lot of people use eggs or some other kind of binder in their hamburgers to make them stay together. You don’t need any binders. The hamburgers will stay together fine if you use these simple instructions:

Start by grabbing the amount of meat you want to use for your hamburger. This of course depends on how thick and how big around you want your hamburgers to be. For me I grab about 1/3 pound of meat. This make a hamburger that covers the bun just right and is just the right thickness. Just be aware that if you make your hamburgers too thick the outside may burn before the inside is cooked completely and that’s not good times at all.

I use my digital scale so that all the hamburgers are the same size and will cook in the same amount of time. Of course hamburger making is not an exact science and if you’re a bit off on the weight it won’t make that much difference.

Once you’ve grabbed off a portion of meat, start rolling it around and in your hands and squishing it between your fingers. What you’re trying to do here is warm up the fat in the hamburger. Once the fat warms up it acts kind of like a glue to bind the meat together. After about 20 or 30 seconds, the meats will come together as a nice solid mass. This is important. If the meat still has “layers” or big creases and cracks, keep working it.

Now that the meat is together, roll it between your two hands and form a ball. Flatten the ball between your hands. Take the patty in one hand and use your other hand to lightly squeeze the edges of the patty. Work your way around the patty a few times until it’s as large and thick as you like. Don’t go to fast or squeeze too hard or the patty will split.

Now lay the patties one of top of another with pieces of wax paper in between.

Ready for the super-complicated last secret step? Here it is: Put the patties in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before you cook them. What this does is resolidify the fat in the patties and help them stay together once you start cooking them.

I bought the Cuisinart HM-50 Power Advantage 5-Speed Hand Mixer mixer back in August of 09′. We’ve had a lot of good times but it mixer finally gave out on me. I was making cookies and there was a clunking sound inside the mixer and and the right side of the mixer would no longer turn but continued to make a grinding clunking sound. I figured I’d use the mixer for as long as possible until it completely broke.

The next time I used it was to make mashed potatoes. I assumed all would be well since mashed potatoes aren’t that tough to mix up. But I heard that familiar clunking noise and the left side of the mixer would no longer mix either. So both sides don’t mix and there’s a continuous clunking grinding noise inside. It’s officially dead.

This was on the weekend so I had to wait until Monday to call Cuisinart. They were very nice. I’ll be getting a replacement. The warranty on the mixer is “limited”. They explained to me that the “limited” clause means their warranty doesn’t cover shipping so I have to send $10 for that. That’s not a bad deal though since I paid $45 for the mixer originally.

Until the mixer broke it was reall nice. Unlike a lot of mixers it has a swivel cord so as you’re moving around the cord stays out of the way. The mixer is plenty powerful although it did whine a fair amount when I made cookies. That’s probably what wore on the motor a lot. If you make a lot of things from really tough/stiff dough you might want to look into a mixer with more torque.

If you do intend to work with things like bread dough with the mixer then the optional dough hooks you can buy work really well. I had to look around quite a bit before I found them. I ended up finding them on eBay. They were about $10.

If I weren’t getting a replacement mixer for $10 I would look for something with more power but for the price I paid and the amount of use I got out of this mixer I think it was definitely a good deal.

Then you need a digital meat thermometer. With this baby you set your desired meat temperature and wait for the alarm to sound and your meat is done. No more cutting into your meat and letting juices out. Now more touching to feel doneness.  No more guesswork. Just meat cooked to the exact doneness you want – everytime! I lucked out and got mine at a yard sale for 5 bucks. Can’t beat that! They aren’t too expensive though and there are plenty of digital meat thermometers to select from online. Here are some features mine has:

Standard Timer: You can set a timer for however long you want and an alarm will go off once the time is up. Pretty simple.

Heat resistant temperature probe and cord: If you’re cooking a roast in the oven you can stick the probe into the deepest part of the meat and shut the oven door with the cord and display outside the oven. This is a great feature since you don’t have to keep opening the door to check the temperature of the meat. This is also a great feature for the grill. I put the probe in a chicken or steak and close the grill lid. The temperature probe detaches from the display unit so you can wash it easily and mine has a long cord.

Temperature alarm: Set your desired meat temperature and an alarm will sound when the temperature is reached.

Celsius/Fahrenheit Selection: A little switch on the back lets you select between celsius and fahrenheit temperature scales.

The thermometer will register up to 400 degrees which is way hotter than you would need to cook any meat that I’m aware of!

I have never had meat so tender and juicy as I have since I started using this thing. My thermometer has a mini chart on the back that has minimum temperatures for various meats. If yours doesn’t, the USDA has a handy downloadable PDF of safe meat temperatures.

I love to cook and eat meat and as far as I’m concerned this gadget is a must have.

Do you like pork chops? Since I discovered cubed pork steaks several monts ago I haven’t had a pork chop. I think most people are familiar with “cubed steak” made of beef. When the butcher is making various cuts of meat there are lean trimmings left over from cutting steaks and other pieces of meat. He uses a special machines to bind these separate pieces of meat together into one. This is cubed steak.

I didn’t realize until recently that butchers did the same thing with pork. Dollar for dollar you get a LOT more cubed pork steak than you do pork chops. And I can guarantee you that the cubed steaks are as tender if not moreso than the porkchops you’re used to.

I don’t get fancy with the preparation of mine. I just put a little flour in a bowl and then add in a bit of salt and pepper. I lightly coat each side of each piece of steak. I’m not trying to make a thick crust on them so I don’t use an eggwash or anything before coating them. I let them rest for about 10 minutes while the oil in my deep fryer is heating up. In a pan on the stove they take several minutes per side to fry but they get done in my deep fryer in about 3 minutes.

I recently posted about my new Oster bread maker and needing to return it. Well it would seem that the dog had other ideas. He got ahold of the measuring cup that came with the bread maker so I will have to check to see if they will take it back now.

You can see all the little teeth marks in the cup. If they won’t take it back I can always continue to set a box of firewood on the lid…

Let me start off by saying that I’ve always just had flimsy plastic sets of measuring spoons. You know the kind. You use them for about a month before the measurements are worn off and you can’t tell whether you’re using the 1/2 teaspoon or the 1/4. You think you know but since you lost one of the spoons off the little plastic ring you’re not *quite* sure.

After the measurements completely wore off my last set and I lost one or two of them ( they’re like socks in the washing machine. Who knows where that lost one went… ) I decided I’d get a really nice set.

I searched for a while reading reviews and comparing prices on all the different stainless steel spoon sets and finally settled on the MIU 5-Piece Stainless Steel Measuing Spoon  set. I’ve been using the spoons for a few months now. They are *really* nice. The first thing I noticed is that the spoons are heavy and very high quality. They are not made of aluminum like the better spoon sets you find in store. These are solid stainless steel.

The measurements are not enameled on or little stickers. The numbers are engraved right into the metal.

The heads of the spoons are polished while the rest of the spoon surfaces are brushed.

The set has 1 tbsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1/4 tsp, and though not as often used, a 1/8 tsp spoon. The heads of the spoons are narrow so they can get right into small spice jars and containers.

The spoons are on a really strong metal ring like the big spring rings that hold your keys.

My spoons have been through many dishwashings and hand washing and they look brand new. I haven’t even noticed a scratch on them. These spoons should really last a lifetime.

• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon msg (Accent*)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

I first came across the recipe on Recipezaar.com.  Since then I have made the recipe several times and it has turned out very well every time. When I first tried making pizza dough from a couple of other recipes the dough mostly tasted like flour. It’s amazing how just adding a few simple seasonings and giving the dough more time to rise and rest enhances the flavor.

The recipe is for a bread maker but you don’t have to use one. If you don’t have a bread maker just add your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl then add your wet ingredients. My hand mixer has a dough hook attachment so I use that to mix the dough.

Tip: You may need to add a little more water or a little more flour depending on the weather and how your dough ball is forming up. When your dough ball is coming together start touching it. It should feel a little bit sticky but not wet. If it’s not sticky at all add a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough is a little sticky. On the other hand if almost all your ingredients are incorporated into the dough ball and it’s making a squishing sound in the bowl the dough then the dough it too wet. Add a teaspoon of flour at a time until it’s just a little sticky.

Once your dough has come together in a ball, you’ll knead it for a few minutes until the dough forms a nice elastic consistency.  How long you knead exactly depends on your dough. I’ve heard recommendations for kneading from 5 minutes up to 20. It’s not an exact science. Kneading makes the gluten bonds in the dough str0nger which makes for a chewier dough. I’ve tried kneading for 5 minutes and for 15 and I didn’t notice a difference.

Once you knead the dough, lightly coat the surface with vegetable oil and put it in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a moist towel and set the bowl in a warm place. I put the bowl in my oven with the oven off and set a container of hot water in the oven. After about 30 minutes or an hour the dough should have about doubled in size. You can punch the dough down and let it rise again or you can go ahead and use it. I’ve let my dough rise a few times before and I didn’t notice a difference between one rise and multiple rises.

Your dough has risen and you’re ready to use it.

Tip: I read this on a forum from a Pizza Hut employee a while back. Take your pizza pan and cover the bottom with vegetable oil – Just enough to cover the surface. Sounds crazy right? I thought so too but it’s not! What happens is the crust of the dough fries in the oil and what you get is a thin, crispy outside layer while the inside is tender and chewy. It’s awesome.

I have a big 15″ deep dish pizza pan. I have used it a couple of times and I love it.

I cook my pizza at 450 degrees.

The dough has baked for 5 minutes

If you’re feeling experimental you can try tossing the dough in the air to stretch it out like the pros do. I haven’t tried that yet. I just put my dough in the pan and stretch it out slowly. You’ll have to keep stretching for a while depending on how elastic your dough is. Once you get your dough all stretched out, put it in the oven and bake it for 5 minutes. If you skip this step your dough may not get done in the middle. This depends on how many toppings you put on it.

Now pull the dough out and put your toppings on. You can put whatever you want of course. I don’t get real fancy. I use store brand pizza sauce, hormel pepperoni, and Sargento mozzarella cheese. Whatever you do, DON’T buy imitation mozzarella cheese. I made that mistake early on. The cheese will NOT melt. What the heck do they imitate cheese with anyway…

Loaded with toppings and ready to bake.

TIP: Cheese is good so a TON of cheese should be great! That’s a sound theory but if you put too much cheese it simply won’t melt before your crust burns. I put enough cheese on top of the sauce so that the sauce is just barely visible. Then I put a layer of pepperoni then sprinkle some cheese on top. This has worked well for me.

How long your pizza cooks will depend on your dough and your toppings. I’ve found that once the cheese is melted the dough is done. This take 15-20 minutes for me.

I recently bought a pizza serving pan. Before I got it I just put my pizza on cardboard to cut it. The serving pan makes for a *slightly* better presentation on the table. If you like your crust thicker like I do you might consider get a pizza knife. When I first tried using a wheel style cutter it just pushed all the ingredients in front of the wheel and down between the slices. No fun. The pizza knife makes nice clean slices. There’s definitely a technique to it though. Once you get the rocking motion down you’ll smile. This is the pizza knife I have.  There are about a berjillion different models to choose from if you don’t like mine.

If you like pizza and you like cooking, try making your own. You might be surprised at how good it is.

The bread maker sitting on the counter.

I’ve never owned a breakmaker before. This one was given to me.

It comes with an instruction/recipe book, a measuring cup, a measuring spoon, a kneading blade, and a small metal hook for extracting the dough hook from your baked bread if it’s stuck.

The measuring cup is really small and the measuring spoon is pretty flimsy but you probably have your own anyway.

All the recipes in the book are fairly straight forward so I just picked one so I could give it a whirl. I chose the “Honey Wheat” recipe. I put in all the ingredients in the order listed and set up the program and pushed the start button.

It was working pretty good for a few minutes then I noticed its blue indicator light was off. I thought it was part of the process so I just ignored it. I checked the manual again and realized that the display should be on. When I opened the lid and closed it the machine would run for a few seconds then cut off again. I finally realized that I had to hold the lid down ( and quite tightly ) in order for the machine to keep running. I didn’t want to stand there and hold it down for two hours of course so I tried setting a 5lb bag of flour on top. Not heavy enough. I moved up to a box of firewood and that did the trick.

So how’s the bread? It was great! I assumed because of the trouble I had getting the machine going with all the stopping and starting that the bread wouldn’t turn out right but it rose up and baked beautifully and it was very good.

Tonight I made my pizza dough recipe in the bread maker. I always make the dough by hand even though it’s actually meant for a bread machine. The dough turned out really good.  I can’t tell that the bread machine made a difference in the dough. It is definitely easier though since you just dump in the ingredients and turn it on.

Pizza dough in the bread maker

One thing I did notice on both the bread and the pizza dough is that in the intial kneading stage there are some ingredients that get stuck in the corners of the bread machine hopper and you have to use a spoon to push them into the main dough ball. The kneading hook is fairly small and right in the center of the hopper so it’s easy to push the ingredients from the corners.

The bread maker does produce really good results but with the lid problem I will probably return it to Walmart so I have one that works correctly.