Tim Love Gives You Tips on Grilling Burgers

With Summer right around the corner, grills everywhere are heating up.

Chef Tim Love, chef/owner of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Love Shack and Queenie's Steakhouse, sits down with Ali Rosen of Potluck Video to serves up his burger grilling secrets.

There are a ton of burger fanatics, but the rule of thumb in backyards everywhere is a hot grill.  "The most important thing when you're grilling burgers is to get the grill hot," says Love.  "Quite frankly, if you just turn the grill on first, it'll be 30 or 45 minutes before you put stuff on there. I can guarantee that."

With heat comes caution, as  patties can easliy dry out.  Love says, "There's a lot of chatter out there... but really you want a burger that's going to be juicy after you're done cooking it."  Love's secret tip?  Mayonnaise.

By adding mayonnaise to the ground beef, the patties have an added source of moisture to fend off all that heat from the flames. One tablespoon of mayonnaise per pound of meat will have your burgers pleasantly juicy while you slide them off the grill.

While you're whipping in those tablespoons of mayo, you shouldn't steer away from your spice rack.  Salt and pepper are expected, but don't be afraid of trying some bold flavors.  Love says his burger seasoning consists of Red Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, and a little bit of Garlic. He also recommends letting the patties chill after dividing the meat to let them settle with the flavors.

As many of the patio grillers out there will warn, Love warns to only flip the burger once and to only the patty when it's halfway done.  Besides during the essential flipping time, the lid should always be closed when grilling in order to keep in all of the smokey flavors that the grill naturally provides for the patties.

Will you be adding a dallop of mayo to your patties this summer or do you have your own grilling tips you'd like to share?  Let us know in the comments below!