Grill a Burger With an Infrared Gas Grill
Infrared gas grills are currently the pinnacle of cooking technology and have moved from commercial applications into the residential grill island. With 1400 degrees instantly grilling your burgers, make sure you can grill to perfection not ruin dinner.
Contents
Steps
- Infrared gas grills will provide 1400 degrees of grilling heat approximately three minutes after you push the ignition on your infrared grill. For many backyard chefs there is a slight learning curve as they acclimate to this intense heat and the fact that the heat is directional. Because the heat is directional, infrared grill burners cook at searing temperatures without closing the hood. A typical BBQ cooks by conducting heat through the air trapped in the hood. Infrared radiant heat is direct from the flame like the sun is direct on your skin on a sunny day. The sweltering heat of a humid overcast day is more like a hot barbecue conducting heat through air.
- Cook burgers on an Infrared Grill. Note the rough outer texture of a hamburger makes it difficult to get a completely seared seal at the outer layer of the burger. Food like steaks and fish are much easier to grill with an infrared grill and the flavor is much better than what a typical barbecue will produce.
- Start the infrared gas grill with ignition or long lighter.
- With either ignition, be safe by lighting the flame or starting the ignition sparking before you turn the gas valve to the On position. You do not want to turn on the burner and have gas releasing while you look for the extendable lighter. A small cloud of gas will escape waiting to ignite so make the ignition (spark or lighter) before turning the infrared burner to the On position.
- In approximately three minutes the grill should be at searing temperatures.
- Test the heat with a wave of your hand 8" above the burner. Move quickly; if the grill is at its proper heat you will not be able to hold your hand above the burner for more than 2 or 3 seconds.
- I place my hamburgers down frozen but my steaks and seafood I grill defrosted and rubbed.
- Once food is at the cooking surface on the grilling grates remember this is not a low temperature barbecue so do not close the grill hood.
- As soon as you place the burger down the surface of the food will begin to cook. However, because the heat rises from the burner, there will be a large difference between how the heat affects the food covered by the cooking grate and the sections of the food left exposed in-between the grids.
- After approximately :45 seconds quarter-turn the burgers. This should ensure the heat evenly affects the food and does not leave less seared sections where the burger is protected by the cooking grates.
- After another :30 - :45 seconds you can flip the burger and repeat the process.
- Once the burgers are flipped you should see the criss-cross pattern made from searing the burger at its initial placement and the quarter turn sear.
- There should not be any uncooked section on the cooked side. If there is still any pink at the surface after this 1:30 minutes of grilling check to make sure the LP tank valve is not in check and the infrared grill is turned to the high position.
- Grill and quarter turn the burgers on the uncooked side and burgers are ready to serve medium.
- If more grilling is desired for medium-well or well done temperatures, lower the heat by turning the valve to the medium position.
- The lower heat setting will allow you to close the hood and allow the convectional heat to surround the burgers to barbecue the inside heat of the burger
- With half-inch thick burgers I keep the hood closed for approximately two minutes for a medium-well done temperature.
- That's it. Get a bun and dress it for dinner.
Tips
- Also remember cooking times vary dependent on environment (you can grill in the snow but check the heat and the gas frequently), atmospheric pressure (above sea level) and quality of the product. I wrote this based on several years of infrared grilling but most of my customers feel like a professional by the time they have used their grill three times.
- Look for consumer sites for customer experiences before you invest in a grill and look for product recalls. I have seen a few that could be very beneficial to a buying decision.
- Up until recently there were only three grill manufacturers with access to infrared technology. In the past two years several barbecue companies have attempted to capitalize on the reputation of high-end infrared quality by advertising "sear" zones on their barbecues. I have tested several of the more popular knock-off versions of infrared and some are very good but some are not effective at all.
Warnings
- Warning. Food grilled on an infrared grill is healthier and tastes better than food cooked on any other type of appliance. Once you own and use and eat food grilled on an infrared grill you will not be able to return to buying convectional barbecues that heat food at 450 degrees.
- If you do get liquid into the burner, lift the burner from its support in the rear of the firebox and slide it away from you so it slides off the valve orifice. Place it somewhere dry upside down to drain for a few hours before using it again.
- Infrared burners pressurize gas in the lower casing of the burner. Do not allow any water to get into the casing of an unlit burner. When the intense heat turns the water to steam and expels it from the burner it is possible to crack the ceramic tiles that create the heat on top of the infrared gas burner.
- You will know you cracked a burner if it suddenly stops burning in the middle of grilling. It is not dangerous but annoying and the burner will need to be replaced.
Related Articles
- Make Pizza Burgers
- Grill a Burger on a Foreman Grill
- Grill That Perfect Burger
- Grill Burgers
