If you want a perfectly cooked burger that doesn’t sacrifice juiciness, sous vide is the way to go. Despite sous vide burgers having a trendy reputation currently, there is one drawback, and that has to do with texture. Because the burgers aren’t being cooked on a skillet or grill, they aren’t getting that crisp outer layer that is so essential.
That’s why many home chefs have begun to sear their burger patties after they’re done sous vide cooking. This can be done on a skillet or the grill. Keep in mind that the patties will be so deliciously juicy that it might actually interfere with the searing process.
To avoid this, cooks must dry the outside of their burger patties before searing them. When the burgers are done cooking sous vide, place them on a plate with a handful of paper towels. Pat them dry before starting your sear. If you want to ensure that your burger will come out the best it possibly can, instead of patting it dry, consider wrapping it in paper towels and letting it rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes. It’ll be less likely to overcook that way.
Avoiding overcooked burgers
By drying the patties off, you are accomplishing two things. First, you’re ensuring that the burgers will get the texture you want. Second, by searing a dry patty, you are decreasing the amount of time the burger needs to sit on the heat. The burgers are already cooked exactly how you want them with sous vide. But the longer the burger sits on the skillet or grill, the more overdone it becomes, especially if the burger you’re hoping to sear is already cooked. Burgers are relatively low-density when compared to other meats, such as steak. That low density will increase how fast heat will travel to the center. For the perfect sous vide burger, you should only sear for a minute or two on each side.
If you’re looking to sous vide your burgers, there are a couple of tricks you need to learn. Once you know what you’re doing, though, you may never want to go back to any other method. The burgers truly do come out bursting with flavor, and you just can’t achieve the same level of juiciness any other way.
