The Key to a Juicier, Richer Burger? Just Add Butter.

In the test kitchen, we've found it easy to grind meat ourselves with a food processor. The method we've developed (no matter the cut) calls for trimming gristle and excess fat from the meat, cutting the meat into ½-inch pieces, freezing it for about 30 minutes to firm it up so that the blades cut it cleanly instead of smashing and smearing it (which leads to pasty, dense results), and finally processing it in small batches to ensure an even, precise grind.

It’s important to grind cold butter into the meat. Like adding cold butter to pastry dough, the solid fat creates tiny particles of richness strewn throughout the grind.  To accomplish this, we freeze small pieces of butter along with the meat prior to grinding.  

1. Place beef chunks and ¼ inch cubes butter on large plate in single layer. Freeze until meat is very firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, about 35 minutes.

2. Working in small batches, pulse portions of meat and butter into finely ground into pieces size of rice grains (about 1⁄32 inch), 15 to 20 pulses, stopping and redistributing meat around bowl as necessary to ensure beef is evenly ground.

3. Transfer meat to baking sheet.  Spread mixture over sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat, fat, or butter.

4. Season meat with salt and pepper and toss with fork to combine. Divide meat into balls and shape into patties.