When it comes to ground beef, the flavor is all in the fat.
Which can be a problem is you’re trying to stick with a healthy diet. Yet eating right doesn’t have to condemn you to a dry, flavorless burger.
While it may be tempting to stick with 90 percent or 95 percent lean ground beef, your results will be lackluster. Better is to use the juicier 85 percent lean beef and find other ways to make it a healthy package.
The secret is in knowing how to take advantage of some hamburger helpers. No, not the kind that comes in a box. Rather, some healthful ingredients easily mixed into ground beef that can enhance the flavor while also reducing the amount of meat (and fat) in each burger.
“Padding” meat in this way with ingredients such as whole-grain bread crumbs, couscous or prepared bulgur is a technique often used for making meatballs and meatloaves. And it works well for burgers, too.
As a rule of thumb, it’s best not to add filler at more than a 1-to-3 ratio to the meat, otherwise the hamburger patties will tend to fall apart, especially on the grill. Dry ingredients also tend to work better than moist ones.
If you’d like to use vegetables to bulk out your burgers, it’s best to drain the ingredients well. Roasted red peppers are nice, but should be thoroughly patted dry with paper towels before being chopped and added to the beef.
An even better choice are sun-dried tomatoes. Be sure to pat them dry to remove the excess oil they often are packed in.
This recipe for spicy burgers uses black beans to reduce fat while adding extra bulk and fiber.
The beans are mashed with sauteed onion and garlic that have been seasoned with the smoky flavor of ground chipotle chili pepper. This mixture then is combined with 85 percent lean ground beef and seasonings.
A few tablespoons of tomato paste (tomato sauce or juice would add too much liquid) adds a touch of acidity and extra binding power. For more heat, a splash or two of hot sauce would be nice, too.
And sticking with the Southwest theme skip the ketchup and top these burgers with salsa and sliced avocado.
Smokey beef and black bean burgers
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (or other ground chili, to taste)
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 slices firm whole-wheat bread, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 whole-grain hamburger buns
Preheat a grill to medium-high or preheat a broiler.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until just softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and chipotle and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a dish to cool.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the beans, bread and tomato paste. Use a potato masher or fork to mash them into a rough paste. Add the ground beef, cilantro, salt, pepper and the reserved onion mixture. Mix thoroughly, then shape into four 3/4-inch thick patties.
Grill the burgers on a well-oiled rack, or broil them until they register 160 on an instant-read thermometer and there is no trace of pink inside, about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, toast the buns on the edge of the grill or in a toaster.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 388 calories; 15 g fat (5 g saturated); 52 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 4 g fiber; fiber.sodium.
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