Holding smoked hamburgers for service

[Sm_okie]

Plenty of smoked foods hold fine but smoked hamburgers dont do well unless they are fresh from what I've seen, any ideas? Maybe a steam to reheat? Holding hot just kills em unless they sell fast.
Thx all

 

[PoorlyChef]

Not sure hot smoking ground beef is a good idea. To absorb the smoke flavor the burgers are being over cooked, hot holding them after the smoking is compounding your problem. Maybe try cold smoking shoulder meat first then grind it and use that for your burger patties. Par cook the patties to rare and either cool and reheat as needed or hold hot for service. The longer they're hot held the more done and dried out they will be..

 

[sgsvirgil]

In order to lend proper advice, more details are necessary. Is this a restaurant environment? Catering? Buffet?

 

[Sm_okie]

Yes more info is needed, sorry i had been drinking and was eating a smoked burger. Restaurant setting, would like to run a special, probably 1/3 or 1/2 lb. Patty, 80/20. Generally cook them Medium, they just dont have the same texture after a reheat.

If you haven't smoked a burger you should totally try it, medium rare or medium its fantastic

 

[Sm_okie]

Not sure hot smoking ground beef is a good idea. To absorb the smoke flavor the burgers are being over cooked, hot holding them after the smoking is compounding your problem. Maybe try cold smoking shoulder meat first then grind it and use that for your burger patties. Par cook the patties to rare and either cool and reheat as needed or hold hot for service. The longer they're hot held the more done and dried out they will be..

Ya hot holding is out of the question in my mind

 

[cheflayne]

Upon reheat how does the texture change? How do you reheat? Can you explain the smoking process and timing a bit? How fast are ticket times?

 

[sgsvirgil]

I don't think there is a solution here that won't compromise the quality of the final product.

Someone suggested cold smoking the ground beef. That's a good idea. Prepare the burgers to order and side step the holding process altogether.

But, for my own curiosity, why would you want to hold the burgers in the first place? Hamburgers have a short ticket time. So, why the need to hold them?

 

[brianshaw]

Some might find this offensive... but this is a great application for liquid smoke.