Paul Newman, renowned for his acting career, was also a passionate food personality and cookbook author. Beyond his famous Newman's Own food company, Newman shared strong opinions about burger preparation. In a 1993 Baltimore Sun interview, he criticized a common burger-cooking mistake: using overly lean ground beef like sirloin or round. Newman advocated for ground chuck, which contains more fat and performs better on hot charcoal fires. The optimal lean-to-fat ratio for burgers is 80/20 to maintain moisture and structural integrity. Ground sirloin reaches up to 90% lean, while ground round ranges from 80-90% lean, both resulting in dry, crumbly patties. Fat content is essential for achieving juicy, cohesive burgers.
"Don't make the mistake of using ground round or sirloin. Many hamburger cooks fall short of my standards because they use meat that is simply too good. I cook all my hamburgers on the outdoor grill or the indoor fireplace grill, and ground chuck is best suited to a hot, charcoal fire."
"Burgers should have a lean-to-fat ratio of no more than 80/20 if you're interested in keeping things moist and put together. Ground sirloin can be up to 90% lean meat, and ground round pushes between 80-90% lean meat, so both are beef blends that could result in a dried up patty."
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