Skip Beef Burgers: The Meat Mix Alton Brown Uses Instead

Burgers are one of the dishes that have a century-long tradition in the United States' gastronomy. While there are many variations of hamburgers enjoyed throughout the country, from tiny sliders to Connecticut's steamed burgers, you don't see too much variation in the star ingredient, the meat. You may have encountered hamburgers that replace the beef most people associate with this dish, such as in veggie burgers or turkey burgers, but if you've never thought about combining different proteins to create the ultimate sandwich, then maybe you need to take a page out of Alton Brown's book.

In an interview with Salon, the TV personality and culinary expert known for his "Good Eats" show revealed that he doesn't like using beef in his grilled burgers; instead of reaching for more niche cuts of meat — like ostrich or bison, he opts for a combination of proteins that are commonly available at most supermarkets. "I make my [grilled] burgers out of a third ground pork, a third ground turkey and a third ground lamb," he shared, "because I can usually get them." Besides the ease with which you can source these meats, the combination of flavors is actually quite genius.

Lamb is rich but has a gamey flavor that not everyone may enjoy. Having it comprise only a third of your burger can minimize some of the strong flavors, and combining it with pork will ensure that the finished product is still rich from the pig's unctuous fat. Lastly, including lean ground turkey will prevent your hamburgers from becoming too greasy. Together, these three meats are a powerhouse of savory flavors that may not taste exactly like beef but still offer the same satisfying flavor. Unlike beef burgers, though, you just need to remember to cook your patties all the way through with no pink showing — the internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

The beautiful thing about Alton Brown's tip for combining several meats into your burger mix is that it opens a whole new world of opportunities for you to turn something that can feel a little mundane into a dish that will tantalize your taste buds. For starters, you can play around with the proportions of different proteins. If you don't like lamb, you can just make a pork and turkey burger, or you can increase the amount of pork to make your burgers richer without adding more gamey flavor. And if you don't like the sometimes metallic taste of turkey, you can substitute it with ground chicken. To save you time and effort, you can even see if your local grocery store sells a pre-packaged meatball mix, and you can always add beef to the blend if you believe a burger must include it.

However, if you reach for cured or seasoned meat products, you'll be able to add a whole lot more flavor to a hamburger patty. Cuban-style burgers, called fritas, are often combined with ground chorizo sausage to give it extra flavor with its heady blend of garlic and paprika. You can take inspiration from this Florida staple by combining any ground meat you like with your favorite type of sausage. Even hard sausages, like salami or pepperoni, will work if you blitz them up in a food processor; just remember to remove the casing. Chopped or ground ham will also add a lot of flavor to your patties, and a can of Spam or corned beef can be a welcome addition when you plan to throw some burgers on the grill. Whatever combination of proteins you use, you should definitely try Alton's favorite method to cook them: deep frying!