For A Juicier Burger, Make It Scottish-Style

Even if you have the perfect blend of meats, some burger patties can stand a little extra moisture to keep them juicy after exposure to high heat. While it may be a less conventional choice, black pudding has a remarkable capacity to make burgers juicier, and the method is actually quite similar to other juicy ground meat recipes.

Black pudding is a type of blood sausage consisting of a congealed blend of oats, spices, animal blood, and sometimes assorted organ meats. The use of oats is quite similar to using milk-soaked breadcrumbs in meatballs to keep them moist. When you introduce a bit of black pudding into burgers, the oats can help retain moisture within the patties, keeping them juicy. This helps maintain a consistent level of moisture without adding excess liquid that could inhibit a good crust.

While you can always use breadcrumbs or other conventional ingredients instead, black pudding is far meatier and more similar to a patty's flavor profile. Rich in umami and seasonings of its own, it adds so much more than just juiciness. Black pudding can also crisp up on a grill, griddle, or in a pan, so you won't be sacrificing texture for the sake of moisture. Using roughly one part black pudding to two parts meat ensures you can taste both and get a proper level of juiciness, even when using lean blends.

Black pudding is something you may rarely encounter in the U.S., and regional varieties can make it difficult to find the perfect one for burger patties. While just about any type can get the job done, texture and flavor profile are important considerations, and you'll have to mix it in properly for the best results.

Black pudding isn't monolithic and ranges from the crisped discs served in a full English breakfast to boudin noir in France. The crumbly texture of Scottish black pudding is ideal and makes it easier to add to a burger blend, whether that's beef or another meat mixture. When ingredients are easy to incorporate, it prevents you from overworking the meat and helps you grill burgers like a pro, achieving a tender result that doesn't firm up into a sausage puck. Scottish varieties also make ample use of oatmeal as a binder, so you're more likely to get that juiciness you want.

Scottish black puddings also tend to keep the seasonings quite simple, creating something delicious but not overly complex. By focusing on a simple blend of salt, pepper, and aromatics, they leave you more room to season your burgers to your liking. While boudin noir is delicious thanks to its blend of spices like nutmeg, these can easily clash with what's in your seasoning cabinet and make pairings difficult. Simple seasonings also let you add more to your blend, so you don't have to worry so much about ratios.