The best burger meat blend is 80% lean to 20% fat, using a mix of chuck steak and short rib ground together. Gordon Ramsay uses this ratio at his restaurants because the chuck provides deep beefy flavour and the short rib adds richness from its higher fat content.
I used supermarket mince for years before I tried blending my own cuts, and the difference was obvious from the first bite. Homemade blends taste like actual beef, not the generic pink paste that comes in a plastic tray.
Burger Recipes Using This Blend:
Ramsay’s Restaurant Blend
At Gordon Ramsay Burger in Las Vegas, the patty uses a four-cut blend of wagyu for richness, brisket for depth, short rib for moisture, and chuck for structure. You do not need wagyu at home because the restaurant sources it in bulk at trade prices, and chuck with short rib at a 60/40 ratio gets you 90% of the way there.
But knowing the restaurant blend matters because it shows you what each cut brings to the party. That understanding is what helps you pick the right cuts when you are standing at the butcher counter.
Best Cuts For Grinding
Chuck steak is the default because it has the right balance of meat and fat with a strong beefy flavour, while short rib is fattier and adds moisture and richness. Brisket brings a deeper, almost smoky note, and sirloin is leaner if you want a cleaner taste.
I buy chuck and short rib from the butcher and ask them to mince it together. Knowing the cuts is one thing, but the ratio between them is what actually determines whether your burger ends up juicy or dry.
The 80/20 Fat Ratio And Why It Matters
The 20% fat keeps the burger juicy during cooking: go leaner like 90/10 and the patty dries out before the crust forms. Go fattier like 70/30 and the burger shrinks to half its size and sits in a pool of rendered grease.
I tested three ratios side by side and 80/20 was the clear winner. Once you have the right blend at the right ratio, the next question is how you handle it, because that matters just as much.
How To Shape And Season
Handle the mince as little as possible because overworking ground beef compresses the proteins and makes the patty dense and tough. Divide into equal portions, shape into patties slightly wider than your buns, and press a thumb dimple in the centre to stop them doming.
Season the outside just before cooking because salt draws moisture out of raw mince, and the burger seasoning works perfectly. Thick patties follow these rules, but smash burgers are different.
The Best Blend For Smash Burgers
Smash burgers cook so fast that the short rib fat renders too quickly and makes the griddle greasy, so I use straight chuck at 80/20 instead. The crust does all the flavour work on a smash burger, so you do not need the complexity of a multi-cut blend.
This raises the question of whether grinding your own mince is worth the effort, especially for something as simple as a smash burger that hides behind its crust.
Should You Grind Your Own Meat
Grinding your own gives you control over the fat ratio, the coarseness, and the freshness. Pre-ground supermarket mince is fine for weeknight meals, but for guests or a special occasion, custom grinding makes a noticeable difference.
I use a food processor when I do not want to get the grinder out: cube the meat, freeze for 20 minutes, then pulse in small batches. Once you have your blend shaped and seasoned, the last piece is matching the heat to the fat content.
Cooking Temperature By Blend
A fattier blend like 70/30 needs medium heat because the fat renders faster and causes flare-ups, while 80/20 works on high heat in cast iron or on a hot grill. For Ramsay’s classic burger, high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side gives the best crust.
For the wagyu burger, drop to medium-high because the extra marbling needs a gentler approach or the fat melts out before the crust sets.
FAQs
- What does Gordon Ramsay put in his hamburger meat? For his homemade burger, Ramsay mixes Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, chopped onion, and egg yolks into 80/20 beef mince. His restaurant version uses a multi-cut blend with seasoning only on the outside.
- What blend of meat does Five Guys use? Five Guys uses 80/20 ground chuck with no fillers, similar to Ramsay’s home method. The difference is Ramsay’s restaurant uses a multi-cut wagyu blend.
- Can I mix beef and pork for burger mince? Yes. A 70/30 beef-to-pork blend gives a sweeter, juicier patty. Our pork burger uses 100% pork with sage and apple, but a blend of both meats is a classic combination.
- Does the grind coarseness matter? A coarse grind gives a more textured, steak-like bite while a fine grind holds together better but can feel dense. I prefer medium-coarse for thick patties and fine for smash burgers.
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