Why A Thermometer Is Essential For Smoking Burgers On A Pellet Grill
The decision to upgrade to a pellet grill can be an expensive one. But it can be hard to beat if you want the absolute best flavor from smoking your food. Pellet grills cook anything that can go in an oven or on a grill but are designed to do so with steady, even heat and a smoky flavor.
One small change that might come into play when working with a pellet grill is using a food thermometer to check the readiness of hamburgers. Often when you cook burgers on a grill, their exteriors will char and take on much darker hues than the pink or soft browns of raw meat. Some people will also cut into their burgers to check if it's still pink on the inside.
However, when smoking burgers on a pellet grill, you won't always have those same signals based on the color of the meat. Keeping a food thermometer on hand is essential when working with a pellet grill, as it will ensure that your burgers are always cooked to a safe temperature.
You should always be using a food thermometer
The USDA points out that all hamburgers should be cooked until they have reached a minimum internal temperature of 160 F. The only way to properly find that your burgers have reached this temperature is to use a food thermometer. Pellet grills rarely show the same color changes that some cooks go by to determine doneness, but the USDA adds that this is also true for other cooking methods.
It points out that some ground beef will maintain its pink color well past the 160-degree threshold, while others may appear to be well done before they have finished cooking. Whether you're using a pellet grill to smoke burgers or not, you should constantly check your meat with a proper food thermometer to cook your meat perfectly every time.
Failure to follow these recommended safety practices has been shown to cause outbreaks of foodborne pathogens. Types of bacteria that cause E. Coli are an above-average concern when cooking with ground beef.
How to correctly check burger temperatures
Food thermometers are an essential kitchen tool, but they're only useful if you know how to use them. This can be challenging when working with hamburgers because they are made with ground beef and can easily fall apart if probed too often.
It is recommended to use an instant-read food thermometer for the most accurate readings. The thermometer should be placed into the thickest section of the burger to ensure that you are taking an accurate reading.
This might be difficult if you're working with patties that are too thin. Most digital thermometers only take a reading from the tip of the thermometer and may go right through a thin patty. That means you might be getting the temperature of your grill instead of the patty. If you're cooking with thinner burgers, it may be helpful to insert the thermometer into the side of the patty instead. This may cause separation in your burger, but it will also help provide a more accurate reading and keep you safe.