Hosting a party, organizing a buffet or serving an outdoor food event, you need to keep burgers warm but not dry. Chafing dish is a common and effective way of using it, but the process has to be proper to preserve the flavor, texture and moisture of the burger.
Suppose we find out what could be done to keep burgers warm in a chafing dish that would not dry them out so that they would be good to serve.
The Use of Chafing Dish in Warming Burgers.
The chafing dishes are specially made to store cooked food warmly in long durations. They employ the use of indirect heat, mostly sternos (fuel cans) to ensure there is a steady but consistent temperature, which prevents overcooking of the food. In the case of burgers, it is ideal to be served in a buffet or in a picnic or even at an indoor party when one wants the burgers to keep warm and tempting over the hours.
Prepare the Burgers for Warming
Their burgers should be cooked and rested before putting them in the chafing dish.
What to do:
- Cook the burgers up to the desired doneness.
- After being grilled give 2-3 minutes to rest so that juices are retained.
- Spread some melted butter or even some beef broth lightly over them to seal in all the moisture and then transfer them to the chafing dish.
This will help the burger to avoid drying up as they keep warm.
Setting Up the Chafing Dish Correctly
To maximize on your use of your luxury chafing dish, then use it by preparing it correctly with the use of water, as well as heat.
Use the Water Pan
A chafing dish has a bottom portion that has hot water which vaporizes and slowly heats the food.
- Put in hot water (1-1.5 inches deep) into the water pan.
- Warm the water on chafing fuel then keep the burger tray above it.
- Ensure that the water does not boil since it will make the burger patties tough.
Insert the Burger Tray
Put the burgers tray into the dish when steam is coming out of the water pan.
Tips: It helps to put a sheet of foil or any parchment between the burgers so they do not stick together and stay moist.
Keep Moisture Inside the Chafing Dish
To prevent burgers that are dry, it is also imperative to keep the moisture level in the chafing dish.
- Make sure the lid is closed as much as possible in order to trap steam.
- A chafing dish with a roll-top lid is available and is good to serve and retain the heat.
- To increase the humidity, you may put in a small heat-proof bowl of beef broth or even plain water in the pan with the burgers.
Temperature monitoring
When it comes to quality and food safety, the temperature should be above 140 o F (60 o C). At the bottom, bacteria will develop and the burgers may become too dry at the top.
Sometimes use a food thermometer to make sure that the correct temperature has been achieved that is not too high such that the burger gets overcooked.
Serve Burgers Fresh and Juicy
When you want to serve:
- Do not exceed serving burgers in the chafing dish over two hours.
- Put new cooked burgers one at a time and not altogether.
- Turn the ground patties and the upper ones after 20-30 minutes in order to warm them evenly.
This is to ensure that the bottom burgers do not end up becoming soggy and/or much steamed down.
Warming Burgers the Right Way
The fact that maintaining burgers warm by use of a chafing dish is more than a trick in catering, but a necessary realization of a lasting moment in the mind of the elect clientele. When cooked properly, your burgers remain juicy and tasty and safe to consume as they do not get over-cooked and mushy.
