Hamburgers

Chop meat to the exact texture you want -- and control the amount of fat. Our test kitchen finds 20% fat ideal -- less than the usual supermarket mixture. Use boneless beef -- round, chuck or any cut you choose. Before chopping it, trim off all membrane, gristle and fat. Reserve the fat, which will usually be more than you need. Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes and chill until slightly firm -- usually 30 minutes in the freezer.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound combined meat and fat

If you don't have a kitchen scale, measure solidly packed beef cubes and solidly packed fat cubes in cups, beforechilling them, as follows:

1-1/4 cups beef cubes

1/4 cup fat cubes

Put beef and fat in work bowl and chop with metal blade. Pulse/chop a few times .to start, then let machine run continuously, checking every 5 seconds to check consistency. Be very careful not to over-process.

Handle hamburger with a light touch. Remove work bowl from processor base and carefully take out metal blade. Use as little pressure as possible in shaping patties.