Whole Egg, Egg White or Egg Yolk for binding Hamburgers
When I make hamburger patties for the kids I like to add extra grated vegetables in there - usually zucchini, carrots, and onion. Also some herbs. Unfortunately when I cook them the burgers disintegrate most of the time in the pan - I don't even try to cook them on a BBQ as I know they'll fall through the cracks into the fire.
I have tried adding an egg or 2 to bind it together better, but perhaps I need to add more? But which part of the egg is the binder? The yolk or the white? If I add 4 yolks will it help - or would I be better adding 4 egg whites? Or do I need the whole egg?
If it helps:
- I try to use the 80/20 beef mince,
- include wheat bran or breadcrumbs as filler,
- squeeze the extra liquid out of the mix when forming into patties,
- put a dimple in the top for expansion,
- refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking,
- and then cook on a high heat for 4 minutes each side with the lid on.
Best Answer
Generally you'd use the whole egg. The egg white provides most of the structural integrity, but the yolk does a little too. Also, the yolk helps with what might otherwise be a rubbery texture. Letting the patties sit in the refrigerator for half an hour or so will also help them stay together.
I suspect that the answer you linked, talking about how the yolk is the "only binder", is mistaking emulsification for binding. Ground meat, veggies, and egg whites are all water-based mixtures; they don't need lecithin to play nice with each other.
Incidentally, if you like zucchini and carrots and onions inside the burger, you'll like them even more on top of the burger. Take all that stuff you were going to mix in (other than the egg), slice the veggies rather than mince them, add a bit of olive oil and more salt than you think you should, and saute the crap out of them on high heat for a few minutes. Really char it up. Vegetables in a burger don't want to be steamed in a jacket of meat; they want to do their own flavor work.
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What binds better egg yolk or egg white?
Egg yolks or whole eggs will seal in moisture while egg white proteins will draw moisture out. In addition, egg products often are added to batters used for breaded foods to help the breading adhere to the substrate.Can you use egg white to bind burger?
The egg whites help the lean meat to bind together, especially if you're using additional ingredients such as chopped vegetables. To form patties made with ground poultry, use a food processor to chop vegetables such as onion, pepper or mushrooms into small pieces. Use one egg white per 1 pound of meat.Is egg yolk a binder?
The protein in egg yolks allows them to serve as binders, or stabilizers, in baking and cooking. When mixed in a correct ratio with other ingredients, the coagulation of the yolk's proteins helps bring the recipe together and create the necessary structure for the dish.Should I put an egg in my hamburger patties?
Do homemade burgers need eggs? No, homemade burgers don't need eggs to bind them. Other ground beef recipes like these low carb meatballs need eggs to help bind the ingredients because they have additional dry ingredients like bread crumbs and onions. Using this recipe to make beef burgers does not require any eggs.Egg Yolk vs. Egg White: What's the Difference?
More answers regarding whole Egg, Egg White or Egg Yolk for binding Hamburgers
Answer 2
It's the protein in the egg that helps bind the hamburger. There's a significant amount of protein in both the white (about 10% protein) and the yolk (about 20% protein), so both help with binding.
You can also try freezing the hamburger patties for maybe 30 minutes before grilling them, to help them hold together.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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