456864 Sat Nov 03 07:50:14 -0700 2007 4 31 Home Cooking 0 3091589 When I cook burgers, they always shrink on the grill and bulge in the middle. How do I prevent that? Sat Nov 03 07:50:14 -0700 2007 23695 JCap 1 3091601 Whenever I am shaping patties, I make them thinner in the center than on the edges. Shape it kind of like a donut without a hole or a red blood cell. It should solve your problem. http://www.academic.marist.edu/~jzmz/HematologyI/Intro8.html Sat Nov 03 07:54:30 -0700 2007 3091589 34775 jrossettie 1 3091616 The burger bulges in the middle because the proteins contract when the meat is cooked. You might try to make your burger a bit wider to begin with, as well as pressing the middle down with your thumbs, as suggested above. Just don't be tempted to press down!! www.houndstoothgourmet.com Sat Nov 03 08:04:38 -0700 2007 3091589 65673 monavano 1 3092488 Is there anything else to do? Does the raw meat temperature matter? How about the size of the grind? Sat Nov 03 15:06:19 -0700 2007 3091589 23695 JCap 1 3092889 I always make a thumb print in the center of the burger and let mine sit out for half an hour or so to take the chill off the meat after I have shaped them. Don't forget the all important jfood tip of adding water to the mix. It really does make a difference. Do a search on burgers...theres about a million threads just from this summer. Sat Nov 03 18:53:21 -0700 2007 3091589 70200 chelleyd01