One of my absolute favorite meals is hamburgers. I always mix in at least 1-2 seasonings, the most flavorful for me being ranch and onion powders. I dread the mixing and shaping part though because bits of the ground beef sticks to my hands, as I roll and flatten. I have to continuously wash my hands off between patties.
I racked my brain and tried different ways to pat out the beef. Then I thought if ziploc baggies don't stick to ground beef when you freeze them, maybe they'll work to pat out patties.
I'm happy to say the baggies worked perfectly! I still added my seasonings in a bowl and rolled the hamburger around in it. Then I formed a semi ball and placed it in the baggy. I slowly pressed down to form a near perfect patty! I made four of these and not once did any stick!
Make a bunch at once and freeze the remaining for later still in the ziplock bag.
I take a pound of ground beef and before I remove it from its covering, I take a spoon handle, back of knife of something of the sort and mark and indention at half way across and then half way in length, I take the wrapper off and discard. I then take each 1/4 and roll into a ball and sprinkle my seasonings on it and put into a plastic bag but not all the way down and put bag in hamburger press and flatten out, close the freezer bag and place in freezer one patty per bag.
I hear you about the hands business! I have a half cup scoop, the kind that looks like an ice cream scoop. Once I have my beef mixture, I scoop it out and level it with the dull side of a knife, then it goes into my little ziplock like you do. Then I just smash it gently into a pattie and it goes i to a big baggie with its friends. I hate getting my hands all gummy. I use food safe disposable gloves for lots of things, especially prepping a Thanksgiving turkey! You might enjoy those!
Used that method since the early 70s. I spread Saran wrap on the counter, drop the meat on it. Then I sprinkle/spread Hungarian Paprika, Ranch, Garlic and Onion salt. Next I fold the wrap over, pat it down, well actually I slap it a bit, then I use my marble rolling pin to flatten it nicely.
