How To Form Beef Into Patties Without Handling Raw Meat

Making burgers at home isn't too difficult, considering that all you're really doing is flattening ground beef into circles. You don't even need any special equipment, just a cutting board (or any flat surface) and your hands. Simply form the ground beef into patties, toss them on the grill or in the frying pan, and you're good to go!

But what if you're someone who isn't exactly thrilled about handling raw meat? It's a perfectly understandable aversion, after all. There is even a condition called "carnophobia," although it is more of a general fear of meat than it is a fear of raw meat in particular (via Psych Times). Many chefs may find themselves uneasy with using or touching raw meat, but there are people who offer advice and support — such as those on Reddit – to help overcome this culinary fear. 

If you want to make homemade burgers, but aren't too excited about touching raw meat with your bare hands, there are some very simple tricks you can do to ensure that you can prepare your food in a safe and hygienic manner.

Have you ever gotten a candy bar that's just a bunch of little squares of chocolate? The purpose of this grid design is so you can break off individual pieces of chocolate instead of breaking the bar in half. What if this same method can be applied to ground beef?

As Food & Wine's Justin Chapple explains, an easy way to make burger patties without handling ground beef. All you need to do is dump your ground beef from its container into a large zip-loc bag. Spread the ground beef out into an even layer that fills the entirety of the bag, forming a single solid square shape. Press any air out of the bag before sealing it shut. Then, take a ruler or other long, flat utensil, and press it lengthwise into the bag, going from left to right and up and down. This should leave you with a grid of squares formed out of the raw meat.

Place the ziplock bag onto a baking sheet to ensure the bag stays flat and then put it in the freezer. When you want to make burgers, simply take the bag out of the freezer and break the squares of meat from each other, just as you would break apart cookie dough squares.

According to the USDA, frozen ground beef is best used within four months, but can actually be kept longer when stored properly.

One of the reasons you may be worried about handling ground beef involves the diseases the meat could carry. While the meat you get from the grocery store is more than likely completely safe to eat, there are some simple safety tips you can do to calm your fears and ensure the ground meat you get will be safe to use, even if you touch it.

Consumer Reports tells us that you should get ground meat from the back of the cooler, as this will be the coldest compared to the ones that have been sitting up front. Ensure that the package is securely wrapped and not leaking. You can also bag the meat separately from the rest of your groceries to avoid any chance of cross-contamination. When you get home, leave the ground meat in the refrigerator until it's time to make the patties. You should also ensure that your hands and all of your utensils are thoroughly cleaned before you begin — a useful tip to remember no matter what you're cooking but especially important when handling meat.

HuffPost suggests preparing raw meat on a separate cutting board or tray away from other ingredients in order to prevent cross-contamination. This way, any juices from raw meat will not spread to any other ingredients and will allow you to prepare your burgers without a mess.