If, however, you plan on basting your burger from the very beginning with a sauce or some spare marinade, stop basting three to four minutes before the hamburger is done and make sure you turn the burger over at least once or twice more before removing the meat from the grill. That way, you’ll destroy any bacteria that may have gotten onto your mop brush or into your sauce or marinade when the burger was raw.
7. IF STEAKS CAN BE COOKED MEDIUM–RARE, WHY CAN’T MY BURGER?
According to the Institute of Food Technologists, the bacteria on whole pieces of meat such as steaks—those that have not been cut into, mechanically tenderized, or injected with anything—are on the outside surfaces. When you grill a steak, you promptly kill the bacteria on the outside. But if you take that same raw steak and grind it for burgers, any harmful bacteria or pathogens on the exterior will be spread throughout the meat. If the grinder itself isn’t clean, that’s another source of potential trouble. That’s why you need to cook your burger to 160°F.