Game Meat Grub for the Big Game
Sunflower-Seed Milk Substitute
Low-Fat Fish Dishes
Faux Pas: The Chef Was Texting
Open a Beer with a Piece of Paper
Belgian Brewers Are Copying Us!The Perfect Hamburger
By Meredith Arthur, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith
CHOW wades into shark-infested waters of perfection: the burger. Josh Ozersky, author of The Hamburger: A History and former editor of New York magazine’s Grub Street blog (he’s now editor of The Feedbag blog), confers with Gail Simmons of Top Chef and Food & Wine magazine. For Ozersky, it’s the burger at Veselka in New York.
And...HE is cleary a theological moron if he believes that any Unitarian deacon could be identified as "Orthodox".
What an innapropriate, mal-functioning, obtuse metaphor!!!!!
I grew up on American Cheese Food, and it didn't help, still can't stand the stuff. For the rest, I'd like to see a recipe for that bun, otherwise nothing of interest here.
oh my god. people, please. josh ozersky has eaten more burgers, consumed more cow, nay clogged his arteries and renal tubules with more animal fat and protein than china. sure, he sounds self-righteous. but love him or hate him, the man is passionate, dedicated and is very, very good at his job. he elevates the bovine experience to a science, and though much is subjective when it comes to...+READ
oh my god. people, please. josh ozersky has eaten more burgers, consumed more cow, nay clogged his arteries and renal tubules with more animal fat and protein than china. sure, he sounds self-righteous. but love him or hate him, the man is passionate, dedicated and is very, very good at his job. he elevates the bovine experience to a science, and though much is subjective when it comes to something as personal as the perfect hamburger, if you've eaten as many patties as this guy you're probably more qualified to objectively identify what makes something good and what makes something great.
funnily enough though the burger in this is incredibly standard in provenance, his choice on "no reservations" was almost burger haute cuisine. check out his youtube channel for more burgery goodness.-COLLAPSE
I prefer ACTUAL cheese, rather than the plastic stuff like Velveeta. I think the only way anyone can like "American" cheese is to have been raised on it. (That whole "American Cheese " thing must be pretty insulting to the people in Wisconsin, for example, who turn out some pretty great cheese in America.)
And, while I agree with the "to each his own" philosophy, I find it rather sad that some...+READ
I prefer ACTUAL cheese, rather than the plastic stuff like Velveeta. I think the only way anyone can like "American" cheese is to have been raised on it. (That whole "American Cheese " thing must be pretty insulting to the people in Wisconsin, for example, who turn out some pretty great cheese in America.)
And, while I agree with the "to each his own" philosophy, I find it rather sad that some people actually prefer "cheese food" that was made in a lab to real cheese. Or, for that matter, ANYTHING that was made in a lab and packed full of chemicals. It's not real food, and it is not good for you. There is a reason you can store Velveeta for months at room temperature, and that is that even microorganisms know the difference between real food and that lab crap. Too bad many people do not.-COLLAPSE
Funny how much passion the topic of hamburgers can bring out. The moral of this story is that we all have our own preferences. My 'perfect' burger will probably not be yours. Big deal. I'll eat mine, and you eat yours. Plus, I do see an excess of 'food snobbery' on this topic. We like what we like. Personally, I don't like American cheese EXCEPT on a grilled cheese sandwich. My 'perfect' grilled...+READ
Funny how much passion the topic of hamburgers can bring out. The moral of this story is that we all have our own preferences. My 'perfect' burger will probably not be yours. Big deal. I'll eat mine, and you eat yours. Plus, I do see an excess of 'food snobbery' on this topic. We like what we like. Personally, I don't like American cheese EXCEPT on a grilled cheese sandwich. My 'perfect' grilled cheese sandwich is ALWAYS made with Velveeta cheese. Oh, I forgot. My 'perfect' mac and cheese has Velveeta as well. (If you buy it, you have to have ways of using it up) So, we're all different. I've been to the burger place called 'Smash Burger' and they DO smash their burgers, and guess what? They're STILL juicy and toothsome. So, we'll all just have to agree to disagree on our 'perfect' foods. It's what makes the world go round.-COLLAPSE
I agree with kaimukiman. I fine chop steak, but that's my pref.
The only things I agree 100% with is the grill and the bun.
I thought we were gonna learn how to make this stuff!
Sorry KaimukiMan but processed cheese on a great hand-crafted burger? yikes and eww.
He might think a big mac is a good hamburger even I know better than him about burgers as do people who replyed
To each their own, I know people that go both ways. Some like it the same way as in the video, other's like their burgers as lean beef mixed with bleu cheese and hand-pressed almost 1.5" thick..
Me? 20-30% fat ground round, coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper on both sides, lovingly pressed in so it doesn't just fall off when you flip it. Sharp cheddar (grated with small grater) and...+READ
To each their own, I know people that go both ways. Some like it the same way as in the video, other's like their burgers as lean beef mixed with bleu cheese and hand-pressed almost 1.5" thick..
Me? 20-30% fat ground round, coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper on both sides, lovingly pressed in so it doesn't just fall off when you flip it. Sharp cheddar (grated with small grater) and bacon that is less than crispy. Red onion or sweet yellow at the sweetest of their season. A few dill pickle slices, ketchup and mustard and I'm in burger heaven.
man... I'm grillin tonight-COLLAPSE
Burgers are still and always will be a matter of preference. Just by the amount of comments and varying degrees of uproar I see there will never be a 100% accepted "perfect" burger to all. This is the same argument you get with pizza. Yes the burger was squashed while on the grill, but it still looked juicy from this POV. IMHO there's nothing wrong with toppings ie. cheese, bacon, back bacon,...+READ
Burgers are still and always will be a matter of preference. Just by the amount of comments and varying degrees of uproar I see there will never be a 100% accepted "perfect" burger to all. This is the same argument you get with pizza. Yes the burger was squashed while on the grill, but it still looked juicy from this POV. IMHO there's nothing wrong with toppings ie. cheese, bacon, back bacon, ham, sauteed onions, onion rings, fries, various condiments, etc. Personally I prefer a plain burger as long as it's juicy, you don't need anything else on it. As for the bun, it's gotta be either the same size or slightly smaller. I do agree with the thickness of the burger in the video. A thick burger is basically meatloaf on a bun or even a giant meatball. C'mon, you can't have the burger too thick, maybe at most an inch thick. You gotta be able to get it inside your mouth bun included. As for the American cheese reference, what's wrong with it? This is what the guy's point is, don't make it artisenal, just simple.-COLLAPSE
A burger should be what you think it should be.
For me, it is a hand formed patty with salt and pepper, that's it.
Cheese is preferred, but a mild cheese like provolone or swiss is best.
As far as condiments, mayo, maybe a touch of ketchup.
Also, why is Gail Simmons of Food and Wine magazine saying this is good?? If a chef on TOP CHEF sent this out the way it's presented in the video she'd...+READ
A burger should be what you think it should be.
For me, it is a hand formed patty with salt and pepper, that's it.
Cheese is preferred, but a mild cheese like provolone or swiss is best.
As far as condiments, mayo, maybe a touch of ketchup.
Also, why is Gail Simmons of Food and Wine magazine saying this is good?? If a chef on TOP CHEF sent this out the way it's presented in the video she'd say it's dried out, and wtf is up with American "cheese"? Please pack your knives and go home!-COLLAPSE
Why does everyone insist on plopping cheese on top of a hamburger? Yuck.
funny, the chow site calls this place "awful"
that burger is damn good. and, it's fresh, never frozen.
First of all, I hate American cheese. Secondly, isn't a hamburger with cheese on top called a CHEESEBURGER? I see nothing wrong with a little ketchup on it as long as it's not swimming in it. When I order a hamburger in a restaurant and the waiter asks me if I want cheese on it, I think to myself, If I wanted cheese on it I would have ordered a cheeseburger. I ordered a hamburger. The name alone...+READ
First of all, I hate American cheese. Secondly, isn't a hamburger with cheese on top called a CHEESEBURGER? I see nothing wrong with a little ketchup on it as long as it's not swimming in it. When I order a hamburger in a restaurant and the waiter asks me if I want cheese on it, I think to myself, If I wanted cheese on it I would have ordered a cheeseburger. I ordered a hamburger. The name alone means no cheese. It's like ordering unsweetened iced tea and the waiter asks if you want sugar in it.-COLLAPSE
Bravo, KaimukiMan!
I am going to make people crazy, but here goes.
1) Nothing beats fresh ground beef, without that there is no perfection possible. This is not a debatable point. The patty should be hand formed, not machine pressed. Refer to item 7 below.
2) If you are using fresh beef you don't need all that fat to give it flavor. 15-20 percent is plenty. It will not be dry, it will be flavorful, but the flavor...+READ
I am going to make people crazy, but here goes.
1) Nothing beats fresh ground beef, without that there is no perfection possible. This is not a debatable point. The patty should be hand formed, not machine pressed. Refer to item 7 below.
2) If you are using fresh beef you don't need all that fat to give it flavor. 15-20 percent is plenty. It will not be dry, it will be flavorful, but the flavor will be beef, not grease and tallow.
3) If you are using fresh ground beef, the only thing that should be in your burger is... burger. No spices, no sauces, no vegetables, no eggs, and (gasp) no damn bread crumbs. If you want a meatloaf, go fix a meatloaf. I love meatloaf. I love meatloaf sandwiches. A burger is not a meatloaf.
4) The only thing that should touch the meat before you throw it on the grill are your hands and a small amount of salt. Period. Full Stop.
5) A burger should never be cooked past the high end of medium rare. I prefer mine closer to the rare end, but there is room for personal taste here unless you are turning it into grey matter or even worse, the proverbial hockey puck.
6) A burger is always best cooked over a flame, and charcoal is the best flame of all. If it is mesquite or something the smoke flavor should be mild. You want to taste the beef.
7) The finished burger should be very close to flat, not too thin, but flat. A small lump in the middle is acceptable, but if the patties are two thick they are hard to eat and if too round the condiments slip off the top.
8) Unless you are using really fatty meat (in the 30% range) there should not be a need to squeeze the grease out when you turn it or when you pull it off the grill.
9) Cheese is VERY optional. If you want to have cheese it should melt well, like processed cheese does. Either that or something like blue that really doesn't melt but gives you bursts of flavor. Again, this is not a grilled cheese sandwich, it is a burger. There should only be enough cheese to accent the flavor and add a touch of texture, not a gooey mass that requires lots of chewing and swallowing.
7) Fresh condiments should be just that, fresh. They should not have been sitting in the back of your fridge for a week or two (not even the onion) Onion, tomato, lettuce, stick to the basics. OK, if you need a pickle, put on a pickle, but no relish. The pickle is not just there for taste, but to add a little bit of crispness. And nothing exotic (yeah, i like an occasional ortega or bacon burger, but thats a specialty item, not a perfect burger). The condiments should never overwhelm the burger.
8) Sauce. If you must you must. But don't get carried away. The finished product should not require toothpicks to keep the layers from sliding around like penguins on ice. At the same time, the perfect burger should be just slightly messy. And the point is the burger, not the secret sauce.
9. The bun, the bun. it has to be stable enough to deal with the slightly messy, able to absorb some of the juices without dissolving. There should be enough of a crust to let you know you are biting into something special, but not so tough that you have to crush the entire assembly to bite through it. And the bun must must must be toasted. Not burnt. Just toasted lightly. The bun for the perfect burger should be delicious, but mostly taste neutral. Save the sourdough and rye for the specialty burgers.
10. Eating the perfect burger. The perfect burger should never ever be sliced in half. Doing so indicates that it was poorly proportioned. It should fit into the mouth of a full grown man easily. Kid's like it messy so having it smoosh for them is not a problem. Women somehow manage, it is part of their magical skill set that men will never understand. And for the love of all things culinary, never ever ever even consider eating a burger with a knife and fork unless you are recovering from some sort of bizarre oral surgery that absolutely prohibits your from opening wide.-COLLAPSE
1. Flat is for pancakes. Give me a nice buldgy, thick, juicy piece of ground meat. And now I'm hungry.
2. That burger's too plain. I need more toppings on mine.
3. It HAS to have American cheese? Well, it's ok on a burger (any other way, I can't eat that so called 'cheese'), but I prefer other types of cheese. Viscosity is for food snobs; give me provolone or give me death!
4. I guess it's his...+READ
1. Flat is for pancakes. Give me a nice buldgy, thick, juicy piece of ground meat. And now I'm hungry.
2. That burger's too plain. I need more toppings on mine.
3. It HAS to have American cheese? Well, it's ok on a burger (any other way, I can't eat that so called 'cheese'), but I prefer other types of cheese. Viscosity is for food snobs; give me provolone or give me death!
4. I guess it's his opinion, but the perfect burger for me would have mozerrella, bacon, and mushrooms involved. Or just a regular (plump and juicy, mind you!) bacon cheeseburger with lettuce and a tomato. And ketchup. Ohhh, I can hear the food snobs screaming now. ;)-COLLAPSE
The points about the perfect burger are certainly debatable.
However, the use of the term "orthodox" paired with "as a Unitarian Deacon" is quite an oxymoron. Unitarians are not orthodox. He should have said "orthodox as the Pope in Rome". Now that makes sense.
I've had the burgers at Veselkas three or four times and while I admit I thoroughly enjoyed them I can't believe this so called expert thinks so highly of them. While I do not consider myself a burger expert I do know the difference between a good one and a great one.
for bar or joint food...I would eat it and not expect anything less or more than smashed, baconed, and comfort cheesed . The perfect blend of all things substandard for a backyard gourmet burger.
really?in all of it's short history (in american cuisine) there has never been any real technique or form that defines a hamburger. defined, it's simply cooked ground beef in between two pieces of bread. If I have my history correct it was born at a state fair when a vendor flattened a meat ball and put it in between bread for portability..later it became a beef thing. in the old days pork was...+READ
really?in all of it's short history (in american cuisine) there has never been any real technique or form that defines a hamburger. defined, it's simply cooked ground beef in between two pieces of bread. If I have my history correct it was born at a state fair when a vendor flattened a meat ball and put it in between bread for portability..later it became a beef thing. in the old days pork was the go! beef happened by mistake. it lacks rich flavor and needed all that other crap to raise the flavor profile..
for everyone it's different. and I bet this fellow put american cheese on it because just about all or us grew up with it. it's comfort food with a fake butter oily viscous mouth feel. yum! like red vines or "pancake topping"-all fake and OH SO GOOD!
but he was a bit self ritchious himself I suppose. who the hell cares how another man likes his burger.. one with smoked mushrooms and arugula and another straight up.. one burger love!-COLLAPSE
I eat at Veselka regularly, and their burger is definitely quite average. This guy wrote a book on Hamburgers??? Geez, put away the crack pipe.
this guy has lost any credibility he may have had. maybe he just got out of solitary confinement.
Chow needs to take this down to retain any semblance of credibility.
As soon as that "chef" pressed down on the burger, robbing it of its juiciness, I knew it would be a burger not worth eating.
Perfect? That dried out patty can't even be passable.
Every component of a great burger must be delicious, no, outstanding on its own: burger, cheese, bun, etc. One of my favorites is at Royal Taven in South Philadelphia. A wonderfully tasty burger topped with gouda cheese, jalapenos, on an old school grilled bun. The belgian frites with the garlic mayo adds a nice touch too. Back to the burger, the textural and flavor contrast are second to none in...+READ
Every component of a great burger must be delicious, no, outstanding on its own: burger, cheese, bun, etc. One of my favorites is at Royal Taven in South Philadelphia. A wonderfully tasty burger topped with gouda cheese, jalapenos, on an old school grilled bun. The belgian frites with the garlic mayo adds a nice touch too. Back to the burger, the textural and flavor contrast are second to none in my opinion at Royal. I can taste it now.-COLLAPSE
I never even think about hamburgers until there's a big beefsteak tomato ripe in my garden. But when that happens those tomatoes hang out back there just yelling for me to put them in a hamburger until I oblige them.
The burger featured in this video is the type of burger I can eat regularly and not get sick of (minus the second slice of cheese and half of the bacon). Which in my opinion might qualify this burger as "perfect."
Though personally, I would go with a cheddar over American for it's added bite. And not a fancy 5 yr old white cheddar either -- something processed that melts good.
Gourmet...+READ
The burger featured in this video is the type of burger I can eat regularly and not get sick of (minus the second slice of cheese and half of the bacon). Which in my opinion might qualify this burger as "perfect."
Though personally, I would go with a cheddar over American for it's added bite. And not a fancy 5 yr old white cheddar either -- something processed that melts good.
Gourmet burgers are great -- definitely steps above your average burger, but if I could only choose one burger to eat for the rest of my life, you better believe it won't be a gourmet burger (e.g. burger with roquefort or brie). There's no way I could eat one of those regularly without switching it up a bit.
Not to say I eat burgers regularly. Maybe once a month, sometimes twice.
And yes to ketchup and mayo! Ketchup adds umami!-COLLAPSE
agree wholeheartedly with the american cheese.
and that burger looks delicious.
While a case can be made for American Cheese or an untoasted, enriched flour bun, (not by me, but at least I see the point,) as others have pointed out, the pressing is the dead give-away that this is a burger to avoid.
While I agree with the majority that a burger should be 25-30% fat, I prefer to add my own. If you start by grinding your own sirloin (go with sirloin tip for economy and low...+READ
While a case can be made for American Cheese or an untoasted, enriched flour bun, (not by me, but at least I see the point,) as others have pointed out, the pressing is the dead give-away that this is a burger to avoid.
While I agree with the majority that a burger should be 25-30% fat, I prefer to add my own. If you start by grinding your own sirloin (go with sirloin tip for economy and low fat content) you can add both bacon drippings and, IMNSHO, the best all-around fat available: olive oil in which you've roasted (or, more properly, done a confit of) garlic. Per four burgers, a tablespoon of panko or even old cubed bread soaked in a tablespoon of milk until it disolves will give you a binder that adds smoothness. A little parm and some oregano will add complexity. (don't go wild with these - you want complexity, not an Oregano-Parm burger.) If you have access to powdered smoked serano chilies, a tiny bit is wonderful.
The biggest mistake in the video, and in 99.99% of burgers is the shape. When I read Willingham's description of the hole-in-the-center burger, I thought "how cute." Believe me, it works. Like the pressing down of the center with your thumb (or shot-glass) trick, a hole in the center keeps the burger from becoming a meatball on the grill; however, it also accomplishes a much more important task: it allows a grilled burger to cook from the center out as well as from the edge in. This means that you won't have that half inch of grey under the crust, before you get to the juicy, rare-to medium-well meat.
As to the video, I wonder if Ozersky fails to mention some seasonings used at this place that make the burger special. The technique is certainly flawed. I'm moderately surprised at Simmons - her taste is usually impecible, and while some un-named seasonings might make this a good burger, what we see in the video proves that it can't possibly be a great one. Perhaps her "nice" is an instance of damning with faint praise... one can only hope so.-COLLAPSE
Hey!!!!
No hatin' on Ozersky! He's a good friend of mine and NEVER has there been a burger fanatic of his caliber (cheap shot, sorry josh). Everyone's entitled to his definition of "perfect"; and I respect his opinion, but don't share it 100%. Still, if I needed burger advice I'd go straight to the guy. There's MY 2 cents.
josh shuffman
No reason to be rude and ostracize those whose opinion differs from yours. Where are your manners?
American "cheese" makes my bottom weep brown tears.
FATTY beef (30% at least), salt and pepper on the outside, grilled over coals, topped with whatever you feel like, but the burger should stand on its own.
Also, the perfect pizza comes from Ray's in New York City.
[runs for cover]
I second cb_s "WTF?" on the American "cheese" usage. This guy plainly hasn't eaten enough burgers, and he's obviously never been to Father's Office in Santa Monica.
american cheese????
what an idiot!!
that's not even real cheese.
le monde used to have the best burgers. try one with the brie. they have a good brie there.
this burger snobbery is ridiculous. In my opinion, the argument over the perfect burger needs to be fought on two different fronts: the bar/diner burger, and the backyard burger. Both have their specific merrits, and are by no means substitues for one another.
Everyone arguing for the plump burger with gourmet cheese and a homeade bun is absolutely right, if we are talking about the 'backyard...+READ
this burger snobbery is ridiculous. In my opinion, the argument over the perfect burger needs to be fought on two different fronts: the bar/diner burger, and the backyard burger. Both have their specific merrits, and are by no means substitues for one another.
Everyone arguing for the plump burger with gourmet cheese and a homeade bun is absolutely right, if we are talking about the 'backyard burger' category. And, in my opinon, that is what comes to minds when thinking about the 'ultimate' burger. This is the category that gives absolute artistic liscense to the creator.
But sometimes, there is absolutely nothing else that satisfies like a flat, crispy bar burger with american chese and bacon, all on a plain old bun. A burger that goes perfectly with a Labatt and some fake wood paneling. So I am thankful that Mr. Ozersky presented his case, because the humble bar burger has gone too long unnapreciated in todays 'eat local' food world.
By the way, the best bar burger in the world has to be at Timothy's Pub in Gaylord, Michigan. If you've been, you know exactly what I mean.-COLLAPSE
For me a good burger should never be preseasoned with anything more than salt and pepper..no garlic or onion and god no worchestershire sauce...and the last thing you should need is an egg to hold it together?..thats a total WTF...It shouldnt be too thick, make sure its not too lean, if its cooked correctly it doesnt need to be thick with a bulge in the middle to be moist..a quick hot sear a flip...+READ
For me a good burger should never be preseasoned with anything more than salt and pepper..no garlic or onion and god no worchestershire sauce...and the last thing you should need is an egg to hold it together?..thats a total WTF...It shouldnt be too thick, make sure its not too lean, if its cooked correctly it doesnt need to be thick with a bulge in the middle to be moist..a quick hot sear a flip another sear and your done not matter what your cooking it on...keep the cheese simple and dont put too much of it on and keep the toppings sparse..no ketchup, or bbq sauce or any of that....a soft buttered grilled roll that the burger completely fits on is the way to go too, nothing too crusty..burgers shouldnt be way too big for the bun...a pickle on the side...some fries and Im happy....-COLLAPSE
Who let the comic book guy from the simpsons become a hamburger expert? That burger looked like the the worst affront to backyard bbq's everywhere. Frozen pre-made patties do not make a good (or even "nice") burger. There's no way you can cook that to med-rare and feel comfortable eating or serving it.
Worst "perfect" ever
I can't believe he smushed the burger on the grill. A big no no!
"Why not eat a meatloaf covered with roquefort cheese on a roll? Hew to the burger orthodoxies, and live a life of virtue!"
That actually sounds like a great idea...
So the perfect burger starts w/ a premade, cut-off-a-log, sausage-textured patty?
No thanks, Mr Big Word Burger "Classicist"
Give me a hand-shapen, fatty piece of ground beef any day. Grill it over charcoal, and you're good to go. Don't bother pre-seasoning my burger. Carbon is the only seasoning for a manly man like me.
Cheese is debatable. I personally like cheddar, or even muenster or...+READ
So the perfect burger starts w/ a premade, cut-off-a-log, sausage-textured patty?
No thanks, Mr Big Word Burger "Classicist"
Give me a hand-shapen, fatty piece of ground beef any day. Grill it over charcoal, and you're good to go. Don't bother pre-seasoning my burger. Carbon is the only seasoning for a manly man like me.
Cheese is debatable. I personally like cheddar, or even muenster or pepper jack. Hell, I like mozzarella for pizza burgers! However, the LAST cheese I'd want to put on my charcoal grilled burger is American cheese - much less TWO slices! It's not so bad when I buy a double cheeseburger off the McDonald's dollar menu.
Oh yeah... and pass the ketchup. I don't care what this burger aficionado and Alton Brown have to say about ketchup. They're both self-absorbed weirdos anyway. I like ketchup, so it goes on my perfect burger.
And if you haven't picked up from my post by now, it's all about personal preferences. I like my cheddar-bacon burger topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo and ketchup on a sesame seed bun with dill pickle spear on the side.
Some may like theirs plain.
Some even put the french fries on top of their burger. Who are we to judge?-COLLAPSE
How little you people understand about hamburgers! The hamburger exists on a horizontal plane, like the inhabitants of Flatland. The american cheese is the only dairy product that produces the proper viscosity. Cheddar is lumpy and greasy. Bulgy burgers are grotesque, an affront to everything that make the burger special; why not have it be shaped like a ball? Why not eat a meatloaf covered with...+READ
How little you people understand about hamburgers! The hamburger exists on a horizontal plane, like the inhabitants of Flatland. The american cheese is the only dairy product that produces the proper viscosity. Cheddar is lumpy and greasy. Bulgy burgers are grotesque, an affront to everything that make the burger special; why not have it be shaped like a ball? Why not eat a meatloaf covered with roquefort cheese on a roll? Hew to the burger orthodoxies, and live a life of virtue!-COLLAPSE
'PERFECT', my a**!
MORE PROOF that too many Americans under 45 have been poorly educated in the art of Burger Science. This Ozersky guy isn't qualified to talk, let alone write about hamburgers.
- Flat, no way! A little central bulge preserves the juiciness.
- Perfectly round, not critical.
As cb said first - American 'cheese', WHAT THE F***?
My guidelines:
- meat should not be too lean, prefer...+READ
'PERFECT', my a**!
MORE PROOF that too many Americans under 45 have been poorly educated in the art of Burger Science. This Ozersky guy isn't qualified to talk, let alone write about hamburgers.
- Flat, no way! A little central bulge preserves the juiciness.
- Perfectly round, not critical.
As cb said first - American 'cheese', WHAT THE F***?
My guidelines:
- meat should not be too lean, prefer 15 - 20% fat
- spice meat with small amounts of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried minced onion, worchestershire sauce
- grilled over smoky wood coals, not griddled
- shoot for medium rare doneness
- slighly toasted bun should have character but not too dense - traditional sesame seed is fine, even english muffin
- NO CATSUP (punishable by firing squad)
- NO PROCESSED CHEESE (ditto)
- no bacon (distracts from beefy goodness)
- toppings should complement the beef and each other; prefer
a) sharp cheddar, kosher dill pickle slices, dijon mustard
b) sharp cheddar, picked jalapeno strips
c) thin RIPE tomato slices, mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce
Any questions?-COLLAPSE
So, how "perfect" is the perfect burger? Gail Simmons (the woman in the video) called it "nice." What a compliment. Obviously, everyone is entitled to their "perfect" burger but this thing doesn't look like it. My favorite of all time was from McHale's in New York (closed about two years ago because high-rise built in its place.) The bacon cheeseburger was 1 pound of meat, 10 full strips of bacon...+READ
So, how "perfect" is the perfect burger? Gail Simmons (the woman in the video) called it "nice." What a compliment. Obviously, everyone is entitled to their "perfect" burger but this thing doesn't look like it. My favorite of all time was from McHale's in New York (closed about two years ago because high-rise built in its place.) The bacon cheeseburger was 1 pound of meat, 10 full strips of bacon and 3 to 4 ozs. of the cheese of your choice, including bleu. And no, I'm not exaggerating, it was that big, and it was cooked perfectly to order.-COLLAPSE
Many people disagree with some of these "the perfect" things, and I usually chalk it up to personal preference, but this flies in the face of every piece of burger advice I have ever seen.
1)What ever happened to a nice thick juicy burger? That thing is SO thin and as someone previous mentioned they squeezed all the juices out of it on the grill. Great for fast service, not so great for a good...+READ
Many people disagree with some of these "the perfect" things, and I usually chalk it up to personal preference, but this flies in the face of every piece of burger advice I have ever seen.
1)What ever happened to a nice thick juicy burger? That thing is SO thin and as someone previous mentioned they squeezed all the juices out of it on the grill. Great for fast service, not so great for a good burger.
2)I really don't think you need "American" cheese, or cheese at all for that matter. However, if you are going to put on cheese I really do think you can do a little better than that processed garbage.
I agree about the not cooking past medium (I wouldn't be terribly disappointed with medium well, but medium is what I am shooting for). I personally like to add a little bacon fat into the burger and some finely chopped onions, but even if you just had a good bun, some quality meat and mixed an egg in to hold the meat together you should get a pretty good burger.
Maybe thats just me...-COLLAPSE
you've got to be kidding me....wow. certainly didn't expect this when I clicked "the perfect hamburger"...
This will bring a lot of controversy.
They squished it while it's on the grill? That's a culinary cardinal sin! While the sizzle is impressive, the sizzle is the juiciness of your burger escaping from the burger (where you want it) to the heating element (where you don't). The only thing it accomplishes is a dried out burger.
The perfect burger starts out with ground chuck. It has enough fat in it that it's not dry when it comes...+READ
They squished it while it's on the grill? That's a culinary cardinal sin! While the sizzle is impressive, the sizzle is the juiciness of your burger escaping from the burger (where you want it) to the heating element (where you don't). The only thing it accomplishes is a dried out burger.
The perfect burger starts out with ground chuck. It has enough fat in it that it's not dry when it comes off the grill, but not so much fat that the burger is greasy. It's best if you grind it yourself. you can do this in a food processor with minimal fuss. The burger should be cooked over a searing hot flame, no further than medium unless you enjoy eating hockey pucks. It should only be turned once, and never, ever pressed. The only thing that pressing will accomplish is drying out the burger. If you choose to add cheese, it should go on the burger before the burger itself is finished cooking so it has time to melt without giving the meat a chance to overcook. The cheese should have a personality of its own; American, Colby, and Monterey Jack all melt nicely but are quite bland. Better to go with sharp Cheddar, Swiss, or even crumbles of your favorite blue cheese.
The bun must not be an afterthought. The ones in the bread aisle at the supermarket are almost always flavorless, waifish things that can't hold their own once loaded down with toppings. Find yourself a good bakery and buy their hamburger buns. They should have some flavor of their own, and be big enough to hold up through the entire burger without collapsing, but not so big that all you taste is the bread. Toasting the buns is mandatory. Buttering the buns before toasting is highly recommended.
Toppings are up to you. Some people prefer the clean, minimalist lines of only burger and bun. Daniel Boulud lavishly tops the signature burger at his restaurant with braised short ribs, foie gras, and black truffles. I believe that a burger should come with a standard set of green leaf lettuce, ripe tomato, sliced red onion, and slices of pickle unless such things are not complementary to other special toppings. A dollop of a spreadable condiment is always welcome even on the simplest burger creation. Mustard, mayonnaise, or ketchup are all classic standards. More inventive creations may include Thousand Island dressing (or for that matter, any creamy salad dressing, blue cheese is especially wonderful), homemade aïoli, a red wine pan sauce if you happened to pan-sear the burgers... Really, anything in the kitchen that's savory and spreadable. From there, the sky is the limit for toppings. Look over the topping list at fancy burger joints, such as Burger Bar in Las Vegas, for some terrific ideas. Don't limit yourself to just those lists; if you think it sounds like it's going to be good on a burger, it almost certainly is going to be delicious.-COLLAPSE
American cheese? WTF?