Researching the good burger
Mmmm... that's a good looking burger.
What makes a good burger? One that's satisfying to eat, hold and look at? As much as we might complain, McDonalds used to be the place to get a good burger... sure, they've declined since then, but, as a kid, a Big Mac was a taste sensation.
Who can forget Eddie Murphy's standup where he remembers how his momma made him an awful faux-McDonalds burger?
Yeah, I can relate. My mom made those gigantic, soggy burgers on white bread.
Eric Ripert is a professional chef that opened an American bistro near Washington D.C., and he used his culinary skills to analyze what, exactly, makes a gooooooood burger:
"Just looking at the basic burgers at each of these chains—particularly the Big Mac—showed me a couple of very key things: First of all, the burgers are a perfect size. You can grab them in both hands, and they’re never too tall or too wide to hold on to. And the toppings are the perfect size, too—all to scale, including the thickness of the tomatoes, the amount of lettuce, etc. In terms of the actual flavors, they taste okay, but you can count on them to be consistent; you always know what you’re going to get."
He's right, you know. The Big Mac is a comfortable burger, and the shredded lettuce doesn't get in the way. When you order a gourmet burger at a fancy place, you often get a small haystack of lettuce, tomatoes and sprouts, all which get in the way of that Hamburger.
It's the bun that sells it for me. That perfectly sweet, soft white bread bun - with sesames. As a kid, you don't know any other place in the world that has those buns, and your momma is still using white bread. White bread!
Honestly, though, the McDonalds patties always irritated me. What are they made out of? Plastic? Cardboard? Why don't they have any flavour? No, for me it was always about Arby's and that shaved roast beef.
Is there still an Arby's out there? Making that Beef Dip? Oh, Arby's, with your curly fries so proud.
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
There is a gourmet burger restaurant in Manly overlooking the beach - I am 90% sure it's called "Burger Me" - and the burgers are OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!! They are a must try!!
Horrorphile
I love a good burger.
I'm a sucker for the Double Cheeseburger and the ol' Big Mac (yeah, I'm with Jason on the secret sauce!) from the Golden Arches. I know I should eat them less, but I can't help myself. I'll have a cheeky burger perhaps once a fortnight. I'd like to get it down to once a month 'cos I'm sure the Maccas burgers are more fatty than gourmet ones, or perhaps they're not ...?
I used to love Burgerman here in Sydney. The gherkins were sensational.
There's a cafe in Kings Cross/Potts Point called Dov which make a fantastic gourmet burger. It has all the right ingredients incl. gherkin, beetroot, swiss cheese and a sweet caramelised onion jam!
I haven't tried the Burgalicious chain yet ...
As for Burger King/Hungry Jacks? I find them the burgers too messy to eat, the mayo drips everywhere, and the burgers tend to fall apart.
I don't mind a chicken burger, but I prefer a good old fashioned beef burger.
Apparently there's a restaurant in NYC that has a burger on the menu (wagyu beef) that sells for around $90!!!
Damn, I'm gettin' hungry now!
btw, yeah that top burger pic is very tempting!
Hunt Famous
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Bryn, I don't have burgers that often - I prefer to make them myself, but I like the idea of finding a great one. Big Macs? No thanks. It's lunchtime, though, and I'm hungry, so a Big Mac is starting to sound good.
Horrorphile
I didn't actually check it was you who'd posted this until you replied ... ha!
Homemade burgers are fun and tasty, but when a chef who knows what they're doing makes one, they can rock your gastronomic world!
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