How to Build a Better Burger
Fresh Takes – Issue 07 – June 2022
By Devin Armstrong
Customer Development Director, Brown Foodservice Inc.
June 30, 2022
The cold days are now behind us, and these sunny days bring family cookouts, boat riding, fishing, and of course grilling hamburgers! Hamburgers have become an American staple since the mid-19th century. With a surge in German immigration to the United States in the mid 1850’s, came German influences in everyday food culture. Beer gardens became exceedingly popular and importing the “Hamburg-style” chopped steak to local butchers made it available to American restaurants. Building a better burger can help drive new business and keep loyal customers.
Quality Matters
An essential part of building a good burger is choosing quality ingredients. While fully cooked burgers have their place in food service, using fresh beef always yields the best results. Don’t have time to patty burgers yourself? Our wide selection of pre-pattied burgers offers a time-saving solution without sacrificing quality. Buying quality toppings and buns have a massive impact on the taste and appearance. Use a smaller bun so the beef patty covers the entirety of the bun and hangs over the sides. Try using Brioche or a Kaiser bun, with a split top. These buns usually have an egg wash on them, making them shine, which will give a more artisan appearance to your burger.
An essential part of building a good burger is choosing quality ingredients. While fully cooked burgers have their place in food service, using fresh beef always yields the best results. Don’t have time to patty burgers yourself? Our wide selection of pre-pattied burgers offers a time-saving solution without sacrificing quality. Buying quality toppings and buns have a massive impact on the taste and appearance. Use a smaller bun so the beef patty covers the entirety of the bun and hangs over the sides. Try using Brioche or a Kaiser bun, with a split top. These buns usually have an egg wash on them, making them shine, which will give a more artisan appearance to your burger.
Cook Times
A dry burger grilled for way too long ruins an appetite fast. Cooking to temperature can prevent any inconsistencies with the cooking process. If you don’t want to ask for temperatures on your burgers every time, Medium Well is the go-to standard. Giving yourself 10 more degrees to work with will allow you to melt the cheese appropriately. Also, never press your burgers, which drains all the juices from the patty.
A dry burger grilled for way too long ruins an appetite fast. Cooking to temperature can prevent any inconsistencies with the cooking process. If you don’t want to ask for temperatures on your burgers every time, Medium Well is the go-to standard. Giving yourself 10 more degrees to work with will allow you to melt the cheese appropriately. Also, never press your burgers, which drains all the juices from the patty.
- How to cook a successful burger every time:
1. Set grill top to 375 degrees
2. Place patty on grill top (do not press burger)
3. Sear burger on each side for 2-3 minutes
4. Use a food grade thermometer to temp the burger- Rare: 120 to 125 (2-3 min per side)
- Medium Rare: 130 to 135 (4 min per side)
- Medium: 140-150 (5 min per side)
- Medium Well: 150 to 155 (6 min per side)
- Well Done: 160 to 165 (7 min per side)
Time to Dress It Up
Kentucky is home to creative chefs and ideas that liven up the burger experience. Some diverse ways to top burgers are:
Kentucky is home to creative chefs and ideas that liven up the burger experience. Some diverse ways to top burgers are:
- Hot Brown Burger:
- Mornay, country ham, and fresh tomato
- Cajun Burger:
- Blackened seasoning on the burger, topped with andouille sausage and fried crawfish (or salad shrimp), lettuce, onion, chipotle aioli
- California Burger:
- Sliced avocado, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, chipotle aioli
- Bourbon BBQ:
- Bourbon BBQ sauce, beer cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion
- Pimento Cheeseburger:
- Pimento cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion
With burger season here, we hope this inspires you to take your burger game to the next level! Any questions or consolation please reach out to devin.armstrong@brownfoodservice.com.