Popular Mechanics - USA (2019-09)

(Antfer) #1
Here’s how to optimize
taste and texture to
elevate any burger,
according to chef Dan-
iel Wilson, author of
The Burger Lab: The Art
and Science of the Per-
fect Burger and founder
of the Australian burger
chain Huxtaburger:

BUN
Brush it with clar-
ified butter, the
butterfat you get
when you melt
unsalted butter
and skim off the
foamy milk pro-
teins. Then toast
it in a pan or on
a flat grill. That
caramelizes the
bun and steams
the bread, which
allows the bun to
compress around
the ingredients.
To a s t i n g c r e a t e s
a crisp barrier so
that the sauces
and meat juices
don’t make the
bun soggy.

MEAT
Use the best
beef you can, and
do not adulter-
ate it with fillers
and spices. You
want to taste the
meat. I add only
salt and pepper
and prefer grass-
fed beef that’s 80
percent lean and
20 percent fat.
Fat keeps meat
moist and helps
raise the tem-
perature while
cooking, which
promotes the
Maillard reaction
(browning) and
caramelizing.

PICKLES
These are an
essential part of a
burger. They add
acid, which helps
counteract the
fattiness of the
meat.

SAUCES
Use only ketchup,
American
mustard, and
mayonnaise. This
trio adds sweet-
ness, acidity,
richness, and fla-
vor. Put on a little
bit more than you
think you need.

CHEESE
A slice of cheddar
is best. Amer-
ican cheese is
not cheese and
should never be
used.

LETTUCE
AND
TOMATO
These add
freshness and
counteract the
richness of the
patty.

Grab the burger by placing your fingers underneath the bottom and your thumbs on the top, and then bring it to your mouth in
an arc. “It’s the most comfortable way to eat a burger,” says Wilson. “To me, thumbs under the bottom and pulling toward you
seems unnatural. Whichever you prefer, just embrace the mess of sauce running down your forearms and enjoy!”

EAT IT
UPSIDE
DOWN

THE
SCIENCE
OF THE
PERFECT
BURGER

PHOTOGRAPH BY RALPH SMITH

FOOD STYLING BY JULISSA ROBERTS

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