Dallas Chefs and Personalities on Favorite Burgers, Then and Now, Plus What Makes A Great Burger
What's the most important aspect of great burger?
Maddy: "It's all about the patty to topping ratio. If it's a big-ass patty, add very little topping and vice versa. If you add lamb, bacon, avocado etc. etc., minimize the patty. And most important, make the bun work with the above statement. The bun is the foundation for the whole project. If it cannot contain the beast you created, then you need a fork. Forks do not like burgers."
Alexis: "The contrast/balance. Hot beef, gooey cheese (if it's not melted, don't waste my time) and the cool crisp veg/sauces. Some places get the ingredients right, but the construction timing is off and the vegetables get warm or bun soggy, etc. It all has to come together perfectly."
Dhurandhar: "I think they all tie in together. To me it's like a restaurant, if the front and the back do not jell and work as a team you are never going to be successful."
Cuban: "Juicy, juicy, juicy. The messier the better. If you aren't wearing it when you're done, it wasn't worth eating!"
Erdeljac: "For me, what makes a burger great is the meat. We use Angus, in particular chuck."
Davidson: "HAS to have grilled onions, mushrooms and yes it has to be cooked medium to medium well. I put so much junk on my burger it's ridiculous. Maybe I should go back to my basic Wendy's double."
Harris: "When it comes to burgers I'm a purist. It's all about the meat and bun. I want the meat to be properly seasoned, to taste beefy and be served on a quality toasted bun. I think if you start with those two elements, you're going to have a good burger. Accent that with quality lettuce, beautiful tomato and maybe some sharp cheese. That's all you need. If you start putting a lot of other stuff on it, then the flavor of the beef is going to be lost."
Green: "Balance, not too much of one thing and a delicious beef patty."
Balke: "There are three elements that make a perfect burger: a properly butter-toasted bun, the quality of the meat and meat-to-bun ratio. And it helps if it's cooked on a griddle."
Romano: "The bun. It's just as important as the meat."
Johnson: "I believe that what makes a great burger is the meat quality. The patty at Goodfriend is the highest quality meat we can get."
Tate: "Keep it simple. No foreign spices blended in the meat. It should taste like a burger, not a meat loaf. Too many additions ruin a burger. I like cheese and bacon, nothing too fussy that will overpower the beef."
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