Burgers are big business; the team at Zagat recently conducted a burger survey that found Americans eat an average of 4.3 burgers a month (yup, that’s at least a burger a week!).
VSAG is all over that burger stat. We love ‘em and believe that making a good burger is an art form.
As May marks National Burger Month and Memorial Day is upon us, we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about beefing up your menu. We talked to our talented colleague, Chef Joe Goetze, for some pointers on making a great burger that guests will love.
The quintessential ingredient? You guessed it – the meat that goes into the patty. The fresher the better, says Chef Joe. Have your favorite combo of meats ground daily for the best flavor. Keep seasonings simple, (i.e. sea salt and freshly ground pepper) and do not overwork the meat, as that will make it tough, cautions Chef Joe.
Size matters. You’ll need to make burgers roughly a ¼ inch smaller than the diameter of the bun, so it all holds together. A great tip from Chef Joe: When building a great burger, keep cold toppings (such as onions, tomato, lettuce, pickles, ketchup/sauce of choice), on the bottom bun, then top with hot burger. This creates a barrier to prevent your juicy burger from making the bread soggy.
Cooking components matter. Chef Joe recommends grilling burgers whenever possible, and that the grill be kept hot enough to sear the outside of the meat, while ensuring the inside is thoroughly cooked, tender and juicy.
Sourcing Meat. Using the freshest meat is (as we know) essential to make a great burger. If obtaining fresh meat or grinding at your restaurant is not easily accessible, our VSAG researchers found an online ordering source that supports family farmers, and their responsibly raised and high quality meats. AgLocal’s mission is to offer their customer 100% transparency from whom they are buying and where their money is going – and they’ve got great purveyors to choose from.
To learn more about the AgLocal family of farmers and ordering process to help beef up your menu, go to their site.
For further inspiration on building a great burger, see graphic below: