Restaurant 2016

BensGrandad · Nov 28, 2016

A steak that is the same thickness all over whether it be 1cm or 4cm irrespective of quality of meat will cook evenly just the thicker ones take longer so if you rolled a burger out to 6cm or 10cm all over same should apply provided it was uniform size and again just the thicker one take longer.

Buzzer · Nov 28, 2016

BensGrandad said:
A steak that is the same thickness all over whether it be 1cm or 4cm irrespective of quality of meat will cook evenly just the thicker ones take longer so if you rolled a burger out to 6cm or 10cm all over same should apply provided it was uniform size and again just the thicker one take longer.

Maybe we're talking at cross purposes here but in my experience rare and medium steaks tend to be pink in the middle and don't cook evenly.

BensGrandad · Nov 28, 2016

Buzzer said:
Maybe we're talking at cross purposes here but in my experience rare and medium steaks tend to be pink in the middle and don't cook evenly.

I have mine rare and they are pink all through except the very outside edges that are exposed but the remainder is cooked the same.

CheeseRolls · Nov 28, 2016

BensGrandad said:
Surely if you roll out the meat to the same thickness through out it will cook evenly. Do you buy the beef already minced by your butcher or do it yourself.

I have minced my own, it is a bit of a faff, so no I wouldn't generally bother. There is a world of difference between an even patty made with a burger press and a loose hand formed patty, the latter will likely require some binding agents. I tend to favour using a press, unless I am using a barbecue but don't make them too thin, so they seal and stay juicy in the middle.

Yes Chef · Nov 28, 2016

BensGrandad said:
I have just looked at the BBC food recipes for a burger for some guidance especially James Martin as I like most of his recipes but they are all much of a muchness with no added ingredients just minced steak and onion. Some add red wine vinegar but the basic recipe is the same mix the mince with onions pat into 4 and leave in the fridge for an hour before grilling. For the price people pay in a burger restaurant there must be more to it to warrant the price charged..

I set up the Burger Kitchen in South Street, Chichester back in 2009, and we done plenty of research to come up with a great burger, nice locally sourced buns and interesting toppings. I imagine any burger restaurant worth their 'ahem' salt would do the same. I suspect, given your username, it might be a generational thing.

Off the top of my head we used 1/3 rump, and 2/3 chuck scotch beef from a butcher in Barnham. We ground the rump to 12mm and the chuck to 6mm. To that we would add salt, ground pepper, chopped herbs(usually parsley, dill and chives), eggs, onion powder and BOVRIL. All handmade, and pressed in the kitchen, and cooked medium unless otherwise requested. I think prices started at about £6.50, going up with the more toppings and extras you added.

I did worry it was going to be a creative cul de sac personally but on reflection it's one of my favourite restaurants I've worked in

BensGrandad · Nov 28, 2016

Yes Chef I think that you are correct about the generation thing as to me burgers are in the main from the frozen chests of supermarkets like Birds Eye Findus etc or I was brought up to think that the the good ones are from companies like Elite but they are all much of a muchness. I will experiment on most dishes that I read about in mags and papers but have never tried burgers.

Herr Tubthumper · Nov 28, 2016

Yes Chef said:
I set up the Burger Kitchen in South Street, Chichester back in 2009, and we done plenty of research to come up with a great burger, nice locally sourced buns and interesting toppings. I imagine any burger restaurant worth their 'ahem' salt would do the same. I suspect, given your username, it might be a generational thing.

Off the top of my head we used 1/3 rump, and 2/3 chuck scotch beef from a butcher in Barnham. We ground the rump to 12mm and the chuck to 6mm. To that we would add salt, ground pepper, chopped herbs(usually parsley, dill and chives), eggs, onion powder and BOVRIL. All handmade, and pressed in the kitchen, and cooked medium or the customer was booted out of the restaurant. I think prices started at about £6.50, going up with the more toppings and extras you added.

I did worry it was going to be a creative cul de sac personally but on reflection it's one of my favourite restaurants I've worked in

I've corrected your post

Herr Tubthumper · Nov 28, 2016

Anyone else absolutely gagging for a burger right now?

BensGrandad · Nov 28, 2016

Herr Tubthumper said:
Anyone else absolutely gagging for a burger right now?

Not now or ever but will make one soon as an experiment.

Cowfold Seagull · Nov 28, 2016

halbpro said:
Then you haven't had a really good burger, or you lack taste buds.

Then you can put me in the same 'taste bracket'

I'm surprised how many people seem to view burger establishments almost as fine dining restaurants. I don't dislike burgers, far from it, a good cheeseburger can be very tasty. But at the end of the day, however much you dress it up, any type of burger is just a take on fast food. No more, no less.

Cowfold Seagull · Nov 28, 2016

CheeseRolls said:
How well do you like it cooked?

A thin compact burger will cook evenly. A wider patty loosely packed will be rarer in the centre, unless you won't to completely char the edges and dry out the patty.
You can vary the coarseness of the mince and the fat content, use meats other than beef, lamb are excellent beef and pork works, white meats tend to lack fat and can be dry alone.
All this before you add salads, sauces, cheese, bacon or whatever takes your fancy.

I think I'd prefer a cheese roll personally.

halbpro · Nov 28, 2016

Cowfold Seagull said:
Then you can put me in the same 'taste bracket'

I'm surprised how many people seem to view burger establishments almost as fine dining restaurants. I don't dislike burgers, far from it, a good cheeseburger can be very tasty. But at the end of the day, however much you dress it up, any type of burger is just a take on fast food. No more, no less.

Burgers are, obviously, fast food. But that doesn't mean you can't have opinions on them, that you can't say that one burger place is better than another. I'd never make the argument that they're fine dining, that'd be idiotic, but to claim that all burgers are the same because they're fast food is equally dumb. There's good ones, bad ones and great ones, just like any other food.

If people don't want to go for a fancier burger then that's fine. I mean Grubbs certainly isn't fancy, but I still like their stuff. However, there are some genuinely brilliant burger places in Brighton cooking great, great burgers.

BensGrandad · Nov 28, 2016

To me a burger is a snack between meals or something to buy on the way to or from football from a stall or van not from a restaurant. unless you class McDonalds, BurgerKing or similar as a restaurant.

WATFORD zero · Nov 28, 2016

I'm from BGs generation and would be disappointed if I got a burger in a restaurant. However, my kids took me to burger bros and we sat outside the library and ate them. Best burger I've had and sitting outside on a bench seemed right. Recommend BG sits on a bench and has one of their burgers for lunch. Even grumpy old *******s can be impressed sometimes

BensGrandad · Nov 28, 2016

I must admit to never having even read the choice of burgers on a restaurant menu as they dont even become a consideration. I start at the grills and go on from there.

TheJasperCo · Nov 28, 2016

halbpro said:
Burgers are, obviously, fast food. But that doesn't mean you can't have opinions on them, that you can't say that one burger place is better than another. I'd never make the argument that they're fine dining, that'd be idiotic, but to claim that all burgers are the same because they're fast food is equally dumb. There's good ones, bad ones and great ones, just like any other food.

If people don't want to go for a fancier burger then that's fine. I mean Grubbs certainly isn't fancy, but I still like their stuff. However, there are some genuinely brilliant burger places in Brighton cooking great, great burgers.

It's the same sort of thing with Italian food. The number of established Italian dining chains is incredible (and still growing), and yet, what is a pizza or pasta dish that you can't find in your local takeaway or cook yourself in 15 minutes flat at home?

BensGrandad · Nov 28, 2016

TheJasperCo said:
It's the same sort of thing with Italian food. The number of established Italian dining chains is incredible (and still growing), and yet, what is a pizza or pasta dish that you can't find in your local takeaway or cook yourself in 15 minutes flat at home?

I would never go into an Italian and order a pizza but if the mood takes me I will have a pasta dish. Pizza comes under the same category to me as a burger a snack for take away or during the evening while watching TV

thedonkeycentrehalf · Nov 28, 2016

Anyone who has been through this thread knows I like a good burger. I don't include places like McDonalds, and BK in this. I like Grubbs but not a great fan of Uncle Sams (too inconsistent across the franchise). The key is the quality of the meat and the preparation.

Like [MENTION=12901]CheeseRolls[/MENTION] I make a pretty good burger myself and follow a similar method with a large cast iron griddle which sits over two burners on the hob (or using the BBQ in good weather) and a dome to finish off the burger and melt cheese for those who want it (usually Monterrey Jack). I have a larger meat press rather than burger press as it allows me to make bigger and wider burgers.

I buy 35 day aged steak mince from Garlic Wood Farms butchers in Steyning which comes from Longhorn cattle that freely roam the Knepp Castle Estate. This is the same butcher who the Troll used to use until recently. Generally, the only thing I add to the meat is a sprinkling of steak seasoning as it has a nice natural fat content. Good quality thick smoked bacon cooked on the same griddle is a great addition.

If I used Tesco value mince, cheap bacon and a slice of crap cheese then my burgers would cost me about a quarter of the price to make but would not taste anywhere near as good.

BensGrandad · Nov 28, 2016

For the uninformed what does the dome do or is used for. Just looked on e bay and they are an average £10 each.

thedonkeycentrehalf · Nov 28, 2016

BensGrandad said:
For the uninformed what does the dome do or is used for. Just looked on e bay and they are an average £10 each.

The main reason is to help melt the cheese but steaming also softens the bun a little. Just before the end of cooking you top the burger with cheese, bacon, etc (not salad and sauce) and put the top part of the bun on top. You then put the dome over the top and squirt in a small amount of water to create the steam.

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