By Michel Richard of Citronelle

4 lobsters (1 pound each)

1 large tomato, cut into 4 slices

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 pound scallops

2 tablespoons milk

4 teaspoons mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon peeled and grated ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

4 brioche buns

Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Set the tomato slices on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with garlic and sugar, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes and cool.

When the water is boiling, cook the lobsters for 5 minutes. Transfer to cold water. When the lobsters are cool, remove meat from the claws, legs, knuckles, and tail. Cut the meat into large pieces. Set aside in a bowl.

In a food processor, puree the scallops for a few seconds until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons of milk. Fold the scallop mixture into the lobster meat. Season with salt and pepper. Mold into 4 lightly packed patties and keep cold.

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce, and ginger.

In a pan over medium heat, sautee the patties in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until golden, about 5 minutes on each side.

Split the buns and sprinkle with the remaining olive oil. Lightly toast. Serve the burgers with a slice of tomato and the ginger mayonnaise.

Like his restaurant, Fabio Trabocchi’s extravagant headcheese burger with Osetra caviar is worthy of a celebration. Photograph by Allison Dinner

The Decadent Burger

By Fabio Trabocchi of Maestro

Headcheese terrine:

1 pig head (about 6 pounds)

3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

1 small onion, skin removed

1 celery heart

1 rosemary sprig

3 garlic cloves

3 bay leaves

3 tablespoons rock salt

2 tablespoons crushed white peppercorns

5 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons Osetra caviar (for topping)

Set the pig’s head under cold, running water for 6 hours. Cover the head in a stockpot with salted water, ice, and the white-wine vinegar. Refrigerate overnight.

Drain the water from the stockpot and set it aside. Set the head under cold running water as you prepare the rest of the ingredients or about 1 hour.

Place the head and reserved water in a pot just big enough to hold it. Set the pot over medium-low heat. Skimming the surface frequently, simmer for 20 minutes, until water is slightly cloudy. Add the onion, celery, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, rock salt, and white pepper.

Simmer very slowly for 8 hours, skimming occasionally and making sure the water stays above the head.

When the head is cooked (its flesh falls off the bone), remove the pot from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Drain the liquid and place the head on a sheet pan. Pull all the meat from the bone and set aside.

Pull flat a piece of plastic wrap 1 foot by 2 feet across a countertop. Arrange the pieces of meat along the side of the plastic closest to you. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pull the edge of the plastic over the meat and roll into a tightly packed cylinder until all the plastic is used. Tie each end of the cylinder with kitchen string. Refrigerate overnight.

Cut the terrine into 1/2-inch slices and drizzle with olive oil. Let the slices rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Split a bun and toast lightly. Place 2 tablespoons of potato salad (recipe follows) on the bottom of the bun, then top with a slice of headcheese terrine. Finish with a quenelle of Osetra caviar. Serve immediately.

Potato salad:

3 cups canola oil

11/2 pounds small red-skin potatoes, diced

1/2 pound bacon, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 bunch of dill, leaves only

4 egg yolks

1/2 small shallot

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

2 eggs, hard-boiled and diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Place 2 cups of canola oil in a sautee pan over high heat. Heat the oil to 350 degrees temperature. Working in small batches, shallow fry the potatoes until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes each batch. Drain the potatoes on a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Set a sautee pan over low heat and render the fat from the bacon. Once the bacon is crispy, discard it and add the diced onion to the fat. Sauteethe onion until soft and translucent. Strain, cool, and set aside.

In a food processor, puree the dill, egg yolks, shallot, half of the lemon juice, and the white-wine vinegar until smooth. While the processor is running, slowly add the remaining cup of canola oil. Once the mixture is blended into a smooth green mayonnaise, season to taste.

In a bowl, fold together the potatoes, sauteed onions, diced egg, and vinaigrette. Season to taste.

The Vietnamese burger comes topped with carrot ribbons, cucumber, tomato, and caramelized onion. Photograph by Allison Dinner

The Vietnamese Burger

By Chi Ha of Minh’s Restaurant

For the patties:

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon oyster sauce (Ha recommends Lee Kum Kee brand)

1 teaspoon white wine

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon finely crushed garlic

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For toppings:

1 onion, sliced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 carrot, shredded into thin ribbons

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 tomato, sliced

4 buns

Fold into the ground beef all other patty ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Shape the beef mixture into 4 patties.

Grill the patties over a low flame or sautee in a nonstick pan set over medium heat. Remove the patties and raise the heat to high. Caramelize the onion slices in the vegetable oil.

Serve on a bun with carrot ribbons, cucumber, tomato, and caramelized onion.

You can be a vegetarian and still get a good burger with this meatless creation by Haidar Karoum of Asia Nora. Photograph by Allison Dinner

The Veggie Burger

By Haidar Karoum of Asia Nora

For the patties:

1/4 cup dried chickpeas

1/4 cup dried red lentils

1/4 cup dried fava beans

1 tablespoon bulgur wheat

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup minced parsley

1/4 cup minced cilantro

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon ground anise

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

For toppings:

1/2 cup labne (available at Whole Foods)

2 cups arugula

2 heirloom tomatoes (preferably Cherokee Purple), sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/2 cup smoked eggplant-lemon vinaigrette (recipe follows)

4 small rounds of whole-wheat pita bread, toasted

Soak the chickpeas, lentils, and fava beans in water overnight. Rinse the bulgur wheat in cold water, drain, and let stand for 20 minutes. Put all patty ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly mixed, about 4 minutes. Shape into 4 patties.

Heat the olive oil in a pan set over medium heat. Sautee the patties until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Top each burger with labne and stuff into pita, then garnish with arugula, tomato, red onion, and vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette (makes two cups):

1 eggplant

¾ cup olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for rubbing eggplant

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon sambal olek (available at Whole Foods)

Set a grill or broiler to high heat. Rub the eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill or broil, turning often, for about 20 minutes, until tender. Cool, peel, and discard the skin. Puree the eggplant in a blender with the remaining ingredients until smooth. Season to taste.

A chicken burger fragrant with summer savory and topped with heirloom tomatoes and arugula is a late-summer pleasure from Poste’s Robert Weland. Photograph by Allison Dinner

The Chicken Burger

By Robert Weland of Poste

11/2 pounds chicken breast, diced

8 egg whites

6 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus more to taste

1/4 cup summer savory

1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup arugula

2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced

4 poppy-seed brioche buns

Chill the bowl and blade of a food processor in the freezer for 10 minutes. When the processor is cold, pulse the chicken and egg whites until smooth. Add the mustard and summer savory, season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue blending until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the cream until the mixture becomes aerated and mousselike. Refrigerate the mixture until cold. Mold into 4 patties and return to the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill to high heat and cook patties 5 minutes on each side.

Serve on toasted brioche buns with Dijon mustard, arugula, and tomato.

Say hello to the Indian burger, whose not-so-secret ingredient is mint chutney. Photograph by Allison Dinner

The Indian Burger

By Mitul Tuli of Heritage India

21/4 pounds ground chicken

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon yellow-chili powder

1 teaspoon white pepper

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/3 cup whole cashews, ground

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped ginger

1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon garam masala

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons mint chutney (recipe follows)

2 tomatoes, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped (for garnish)

Salt to taste

4 buns

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the chicken with the eggs, cumin, yellow-chili powder, white pepper, and vegetable oil. Season with salt. Set aside for 15 minutes. Fold in the cashews, chopped onion, ginger, 1/3 cup cilantro, and garam masala. Divide into 4 patties.

Roast the patties in the oven for 8 minutes, basting once with butter. When the burgers are cooked through, remove them from the oven.

Slice 4 buns in half. Spread one side with mayonnaise and the other with mint chutney. Place a burger on each bun and garnish with tomato, red onion, and chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with more mint chutney on the side.

Mint chutney (makes 2 cups):

31/3 cups fresh mint leaves

12/3 cups fresh cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 jalapeno peppers

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

5 tablespoons yogurt

1 tablespoon chat masala

1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red-chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Put the mint, cilantro, lemon juice, jalapenos, onion, and ginger in a blender and puree into a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the yogurt, chat masala, and chili powder. Season with salt.

The Greek burger sits atop a pita round instead of a bun. Photograph by Allison Dinner

The Greek Burger

By Natalina Koropoulos of Mourayo

1 pound ground lamb

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

4 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1/3 of a cucumber, grated with the skin on, then drained in a cheesecloth

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

1 cup Greek yogurt

2 tomatoes, sliced

1/3 red onion, sliced

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

4 rounds pita bread, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with oregano, and toasted or grilled

In a bowl, mix the lamb, beef, shallots, and mint until just combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 patties.

Preheat the grill to a medium-high flame and cook the burgers to desired temperature.

Make a tzatziki by combining the cucumber, garlic, dill, and yogurt.

In a separate bowl, toss the tomato, red onion, oregano, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread each pita round with tzatziki and top with a burger, the tomato-onion mixture, and feta.

Kaz Okochi’s Japanese burger is made with beef, pork, tofu, and shiitake mushrooms, then burnished with a ginger-soy glaze. Photograph by Allison Dinner

The Japanese Burger

By Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro

1/4 pound tofu

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped scallions

2 tablespoons miso paste

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin

1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

8 iceberg-lettuce leaves

1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise

4 teaspoons grated horseradish

4 sesame buns

In a shallow pan, set the tofu between 2 paper towels. Weight it down with a can or bottle for 30 minutes. Let the water drain, chop the tofu, and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the beef, pork, tofu, shiitakes, scallions, miso, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 patties.

In another bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.

Set a pan over medium-high heat and pour in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Cook each burger for 1 to 2 minutes, until brown on each side, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with foil and cook 4 minutes more. Puncture patty to test if it’s done; its juices should be clear. Remove the burgers from the pan and drain the oil. Return the patties to the pan, raise the heat to medium and add the soy-sauce mixture. Keep the pan moving to prevent the sauce from burning and flip the burgers while the sauce thickens. The burgers are done when they have a thick, shiny coating of sauce. Serve on a toasted bun with lettuce, mayonnaise, and horseradish.

Don’t let the name fool you — the shrimp burger is big on taste. Photograph by Allison Dinner

The Shrimp Burger

By Jamie Leeds of Hank’s Oyster Bar

1 large red bell pepper, finely diced

1 bulb fennel, finely diced

1/2 cup corn kernels

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

2 pounds rock shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped basil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups baby arugula

4 tablespoons Dijon mayonnaise

4 buns

In a sautee pan set over high heat, caramelize the pepper, fennel, corn, garlic, and shallots. In a bowl, combine a pound of shrimp with the buttermilk. Fold in the remaining shrimp, the sauteed vegetables, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until cold.

Shape the mixture into 4 patties. Coat in bread crumbs. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium-low heat and sautee the patties until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. If necessary, finish cooking in a preheated 350-degree oven. Serve on a bun with Dijon mayonnaise and arugula.

The American Burger

By Bryan Voltaggio of Charlie Palmer Steak

1/8 teaspoon ground fennel seed, toasted

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander, toasted

1/3 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/4 pound bleu cheese (Voltaggio likes Big Woods brand)

11/2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup finely diced Vidalia onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 head Bibb lettuce

4 purple heirloom tomatoes, thickly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

4 buns

Preheat the grill to 500 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the beef with the toasted spices and cracked pepper. Shape the meat into 1/2-pound patties.

Split each patty in two and place 2 ounces of bleu cheese into the center of each. Press the patty back together so it is whole again. Refrigerate until very cold.

Make an onion relish: In a saucepot set over medium heat, warm the canola oil and slowly sweat the onion for 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Adjust seasoning and set aside.

Grill the burgers to desired temperature. Split the buns and toast lightly on the grill. Serve burgers with lettuce, tomato, and onion relish.

sorry guys we’re closed for the holidays…

Massive disappointment to say the least. Well as WGH protocol for reviews dictates, we don’t make any announcements; so we were none the wiser. (That’s our excuse and we’re sticking to it!) However, as you can see from the following pics, we still made a good food find on our trip to Bridport Street, South Melbourne; with a fine sample of Fish n’ Chips directly opposite Andrews. Delightful to say the least. We also managed a couple of souvenir photos from Andrews. Oh well, budget permitting we will take the long flight down to Australia some time later this year and yes, we will call first!

Come visit world’s greatest burger merchandise store on CafePress! T-shirts, caps, and lots of other cool stuff.

Working for Carl Karcher enterprises has taught me a lot about fast food, customer service, and how to keep a restaurant from falling apart. More than that, it has taught me some valuable loopholes when it comes to making your order. Not only can you pay dirt-cheap for the expensive sandwiches, but you can also make them bigger, better, and tastier. Here are some of the things I’ve learned that I will pass on to you /ck/.

1) The Carl’sJr. computer system allows you to “customize” your sandwich in any way you want. All you have to do is order a heavily customized Big Hamburger, Chicken Sandwich, or the fabled “meatless burger”. Every single Carl’s Jr. restaurant I’ve been to allows this, and the worse you’d get is a strange look from the young kid at the register, nothing else. Not only that, but you’ll have fun watching the mexican cooks in back scratch their heads and bicker as they try to decipher what all those “extras” mean on the screen. Lulzy as hell.

How to cheat your order

Famous Star = “big hamburger” -no sauces +add special sauce +add lettuce +add tomato +cheese(optional)

Super star = “famous star above” +extra beef patty, +extra slice of cheese(optional).

Jalapeno burger = “famous star above” -no sauces +add SantaFe Sauce +extra onion

Western Bacon Cheeseburger = “big cheeseburger” -no sauces +bbq sauce +bacon +OnionRings

Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger = same as above +extra beef patty +extra slice of cheese

You get the idea, right? You can even make any one of your sandwiches a double if you want. Use this trick on any sandwich you want.

List of ingredients and their prices

*Veggies (most are free, as long as the cashier presses “add” and not “add extra”)
Tomatoes(~15¢)
Onions(free)
Red Onions(free)
Pickles/Butterpickles (free)

*Breads (free, although they may have changed it to ~10¢-~20¢. I’m not sure on this.)
Whole wheat bread
Sourdough Bread
Normal sesame seed bread

*Sauces (free as well)
Special Sauce(famous star sauce; made of ketchup + sweet pickle relish)
Santa Fe Sauce (jalapeno burger, santa fe burger. Somewhat of a spicy orange mayo)
BBQ sauce (western sammiches)
Thousand Island (the one used in the sourdough sandwiches)
Mayo
Ketchup
Mustard

*Cheeses (around 40¢ or 50¢ each.)
Swiss
Spicy Jack
American(yellow)

*Other add-ons
Beff Patty (99¢)
Spicy chicken patty (70¢ish)
Grilled Chicken Patty (less than a dollar I presume)
Six dollar patty (less than 2$)
Bacon(55¢ last time I checked)
Pastrami (depends on promotions, I may be wrong. I can’t remember the price, though its less than $1)
Philly Cheeseteak (same as pastrami)
Guacamole (around 40¢ish. It’s not on the computer as a side order, so be sure to order it AFTER you get your food. Sometimes the confused teens will give it for free :3)

2) This is not really a loophole, but more like “common sense”. Do the following to save yourself a ton of cash on fast food.

-Fast food restaurants make most of their profits from selling drinks and french fries, hence the “combos” in their menus. Most americans find it easy to just order their food by numbers. Big mistake. Not to mention most people are more inclined to order “medium” rather than “small”. Now I’m sure you’ve been dissapointed by mc donald’s child-sized small drinks and frys, but trust me- this is not the case here. Carl’s Jr “small” drinks are pretty big, especially if you order it without ice.

Why without ice? Well, consider this: If you order a Large soda WITH ice, you get the exact same liquid as a small drink WITHOUT ice. Don’t believe me? Fill a “large” cup half-way with ice, then your favorite drink. Pour the drink WITHOUT ice onto a small cup, and it will fit. Surprised? Well, I was too.

tl;dr version: Try to stay away from combos, but if you must, then just order a small drink w/o ice and small/medium fries. Trust me it will be worth it.

Picnic Catering
180 Kinderkamack Rd, Emerson, NJ
(201) 262-5505

Last week recieved the following email from Christine Nunn, chef and owner of Picnic Caterers in Emerson, NJ:

“I just returned from Disney. No, it was not the best burger I have eaten, since Disney must cook well done, but the best burger conceptually, and one that I’m putting on the menu on Monday. Ready? Set…. Here goes… Rare fresh ground beef burger… Tomato confit… Mushroom Duxelles… Onion jam… Bernaise sauce…Toasted French roll.. OMG…I can’t wait to make it my own… My béarnaise, which, I must say, is better than bottled epcot béarnaise.”

Now, if its one thing I have learned, is to take Christine very, very seriously whenever she emails me about things like this. And I knew that if she was making a burger, well, I knew I had to have one. I invited myself over today to document the burger-making process and to make one go into my stomach.

80% lean - WGH’s ideal mix.

First we start with 80 percent lean ground chuck, which has been seasoned with salt and pepper. I agree with Christine that this is probably the ideal meat/fat ratio for a burger, and Chuck is better than sirloin for burgers.

I advise you not to be ravenously hungry before looking at the rest of these photos. Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

From the very beginning, we start to see that this is no ordinary burger. Christine adds Herbes De Provence and a nice healthy shot of Worcestershire sauce.

The burger meat is mixed up good and allowed to rest.

Next, we have our mushrooms.

Which are then processed in the Robot Coupe along with some shallots.

The mushroom/shallot mixture is cooked in a pan with a healthy amount of butter.

Christine forms up some nice, healthy sized burger patties. I’d fix these at least 10 ounces pre-cooked weight.

Sweet Texas Onions are cooked until caramelized in yes, you know it, more butter.

Burgers are thrown on the grill to sear the meat.

The mushrooms cook down until they become a thicker consistency and loose their liquid.

A dry sherry is procured for flavoring the duxelles.

Sherry is added to duxelles.

Heavy cream is added, with salt to finish.

When burgers are seared, they are pulled off the grill and allowed to finish in the oven until medium-rare.

For the confit, vine-ripened tomatoes are cut up and run thru the Robot Coupe.

Then they are cooked down with… uh, more butter.

Keeping an eye on everything.

For the Sauce Bearnaise, we need tarragon vinegar.

And some fresh butter (more butter!!!!) and eggs.

Tarragon Vinegar is reduced for a minute or two on the stove on high heat and allowed to cool down. Then 3 egg yolks are added and whisked up into the vinegar.

The egg/vinegar mixture is returned to the stove, where all the butter is gradually added in. In culinary school they teach you to do this on a double boiler so you don’t scald the eggs, but a real pro like Christine can do without it.

To complete the sauce, fresh tarragon is chopped up and added back into the Bearnaise.

Each burger bun gets a pat of butter, and is then toasted on the grill.

The burgers come Off The Broiler.

Nice and toasty buns.

Final burger assembly begins.

That looks good enough to eat already. But its not done yet.

A layer of caramelized onions…

Tomato confit…

Bacon…

Duxelles…

A touch of bearnaise… the bun is topped… Finished!

Which angle do you prefer?

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Apparently Bryan Adams used to wash dishes at Tomahawk, a North Vancouver restaurant noted for its unique hamburgers.

Tomahawk owner Chuck Chamberlain:

“Yes, it is true Bryan Adams worked here at the Tomahawk as a dishwasher. I also had the pleasure of working with him. He informed me that he was only working to save enough money to buy a guitar and some spare strings, as he was going to be a rock and roll star. And the rest is history.”

Come visit world’s greatest burger merchandise store on CafePress! T-shirts, caps, and lots of other cool stuff.

Here is 101 ways to make (or dress) a hamburger.

1. Pepperoni Pizza Burger: grilled burger covered with pepperoni, Mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce.

2. Verde Burger: grilled ground beef mixed with seasoned garlic, topped with piquant Italian Verde
sauce made with parsley, onions and capers.

3. Classic Burger: hamburger with ketchup, mustard and pickles.

4. Greek Burger: topped with herbed Feta cheese, black olives and onions.

5. Hickory Burger: beef patty covered with cheddar cheese, bacon and hickory barbeque sauce.

6. Meat-o-Rama Pizza Burger: ground beef patty stuffed with Mozzarella cheese, diced tomatoes and
pizza sauce, and topped with pepperoni and bacon.

7. Caesar Burger: ground beef seasoned with garlic and black pepper, on a crusty roll, accented with
Caesar dressing, romaine lettuce and avocado slices.

8. Brocco Burger: ground beef patty dressed with a blend of melted Cheddar cheese and cooked
broccoli.

9. Gyro Burger: hamburger topped with white onions, tomatoes and yogurt cucumber dressing.

10. Barbeque Burger: ground beef grilled with a tangy barbeque sauce and hot peppers.

11. Onion Burger: grilled ground beef seasoned with dried onion soup mix, and blanketed with grilled
and raw onions.

12. Bistro Burger: ground beef covered with caramelized onions, Brie cheese and crisp bacon, served on
a walnut bun.

13. Blue Moon Burger: grilled burger topped with Bleu cheese, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce and tomato
served on an onion bun.

14. Bao-Wow Burger: chili seasoned ground beef served on a Chinese Bao bun with soy-ginger
mayonnaise and Asian slaw on the side.

15. Cowboy Burger: grilled mushrooms, grilled onion, bacon and Monterey Jack cheese on a flavorful
beef patty.

16. Chicago Burger: grilled beef burger with sweet relish, chopped onion, ketchup, mustard and hot
peppers.

17. French Bistro Burger: hamburger adorned with walnuts, Gruyere cheese and garlic mustard
mayonnaise, on a French roll.

18. Sticky Burger: grilled burger spread with peanut butter, bacon and Jack cheese.

19. Five-Spice Burger: ground beef seasoned with Chinese five-spice, grilled, and served with a soy-
ginger sauce.

20. Olive Festival Pizza Burger: beef burger stuffed with mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce covered with
sliced black and green olives.

21. Shrimpy Burgers: mini grilled burgers decorated with cream cheese, cocktail sauce and chopped
shrimp.

22. Rowdy Reuben Burger: grilled beef patty smothered with melted Swiss cheese, thousand island
dressing and zesty coleslaw, served on marble rye.

23. Earth & Turf Burger: grilled ground beef, beneath a golden porcini mushroom sauce with grilled
zucchini squash and sweet red bell peppers.

24. Egg Burger: a lean ground beef patty paired with a fried or scrambled egg.

25. Thai-Cobb Burger: grilled ground beef served with avocado, tomatoes and bean sprouts, accented
with a light peanut dressing.

26. Horseradish-Garlic Burger: topped with onions, garlic and horseradish.

27. Stroganoff Burger: ground beef patty dressed with sour cream, grilled onions, Swiss cheese, lettuce
and tomato, served on a fresh wheat bun.

28. Trattoria Burger: grilled beef burger layered with roasted red bell peppers, pesto mayonnaise, and
Mozzarella cheese, served on focaccia bread.

29. Peking Burger: mix ground beef with a dash of Peking marinade, and grill. Serve topped with
julienned mixed greens and an Asian flavored plum vinaigrette. (Marinade: Hoisin sauce, minced garlic,
grated ginger, Chinese five-spice, salt and black pepper.)

30. Spicy Burger: jack cheese melted on a lean ground beef burger with jalapeno peppers and onions.

31. Cordon Bleu Burger: ground beef patty beneath a layer of sliced ham, Swiss cheese and Dijon
mustard.

32. Burger Al Forno: ground beef seasoned with robust Italian seasonings, fresh garlic, and rosemary,
served with a golden Parmesan crust.

33. Garlic Burger: garlic powder mixed into ground beef, grilled, topped with garlic cheese and a dollop
of garlic mayonnaise.

34. Corny Burger: tangy corn relish atop a beef patty. (Red pepper, corn, white vinegar, ground red
pepper, salt and green onions.)

35. The Beefster: grilled hamburger patty topped with roast beef, horseradish and Muenster cheese,
served on an onion roll.

36. Milanese Burger: ground beef patty lightly coated with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and
oregano, pan fried till done. Accented with watercress sprigs and vinaigrette.

37. Simple Cheeseburger: ground round burger layered with your choice of Wisconsin cheese.

38 Big Island Burger: hamburger stuffed with Mozzarella cheese, covered with Canadian bacon and
pineapple.

39. Taco Burger: topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and black olives.

40. Breakfast Omelet Burger: grilled ground beef patty piled high with diced ham, Cheddar cheese,
mushrooms and green peppers, served on a toasted English muffin.

41. Walla Walla Burger: hamburger pan fried in sweet & sour chutney made with sauteed white onions,
raisins, mustard seed and marsala wine. Served on thick sliced Texas toast.

42. German Classic: grilled burger with aged Cheddar cheese and Dusseldorf mustard.

43. Blue Bayou Burger: topped with crumbled Bleu cheese, lettuce, tomato, hot pepper mayonnaise,
served on a sesame seed bun.

44. Chili Burger: Hearty beef burger hidden beneath your favorite homemade chili and shredded cheese.

45. Kalamata Burger: chopped green & Greek kalamata olives mixed with cream cheese spread on a
grilled hamburger.

46. Lucky Burger: grilled beef burger on sesame rye bread, layered with hot-sweet mustard, prepared
horseradish, sharp Cheddar, green apple slices, red apple slices and sliced almonds.

47. Pinwheel Burger: different colored, quartered cheese slices arranged in a pinwheel design melted
atop a grilled burger.

48. Santa Fe Burger Asada: grilled ground beef brushed with chili puree, placed on a torta bun with
bean dip, guacamole and sour cream.

49. Anchovy Pizza Burger: anchovies, Mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce stuffed into a grilled
hamburger.

50. North Woods Burger: grilled ground beef stuffed with a wild mushroom sauce featuring shiitake,
chanterelle, oyster and hedgehog mushrooms. Enhance with yellow and red bell peppers.

51. Cajun Burger: seasoned ground beef grilled with Cajun spices and spiced up with Jalapeno cheese,
chili mayonnaise and pico de gallo sauce.

52. Black Jack Burger: melted jack cheese over a Cajun blackened beef burger, served on a sesame bun
with Creole mayonnaise, onions and tomatoes.

53. Double Decker Pizza Burger: Cheddar cheese and pizza sauce between two thin beef patties.

54. The Gouda Burger: sliced Gouda cheese and grilled zucchini atop a grilled hamburger.

55. Simple Twist Burger: lean ground beef patty served with a slice of tomato and grated Asiago cheese
on a hard roll.

56. Pineapple-Gruyere Burger: topped with grilled fresh pineapple and smoked Gruyere cheese.

57. Tex-Mex Burger: grilled ground beef piled with guacamole, onions and
bacon.

58. Cheesy Pizza Burger: lean burger covered with pizza sauce, Provolone, sharp Cheddar and
Mozzarella cheeses.

59. Provolone Ranger Burger: seasoned ground beef coated with Provolone cheese, warm black olives
and tomatoes, served on focaccia bread.

60. Gorgonzola Burger: hamburger stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese, grilled and spread with sweet
mustard.

61. Ginger-Island Burger: mix uncooked ground beef with soy sauce, ginger, cilantro and sesame oil,
then grill.

62. Texas Red Burger: grilled beef patty served open-faced and smothered with chili, cheddar and
Monterey jack cheeses and grilled onion.

63. Beany Burger: dried Cajun seasoning mixed with ground beef blanketed with pork-n-beans.

64. Smokey Burger: beef burger topped with roasted balsamic onions, grilled bacon and smoked cheese.

65. Dieters Burger: grilled lean ground beef patty with low-fat cottage cheese and no bun.

66. Outback Burger: grilled burger topped with tender cactus, green salsa and spicy pepper cheese.

67. Worcestershire Burger: hamburger covered with mushrooms sauteed in Worcestershire sauce.

68. Dilly Cheeseburger: grilled burger seasoned with fresh dill and adorned with Provolone cheese,
sauteed mushrooms and grilled onions.

69. Cheeseburger In Paradise: beef patty lightly dressed with melted Brick cheese, pineapple slice and shredded coconut.

70. Ranch-Hand Burger: hamburger piled with pinto beans, bacon, chilies and cheddar cheese on a
potato roll.

71. Alpine Burger: lean ground beef smothered in sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese.

72. Garden-Fresh Burger: ground beef mixed with onions, beets and potatoes, accented with dilled sour
cream.

73. West Indies Burger: ground beef mixed with cilantro, garlic, lime juice, curry powder, cumin,
allspice and hot sauce. Grill and accent with mango chutney.

74. Fajita Beef Burger: patty mixed with fajita seasoning, and wrapped with guacamole, sour cream,
shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and salsa, served in a flour tortilla.

75. Bruschetta Burger: Italian seasoned ground beef with fresh tomato and basil, served on toasted
garlic French bread.

76. Sunshine Burger: aged Cheddar cheese, sprouts, scallions and avocado, embellishing a lean beef burger, served on a whole wheat bread.

77. Beef LT: burger prepared BLT style - bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on grilled tomato
bread.

78. Pesto Burger: cooked spinach, Mozzarella cheese and pesto sauce served atop a grilled beef patty.

79. Flank Steak Chili Burger: ground flank steak seasoned with cumin and cayenne pepper, heightened
with black bean chili.

80. Mediterranean Burger: beef patty seasoned with Mediterranean spices (hot paprika, garlic, cumin,
oregano leaves, mint leaves), grilled and served with gyro sauce in pita bread.

81. Pita Pizza Burger: ground beef patty grilled, covered with an herb seasoned tomato sauce and melted
Italian cheeses, served on a pita loaf.

82. Parisian Burger: topped with crumbled Bleu cheese, marinated red onions and tomatoes served on a
croissant.

83. Tough Texan Burger: ground beef seasoned with hot sauce and dried red
peppers, smothered with
pepper cheese and barbeque sauce, served on thick Texas Toast.

84. Aphrodisiac Burger: grilled beef patty lovingly stuffed with oysters and dressed with steak sauce.

85. Bleu Cheese Burger: crumbled Bleu cheese and bacon covering a grilled hamburger.

86. Veg-Head Burger: lean ground beef piled with cucumber slices, tomatoes, sprouts, creamy dill
dressing, served on sun-dried tomato bread.

87. Dragon Burger: grilled ground beef patty, Limburger cheese and raw onion on an onion roll.

88. Crabby Burger: shredded crab salad with Swiss cheese atop a beef patty served on a croissant.

89. Hawaiian Supreme: ground beef patty stuffed with crushed pineapple, topped with a candied apple
slice and sweet & sour sauce.

90. Tortilla Burger: beef mixed with onion, dried oregano and basil. Grilled and wrapped with tomato,
mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, all in a soft tortilla shell.

91. The Islander Burger: beef patty smothered with thousand island dressing, with lettuce, tomato and
pickle.

92. California Burger Chiffonade: chopped walnuts, garlic and black pepper mixed into ground beef and
grilled. Burger topped with guacamole, lettuce, Brick cheese and red onion.

93. Potato Chip Burger: hamburger accented with your favorite potato chips, ketchup and mustard.

94. Bagel Burger: lean ground beef patty served with tomato and onion on a fresh bagel with flavored
cream cheese.

95. Jalapeno Burger Topper: ground beef seasoned with diced jalapeno peppers, a splash of hot pepper
sauce, and grilled. Top with melted cheddar and cream cheese.

96. Basic Burger: grilled ground round burger seasoned with salt and pepper.

97. Burger Au Poivre: grilled ground beef served with crumbled Bleu cheese, coarse ground pepper,
chopped parsley and mozzarella cheese on Vienna bread.

98. Scandinavian Burger: dill-seasoned ground beef patty covered in Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses,
lettuce, cucumber slices, red onion, and served on a rye bun.

99. Billy Burger: grilled hamburger with ketchup only, no mustard, no pickles, nor onions. Don’t forget
to cut it in half!

100. Brie Burger: herbed Brie, warmed and placed over granny smith apples atop a lean ground beef
burger with a hint of spicy mustard.

101. Chili Con Queso Burger: Beef burger smothered in melted jalapeno cheese sauce.

Okay, so you want to be able to brag you know the recipe for a burger that has been sold a billion times over by the famous clown? Wanna super-size yourself and friends? OK then, don’t say the good folk at WGH didn’t warn you. Without further ado; here it is:

Ingredients

1 sesame-seed hamburger bun
half of an additional hamburger bun
¼ pound ground beef
dash salt
1 tablespoon Kraft Thousand Island dressing (or special sauce clone – see below)
1 teaspoon finely diced onion
½ cup chopped lettuce
1 slice American cheese
2 – 3 dill pickle slices

Instructions

1. With a bread knife, cut the top off the extra bun half, leaving about a ¾ inch thick slice. This is the middle part of the burger
2. Place the three bun halves on a hot pan or griddle, face-down and toast them to a light brown. Set aside, but keep the pan hot.
3. Divide the ground beef in half and press into two thin patties slightly larger than the bun.
4. Cook the patties in the hot pan over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes on each side. Salt lightly.

Build the burger in the following stacking order from bottom to top:

bottom bun
half of dressing
half of onion
half of lettuce
American cheese
beef patty
middle bun
remainder of dressing
remainder of onion
remainder of lettuce
pickle slices
beef patty
top bun

Makes 1 hamburger.

Big Mac Special Sauce

For those who want the real deal

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. stir well.
2. Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight), so that the flavors blend. Stir the sauce a couple of times as it chills.

Makes about ¾ cup

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Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers.

This clone recipe is for the whole hamburger, but anybody who knows about Tommy’s goes for the chili. That’s also the part that required the most kitchen sleuthing. Turns out it’s an old chili con carne recipe created back in 1946 by Tommy’s founder, Tommy Koulax, for his first hamburger stand on the corner of Beverly and Rampart Boulevards in Los Angeles. Adding the right combination of water and flour and broth and spices to the meat we can create a thick tomato-less chili sauce.

Chili
1 pound ground beef (not lean)*
1/4 cup flour plus 1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/3 cups beef broth
4 cups water
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoon grated (and then chopped) carrot
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3 pounds ground beef
8 hamburger buns
16 slices Kraft cheddar cheese Singles
1/2 cup diced onion
32 to 40 hamburger pickles (slices)
8 slices large beefsteak tomato (1/2-inch thick)
1/4 cup yellow mustard

1. Prepare the chili by first browning the meat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Crumble the meat as it browns. When the meat has been entirely cooked (7 to 10 minutes), pour the meat into a strainer over a large cup or saucepan. Let the fat drip out of the meat for about 5 minutes, then return the meat back to the first saucepan. Cover and set aside.

2. With the fat from the meat, we will now make a roux — a French contribution to thicker sauces and gravies usually made with fat and flour. Heat the drippings in a saucepan over medium heat (you should have drained off around 1/2 cup of the stuff). When the fat is hot, add 1/4 cup flour to the pan and stir well. Reduce heat to medium/low, and continue to heat the roux, stirring often until it is a rich caramel color. This should take from 10 to 15 minutes. Add the beef broth to the pan and stir. Remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, back at the other pan, add the water to the beef, then whisk in the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour. Add the broth mixture and the other chili ingredients and whisk until blended. Make sure your grated carrot is chopped up to the size of rice before you add it.

4. Crank the heat up to medium/high. Stir often until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the chili. Turn the heat down to medium/low, and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick. The chili should be calmly bubbling like lava as it simmers. When it’s done cooking, take the chili off the heat, cover it, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before using it on the burgers. It should thicken to a tasty brown paste as it sits.

5. To make your hamburgers, you’ll first divide 3 pounds of hamburger into 16 portions of 3 ounces each. Grill the burgers on in a hot skillet or on an indoor griddle for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Use some salt and pepper on each patty.

6. Build the burgers by lightly toasting the faces of the hamburger buns. Turn them over into a hot skillet or a griddle on medium heat.

7. Place one patty onto the bottom bun.

8. Position two slices of cheese on the meat.

9. Place another beef patty on the cheese.

10. Spoon about 1/3 cup of chili onto the beef patty.

11. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of diced onion onto the chili.

12. Arrange 4 to 5 pickle slices on the onion.

13. Place a thick slice of tomato on next.

14. Spread mustard over the face of the top bun and top off your hamburger by turning this bun over onto the tomato.

*Tidbits
Make sure the ground beef you use has a fat content of at least 20 percent. This way you’ll be sure to get enough fat to make the roux.

Makes 8 burgers.
(6 cups of chili.)

In-N-Out Double Double Burger

This is the one and only burger. Has been a consistent stalwart in the World’s Greatest Hamburger’s Top 10 charts since our humble inception. Now, you have the chance to make a pretty darn close version of it.

Ingredients

1 plain hamburger bun
1/3 pound ground beef (20% fat)
dash salt
1 tablespoon Kraft thousand island dressing
1 large slice of fresh plump tomato
1 large lettuce leaf
2 slices of American cheese
1 whole onion slice (sliced very thin)

Instructions:

1. Pre-head a frying pan over medium heat
2. Lightly toast (important) both halves of the hamburger bun, face down in the pan. Set aside.
3. Separate the beef into two even portions, and form each half into a thin patty (¼ inch thick) slightly larger than the bun.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Flip the patties over, lightly salt and immediately place two slices of cheese on each one. Cook for 2-3 minutes
6. Assemble the burger in the following stacking order from the bottom up.

bottom bun
dressing
tomato
lettuce
beef patty with cheese
onion slice
beef patty with cheese
top bun

Makes one burger

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Sonic Burger

The chain that become famous in the States in the fifties. Named Sonic because of the revolutionary speed that the burgers were delivered. Adopting at the time – high tech – intercom methods to speed up the process of getting the burger to the customer’s car in ultra-quick time.

Sonic burger has reverted back to their original concept and customers can once again experience the fun manner in which Sonic made a name for itself.

Ingredients

All American No. 1 Burger

¼ Pound ground beef (20% fat)
1 lare plain white hamburger bun
butter-flavoured spray or melted butter
salt
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
3 dill pickle slices (hamburger slices)
1 tablespoon chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped lettuce
2 tomato slices

Instruction

1. Shape the ground beef into a thin circle the same diameter as the bun. Cover the patty with wax paper and freeze it
2. When you ready to go, pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat
3. Spray some butter spray or a thin layer of butter the faces of the top and botton hamburger bun. Lightly brown the faces of the bun in the skillet, then remove and set aside.
4. Grill the beef patty in the skillet, and light sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the beef for 3-4 minutes per side until done.
5. As the patty cooks, build the burger as follows (bottom bun up):

Spread the mayonnaise over the browned bottom bun
arrange the pickle slices on the mayonnaise
arrange the lettuce over the pickle. mayonnaise
stack the tomato slices on the lettuce
when the beef patty is ready, stack it on top

Makes 1 hamburger

Wendy’s Wild Mountain Bacon Cheeseburger

This is a show stopper. Very close to the real deal. Let us know if you agree.

Ingredients

Southwestern Pepper Sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch salt
pinch granulated sugar

3 ¼ ounces ground beef
1 kaiser bun (no seeds)
1 slice colby Jack cheese
2 slices cooked bacon
1 leaf iceberg lettuce
2 tomato slices
2 red onion slices

Instructions

1. Make the Southwestern pepper sauce by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill the sauce until it’s needed.
2. Form the ground beef on was paper into a square patty that is slightly bigger than the diameter of the bun. Put the patty into the freezer for at least 45 minutes so that it will firm up properly. This will help the burger stay together whilst cooking.
3. When your ready to go, heat up a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the faces of the kaiser bun on the skillet. When the faces of the bun are light brown use the skillet to cook the beef patty. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the meat, then cook it for 2-3 minutes per side or until done.
4. Assemble the burger by positioning the patty on the bottom bun. Place the slice of cheese on the beef, followed by the cooked bacon. Place the lettuce leaf on the bacon, then add the tomoto slices and onions. Spread about 1 tablespoon of Southwestern sauce on the face of the top bun. Flip the top over onto the rest of the sandwich and serve.

Makes 1 hamburger

Tips: If you like your burgers thick, (like the Wendy’s version with two patties) simply add another beef patty onto the first one (on top of the cheese), followed by another slice of colby Jack.

White Castle

In the real deal they place the frozen patties on a bed of steaming re-hydrated onion chips and they put the split bun halves on an steaming onion bed. The bottom is added with the steamed onions. I think the goal is to get some of the onion (& beef) juice to soak into the bun . The bottom bun half has a very moist almost gooey onion texture and flavor - which I think is a great part of their unique flavor.

Mmmm, these little sliders are extremely close to the originals. You may find yourself doing slider runs at home in the near future or offering your services to friends.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground chuck (80% lean)
2/3 cup beef broth
1 1/4 cups dried chopped onions (about 3 1/3 oz.)
2 1/2 cups hot water (or more if needed)
20 small dinner rolls (or 7 hot dog buns cut in thirds)
sliced crinkle-cut pickles
Cheese and condiments (optional)

Instructions

1. Line a 10-by-14-inch rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Mix beef, and beef stock in a large bowl. Transfer mixture to lined baking sheet, and use a spatula to flatten. Place second sheet of plastic wrap over meat, and use rolling pin or hands to further flatten meat so it covers entire surface of pan.
2. Remove top layer of plastic wrap, and use spatula to score flattened beef into 2.5-inch squares. Reapply wrap, and place pan in freezer until meat is frozen solid.
3. Place dried onion in a small bowl, and add the hot water; let stand at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, take frozen beef from freezer, and remove from plastic wrap. Re-score it with a sharp knife, and gently break patties apart.
4. Heat a large skillet (cast iron works best) or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of onion-and-water mixture to skillet. When water begins to steam (which should happen almost instantly), place 5 patties on top of the onions. Add one slice of crinkle-cut pickle on top of each patty. Cook, to desired doneness. Place a bun top on each patty.
5. Remove patties and buns, with a helping of onion, from skillet. Add bun bottoms, and any cheese or condiments as desired.
6. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Makes about 20 two-and-a-half-inch square patties

Notes:
(from an ex WC employee)

Each station at a White Castle has two aluminum gills, each of which holds 30 burgers. They are gas-fired, with two settings, the first of which is low enough to keep the burgers at serving temperature, the other is a high-temp burner that uses either a timer or thermostat to cook the burgers. The operator loads the grill, pushes a button, and a short time later, they are ready to serve.

The meat patties are made by armour, to White Castle’s specifications, which ensures consistency. They are delivered frozen, and kept frozen until they go on the grill. The five holes in each patty allow the burger to cook completely through with no flipping. The onion mix is shipped from the company commissary in individual portion plain white paper bags, containing dehydrated chopped onion, salt, and pepper. There is no MSG in the onion mix. One fills a stainless steel ice bucket with cold water and dumps in the contents of one bag of the mix, and it goes in the walk-in overnight, to reconstitute.

To load the grill, you take one ladle of the onion mix, place it on the grill and spread it out evenly with a spatula. The burger patties are then placed on the grill, followed by the bun bottoms, then the tops, and the button is pushed. A good operator can load the grill in about 30 to 45 seconds. There is no oil in the onion mix. When the burgers are ready, the operator uses the long offset spatula and lifts two burgers at a time to the counter, while holding the tops in his/her other hand, and then places the tops on the burger. The buns are baked in White Castle’s own bakeries, and come in two 36 inch by 36 inch layers in plastic, wrap and a cardboard box. An operator separates these large layers into pairs of buns prior to their being placed in a container by the grill set.

Please do let us know the results of any of our clone recipes. If you have ideas on how to improve them. Please let us know. We are far from perfect and always ready to give your ideas a go.

WGH

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I make hamburgers the way my mother and grandmother taught me, and my kids say that they are better than any that can be bought.

I mix the meat with salt and pepper and form it into patties, but not packed tightly. I preheat my #12 cast iron skillet and sprinkle a little salt in the pan before adding the meat. I sear both sides and turn the heat down a little until done. Now, the important part!

When the patties are done to your liking, lay a slice of cheese on top of each, then put the buns on top of each patty (bottom bun first, stack the top bun on next), then turn the fire off and cover the skillet tightly with a lid for at least 5 to 15 minutes. This steams the buns with the heat from the meat and keeps the burgers juicy.

We can attest that the last tip (covering the skillet) is sensational and has an amazing impact on the final result. Hamburger-on!

Melbourne’s a stunning city and there burgers are world-class

It started the way these things always do. All I said was, “I wonder who makes the best burger in Victoria?” The next thing you know, my inbox is way over allocation, Telstra is sending those whiny emails and I’m struggling with more suggestions than a drunk blonde on Derby night.

Of the 70-plus great hamburger joints nominated by more than 200 Epicure readers, from humble roadhouses on dusty highways to gourmet hamburger operations, Danny’s in North Fitzroy was the most popular, collecting 30 per cent more nominations than anyone else.

Andrew’s Burgers take some beating

The strong performance of Kermond’s was, however, the real surprise. Especially as Lava Street, Warrnambool, is hardly a high-traffic location - unless you are comparing it to the Oodnadatta Track. Still, they collected more nominations than the next two country places (the Igloo Roadhouse in Buxton and Stella’s at Seymour) combined and came second only to Danny’s.

Things got a lot tougher for the next placings. Urban Burger nosed past a pack led by Spencer Street’s Embassy Taxi Cafe and the other gourmet burger chain places such as Grill’d in Malvern, Elwood’s Soulburger and St Kilda’s Gourmet Burger Company. Roozervelts and BBNT were also strongly backed. Andrew’s Hamburgers also polled a fair amount of support.

Every burger in this story had a voting block of Epicure readers passionate about its quality. It seems there are an awful lot of good burgers out there.

The judging process

My job was to taste and assess these much-loved burgers to find the best. We looked at burgers “with the lot” as our starting point. Where this was not available we looked for the closest equivalent on the menu.

You can read my judging criteria, Thoughts on Burgers with the Lot, below.

City burgers

What of our most popular nominee? North Fitzroy’s 60-year-old Danny’s Takeaway (358-360 St George’s Road, North Fitzroy, 9481 5847) is a wonderful classic burger bar with gleaming stainless steel surfaces and a red counter. Our $5.50 “burger with the lot” weighed in at 293 grams, making it the smallest city burger we tried, but the ratio of burger to meat is good, the ball of mince pressed to the grill for a crispy-edged patty. Despite no cheese, this is a good honest burger but perhaps not the very best - unless it’s late at night.

Danny’s Takeaway, Fitzroy

My first gourmet burger is at Urban Burger (167 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, 9646 6030). I order the “Urban Legend” at, ouch, $9.80. The pre-formed ground beef pattie shrivels a fair bit on the grill but the meat is subtly and nicely spiced. There’s a long rasher of bacon (not easy to eat), not much cheese (a thin square of “cheddar”) and like many of these places, they use a sweetish relish rather than good old-fashioned sauce. But the presence of dijon mustard is good.

Mighty Melbourne Burger
Photo:Rebecca Hallas

I’m not a fan of butter-style or oak-style lettuce leaves in burgers because they tend to wilt with the burger’s heat. They also have a big bun issue here. You’ll be eating through a fair amount of bread before you get to any meat action.

They use a frilly lettuce in the “cheese and bacon” ($9.90) at Soul Burger (81 Ormond Road, Elwood, 9525 7995) and this makes it about the most photogenic burger in town. It is quite a light munch even though it’s one of the bigger burgers on the tour.

Grill’d’s “crispy bacon & cheese” burger ($8.90) at the Malvern branch (217 Glenferrie Road, Malvern, 9500 8999) is a good, tasty burger but you’ve got to eat a fair amount of the well-toasted, panini-style bun before you get to the meat. Weighing in at only 95g - a fair bit smaller than the other four gourmet burgers we measured - this slightly dry pattie was well-flavoured and one of the few we tried that was noticeably flavoured with fresh herbs.

We also like the way they cook their eggs in a little cast-iron pan over the grill, and using cos lettuce is an improvement on limp lettuce. Grill’d is also in Chapel Street (Windsor), St Kilda and Hawthorn.

Fat chips to burn!

The “Gourmet BBQ” burger ($8.70) at Gourmet Burger Company (Shop 3/12 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 8598 9200) is a monster by comparison. Of its big, boofy 400g, 141g were the biggest grill-scared pattie of salty ground beef that we found. Sweet relish and the barbecue sauce does dominate a little, and there isn’t much veg relief, but it’s certainly a meal.

The ratios are better, especially for meat lovers, at Roozervelts (45 Collins Street 9654 3670) in the city, where their $7 burger is smaller but has a similar-sized meat pattie. It does everything else pretty right too, and better still, they open at 5am for those early morning burger cravings.

The title of biggest single-pattie burger must go to the Yarraville branch of Burger Edge (21 Anderson Street, 9689 3099). I ordered their “feel the cheese” ($7.90), which has no bacon or egg but slices of cheddar instead of the usual processed squares, and the welcome sweet tang and crunch of pickled cucumber. It’s a whopping 475g but there’s enough Australian beef to hold up to it - about 128g.

There’s smokiness from the bacon and perhaps from the grilling of the pattie, which tastes meaty without being over-seasoned. They use red onion and a smear of aioli to complete this picture of burger happiness. If there is one carp it’s that the two slices of cheese hadn’t melted properly. This is the mothership store for the Burger Edge chain, which also has franchises at Hampton, Camberwell and Brighton.

It’s a great burger, but how does it compare to the reigning burger champion - Andrew’s Hamburgers (144 Bridport Street, Albert Park, 9690 2126)? It was a pretty fine burger at Andrew’s that prompted this whole odyssey in the first place, so it’s fitting that I end there, my mitts on a “with the lot” ($7).

Burgers ain’t burgers, until you tried Andrew’s

Even after 2000 kilometres and rather more burgers than a man should see in a month, this one stands up for a blizzard of reasons. For the way the Swiss cheese coats the gnarly crunchy-edged meat pattie that tastes good and beefy. The bacon provides a good salty hit. There’s further great crunch of a refreshing kind from combining a finely shredded white cabbage and lettuce garnish.

If you like trad burgers, try Williamstown’s Hobson’s Bay Fish and Chips (9397 7070), the Fairfield Snack Bar (9481 6367) or the Seafood Basket (9337 4888) in Keilor. Other readers’ burgers of note included Captain America’s Hamburger Heaven at Ferntree Gully (9758 0711) and the Beaconsfield Upper Milk Bar (5944 3423).

As for bar burgers, the praised Tolarno’s (9525 5477) appears the undoubted king but is not without rivals around town, whether from the burger at North Melbourne’s Town Hall Hotel (9328 1983) or the brute at O’Connell’s. South Melbourne neighbour, the Maori Chief (9696 5363), St Kilda’s George Public Bar (9534 8822) and the Sherlock Holmes (9629 1146) in the city also all copped honourable mentions from readers.

Burgers that save lives - the 2am burger

You know the scenario. It’s been a big night and you are about to eat your shoes when the smell of seared meat hits your nose. It’s at these wee small hours that certain burgers like Danny’s $8 three-pattie belly buster come into their own - or so many correspondents suggested. St Kilda’s branch of BBNT (61 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda 9534 2075) also weighs in with a great after-hours burger, “The Stack” ($7.50). This squirty, squelchy and seriously meaty burger marries a straightforward beef pattie, lettuce, tomato, perfectly melted cheese, flat broken-yolk egg, and just seared pineapple ring.

Undoubtedly Danny’s and BBNT would battle the nigh-legendary Embassy Cafe

(547 Spencer Street, West Melbourne, 9328 1830) for the title of best burger after 2am. Here a properly toasted bun contains a good balance of salty, well-tanned pattie, sauce, egg, bacon and peppy tomatoes, with a gooey mix of onions and a little shredded iceberg that increases the splatter factor when reaching the last few mouthfuls as the filling drops out onto your shoes ($6.50).

Country burgers

I am delighted to say that after a few close calls such as the closure of the Hamilton Roadhouse, the prospect for a good country burger has seldom been better.

We’ve had raves for the Corio Roadhouse (5275 1207) and the Texas Hamburger House (5229 8377) in Geelong. Queenscliff was also well represented by the Trident Fish Bar (5258 2334) and the Ocean View Kiosk (5258 4488) with its great views over the Rip.

Heading East, George’s of Bairnsdale (5152 2613) still seems to rule the roost after 50 years, but Fish Creek’s Orange Roughy Cafe (5683 2207) is also putting out a fine burger.

Hit the Hume and you’ll find the North is superbly blessed, with places such as Billy Burgers (5794 2775) in Nagambie, and the BP Roadhouse (5795 3677) and the Seven Creeks Cafe (5795 3034), both in Euroa, having their fans. At the latter the burgers are of such a size that it makes it impossible to drive and eat one at the same time.

My sentimental favourite, and one shared by many readers, is the Caravan Cafe (aka the hole in the wall) in Seymour, operated with Henry Ford-like efficiency by Stella Salakowski and her daughter (5792 2462). This is a well-balanced burger with a sweet bun and a slim slice of pineapple. There’s not a lot of meat in it but it’s still proof that the orchestration of the ingredients can be more important than any single element.

Down in Warrnambool they take their burgers seriously. Mack’s Snacks (5562 2432) and Kermond’s (5562 4854) have been rivals for 55 years. Kermond’s is the big cheese in town - even though neither they nor Mack’s Snacks include a slice of the stuff in their burgers - just hot-plate cooked tomato, bacon and onion with the meat pattie. Kermond’s chop up the bacon to make it easier to eat in the finished burger.

In spite of all the hype, the Kermond’s burgers are good but not amazing. The surprise is the very unpromising-looking Mortlake Roadhouse (5599 2041), where a chunky 372g burger arrives with a well-seasoned and pleasantly crusty 99g pattie. The tomato could be better and the assembly of ours was a little unsound but the slices of onion and the just-cooked egg were perfect. At $6, it was also cheaper than a Kermond’s $7.90 burger.

The best burger I found was in the most inaccessible of places. Fans had talked about the Igloo on the Maroondah Highway in Buxton (5774 7451) with reverence. Maybe it’s the remoteness of this pretty valley with the smell of wood smoke in the air; maybe it’s the hairy, twisty drive through soaring trees and verdant ferns of the Yarra Ranges National Park, but the burgers taste damn good.

Of the 15,167 burgers they sell each year, the vast majority are “with the lot” - $5 buys an excellent 330g burger with more than a third of its weight comprising the chunky minced beef with a nicely heat-tanned and crunchy exterior but a fatness that means it’s still juicy. The sauce, bacon, ringed egg and uncomplicated cheese slice harmonise beautifully, plus there is beetroot, tomato and lettuce for excitement and freshness. Some will find the sweet bun a downerp.

You could upgrade to their signature Buxton Burger ($7.40) with double patties slathered in cheese and the usual elements of the lot, joined by a succulent pineapple ring and a far better bun. Weighing in at 588g with about 223g of meat, this could claim the title of best burger in Victoria and teach the gourmet places a thing or too. This 12-centimetre stack does, however, need a wooden skewer to prevent slippage. The record for eating one is an improbable one minute and 32 seconds.

Just two things: first, watch out for the thieving magpies who’ll have your lunch; second, get up there soon if you want to try one because the Rooney family has put the Igloo Roadhouse up for sale. Asking price is a cool $395,000 - if you want to buy a roadhouse “with the lot”.

NOTE: All comments refer only to the burger tasted. All burgers and patties were weighed on the same electronic scales. The pattie weight refers to the cooked weight. All weights are supplied for guide purposes only.

Judging criteria for burgers “with the lot”

The Master Rule: The only rule about a burger is that YOU must think it tastes great. Nothing else really matters. This may change depending on your mood, your biorhythms or the time of day but a truly great burger reconfirms its greatness whenever you try it.
However, there are guidelines I have drawn after analysing some of the best burgers across Victoria.

1. The ratio of meat to bun and filling is vital. Each bite should have meat and bun in it.

2. Firstly, it must be beef. The pattie itself is a totally personal issue in terms of how lean it is, whether it’s thick or thin, how it has been flavoured (herbs, spices, seasoning should always accentuate the taste of the meat) and the coarseness of the grind. I prefer a roughly minced burger.

3. A slight smokiness from bacon or the cooking process is welcome.

4. A burger has a toasted bun. No bun - it’s not a burger.

5. Onions add savour but should provide sweetness, whether slightly caramelised brown onions or red onions. Sweetness can also come from pickles, fried tomato, beetroot or sauce - also assuming rule 9 is observed.

6. The contrasts of texture are important: the crunch of lettuce (iceburg not limp butter to oak leaf please), the bun’s toasted surface and hot plate-tanned edges of meat against the gooiness of cheese and egg with the yielding fleshiness of the tomato. Yum.

7. The presence of freshness to balance the richness of meat, cheese and bacon is vital whether it’s through the crunch of lettuce or the sour edge of pickled beetroot. Slices of dill pickle can do both jobs.

8. The tomato can be thick and cooked or sliced thinly (but only if it is a good tomato). A bad tomato should always be grilled and never there for its crunchy texture.

9. Beetroot is unVictorian. It’s the sort of thing they do where they play league but I am not against your larger, two-pattie burger. Pineapple is the sort of thing Queenslanders do but then, some Victorians like Noosa for a holiday.

10. The sauce should subtly accentuate the burger, not dominate the taste. Sauce smeared on a bun not properly toasted can lead to an unwelcome sliminess as the bread breaks down with the sauce. The bacon is the same.

11. The egg is a tricky one given the exploding yolk risk. Less confident places “wreck em” so the yolk smears into the white: the more confident use an egg ring or pan and time things perfectly.

12. Leaving the bacon and tomato slices whole may look great but you are eating this, not photographing it. There is an interesting trend in non-gourmet places to cut up the bacon, and less commonly the toms, so that when you take a bite the whole rasher doesn’t come out, bringing the rest of the burger with it.

There is a whole chapter on the rules of how a burger should be properly layered and those choices affect the burger’s performance. Personally, I like the salad under the meat and the onions, cheese, bacon, sauce, egg, etc, on top.

If you don’t agree with any of these criteria, please send your irate comments to someone in Iceland.

The world’s biggest burger

Buxton’s 20-centimetre tall Cathedral burger ($9.50) is big but it pales into insignificance compared to those contenders in the “bigger is best” burger war currently being waged in the US.

This all started with chains such as Carl Jr’s and Burger King launching self-styled “Thickburgers” like one made of 2.6kg of Angus beef. Then Hardee’s launched their “monster thick burger” containing two 140g patties and enough cheese, bacon and mayo to push the calorie count over the 1400 mark and the fat reading up to a hefty 107g!

This flagrant nose-thumbing at Super Size Me went down wonderfully in a country in denial about its weight problem where 13 billion burgers are consumed every year.*

Things started to get out of hand when Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in Philadelphia put a 2.7kg burger with 2.25kg of toppings on their menu. This was quickly eclipsed by a place in New Jersey offering a 5.6kg burger known as the “Zeus”.

The Beer Barrel responded with a $40 Belly Buster burger that weighs in at almost 7 kg. It comes with gargantuan buns - which is something you’d be naïve not to expect after ingesting that much fat. Visit: www.dennysbeerbarrelpub.com

Come visit world’s greatest burger merchandise store on CafePress! T-shirts, caps, and lots of other cool stuff.

Designer Burgers: In Vogue

(photo courtesy of Vogue)

The famous ground-beef mixture from Pat LaFrieda has been the talk of burger circles the last few years — a dizzying time in which the Spotted Pig, Shake Shack, Stand, and half a dozen other contenders have taken the previously humble sandwich to the proverbial next level. The source of all that burger greatness, as Men’s Vogue recently wrote, is LaFrieda, the city’s top source for high-end wholesale meats. Scratch the wholesale part! Soon, and for the first time ever, the burger that launched a thousand blog posts will be available at the retail counter at Market Table, Joey Campanero and Mike Price’s new restaurant in the West Village.

The meat counter will also sell the pork chops that inspired a cult following at the little owl. “People always asked me, ‘Where do you get your meat? Where do you get your meat?’ I put like three things on it and that’s it. But nobody could get it before,” Campanero tells us. Meanwhile, the magic meat that haunts the dreams of New York’s burger lovers will come in preformed patties of about eight ounces, with a little card written by Price, the restaurant’s executive chef, saying how to cook them. Of if you really want to have the Shake Shack experience, get them in four-ounce patties. You don’t even have to stand in line holding a vibrator.

LaFrieda beef for Shake Shack: Now it can be yours. (Treo present to indicate scale.)

Photo: Josh Ozersky

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A competitive eater who has already triumphed at a famous hot dog eating contest swallowed 103 small hamburgers in 8 minutes Sunday to take home $10,000.

Joey Chestnut, 23, of San Jose, Calif., surpassed the previous record of 97 Krystal burgers - 2 1/2 inches square - held by Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi, set at last year’s Krystal Square Off.

“We never thought we’d see someone anywhere near, let alone past, the century mark when we started the Krystal Square Off in 2004,” said Brad Wahl, vice president of marketing for The Krystal Co.

Chestnut beat 12 other contestants. Kobayashi, who won all previous Krystal Hamburger Eating Championships, didn’t compete this year because of lingering jaw pain from having a wisdom tooth extracted in June.

The 29-year-old Kobayashi received chiropractic treatment before losing his hot-dog-eating belt in the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July tussle in New York.

Raymond Albert Kroc (1902-1984) was a salesman who set up the first franchise of the McDonald brothers’ drive-in restaurant. He bought the golden arches symbol from them and built the McDonald’s chain based on the concepts of a limited menu of co