The Burger - Kept Simple

 

Burgers are definitely one of the ultimate comfort foods. Each bite gives you warm bread, cold greens, cold tomato, gooey cheese, sweet and vinegary hints from ketchup and mustard, and sinful beefy bliss. One of the things I really dislike about the direction food is going is that nearly every semi-high end restaurant has decided to give their take on a burger. Usually this involves some kind of blue cheese, caramelized onion, garlic aioli covered mess. Burgers are comfort food and should be kept simple. You don't see many restaurants making a fancy meatloaf...

Although it may not seem like it, I'm all for gourmet burgers as long as they're at a reasonable price. If I'm going out to a restaurant, I'd rather not spend $12 or $15 dollars on a "gourmet" burger that cost them two dollars to make. The only time I would dish out money for a burger is if it incorporated two very important things: high quality beef (with a specific ratio of cuts i.e., 40% short rib, 20% sirloin, 40% chuck) to ensure maximum fatty and tenderness, and a baked on-site bun. A burger that consisted of a really good freshly baked bun and a nice cut of beef would be completely fine with me. For example, The Spotting Pig's burger. Bread, Blue cheese, and meat.

 

Until then, I'm fine with cooking simple American burgers. Cooked in a skillet with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion.