Posted on 06/27/2023 3:41:49 PM PDT by Libloather
The smell of charcoal burning and meats cooking defines the summer for many people.
As soon as the barbecue comes out, many will tuck into a juicy burger alongside fresh salads, delicious buns and veggie skewers.
But now a Michelin starred chef has revealed you should never cook your burgers on the barbecue - describing it as a 'horrible' way to cook meat.
David Chang, whose flagship restaurant Momofuku in New York has two Michelin stars, said a barbecue is just a 'marketing lie'.
Speaking on his podcast, The David Chang Show, the chef, 45, explained: 'Grills suck for burgers.
'We have assumed as a culture that in summer, we eat a burger, and it's grilled.
'I actually think the grill is a horrible thing for the burger ... I think this viewpoint could get me in trouble.'
Instead, Mr Chang suggest firing up a griddle or frying pan.
'The success rate of the griddle is better than the grill, and also there's no clean-up, you have nothing to worry about,' he added.
'A juicy burger is going to turn into a guaranteed grease fire, why use it?'
'This whole idea of imparting flavour from the grill, the only flavour that's being imparted is the carbonised c–p that's on it.
'You would need to cook a burger over charcoal for 12 hours to get that smoky flavour.
'I think the grill and the burger is a marketing lie.'
He went on to say that people associate barbecues with nostalgia, which is the only reason people enjoy it.
'A backyard burger is an experience that you try to convince yourself that it's better than it actually is. It's the nostalgia, it's the smells, it's your friends.
'But if you actually take it out of the context, it's not that good,'...
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I also agree with the author. A chargrilled burger is subpar.
Hes a globalist plant whos job lately is to convince us “lab grown meat really isnt that bad”.
I like what I grill, so I really don’t care what this big time chef says....
Steve Raichlan chokeslams David Chang for the win.
Nope.
Gonna use charcoal, too. And plenty of it.
I get fantastic results with my electric contact grill.
I got one word for this Chang character: Momofuku
“also there’s no clean-up”
Not for the chef, of course.
Who cleans up the griddle/fry pan?
The dishwasher.
“people associate barbecues with nostalgia”
Yeah - way back in the Neanderthal brain: “Fire good!”
There is a great bar that serves Wineburgers in Phoenix. Invented in Iowa, they stuck around a bit here. By sprinkling wine onto the griddle placed burger while cooking, the burger retains much more moisture. Harvey’s Wineburger, near 16th and Camelback.
That said, I have had some sensational burgers that have been smoked, especially from the defunct Kansas City BBQ Heaven in Wallingford, CT. You could not get that flavor from a griddle or fry pan. Tender, juicy and smokey.
Half of the reasons this chef gave for not grilling were related to inconvenience. I thought that being a great chef meant ignoring inconvenience in search for better quality.
Steamed cheeseburgers are also excellent. Ted’s Steamed Cheeseburgers in Meriden, CT is well-known, but I only found it middling. Again, my best steamed cheeseburger experience is from a long-forgotten closed operation in Wallingford. I do remember that they used a poppy-seed hard roll (this is important, as the moisture will shred a regular bun), Don’t skimp on the cheese, and red onions added to the mix.
A 45 year old guy telling me how to cook a burger. Like right, sure. I’ve been grilling long before he was born. It’s both good. I’m
“Steve Raichlan chokeslams David Chang for the win.”
And Matt Pittman tags in on a flying body slam from the top rope.
Bollocks
Cooked low and slow on a smokey grill, then seared. I guarantee my burgers are better than anything he cooks.
I have enjoyed grilled burgers. I would never tell anyone not to grill them.
That said:
“’You would need to cook a burger over charcoal for 12 hours to get that smoky flavour.”
If that’s what you want, he at least gave grillers a tip on how to get it.
Does it really need 12 hours? How do you do that without drying your burger to a flat cookie? Can you accomplish something similar via a charcoal “trow?” (Cooking the meat by directly burying it the charcoal or whatever embers you’re using for cooking.)
Nonsense. If you don’t know how to grill, you don’t know what you are doing. A lot of factors. Never use 80/20 ground beef. Use 90/10 (lean/fat ratio) and never use direct heat until the end. There is more but those are few of the main points. And cooking it on sove top is fine too.
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