The Anatomy of a Burger, Part Two – The Cheese

Once I had decided to focus on a variation on a Bacon Cheeseburger, one of the toughest questions was what cheese? I was totally focused on cheddar, my favorite burger cheese, but I knew that what I sought lay somewhere in between a Keen's cheddar (which would be wasted on a burger) and a Land o Lakes piece of plastic.

So I needed expert help, and that meant Premier Gourmet, the place with the best cheese selection in town. And as Andrzejewski suggested, that is a horrible fate to be condemned to.

You see, the deli manager at Premier is a quite lovely lady named Amanda. Better yet, she knows her job and she knows her cheese. After a few pointed questions about what I was trying to achieve with the burger, the sweetness and smokiness of the bacon, the same of the mushroom ketchup, Amanda asked perhaps the most important question in the entire process of developing the burger - why cheddar?

What a great question! Why cheddar? I was focused on it because that's what I like on my burger, a slice good sharp cheddar - sharp enough to cut through the usual condiments. But this was a new playing field.

Amanda selected the first cheese and offered a sample. Marvelous. A flavor I had never contemplated. We spent the next twenty to twenty- five minutes sampling different cheeses - old friends and new. But, in the end I went with Amanda's first choice. The instincts of an expert are worth listening to.

The winner was Beaufort, a raw cow's milk cheese from the Savoie region of France. It is classic mountain cheese - think Gruyère on steroids. It has fruity sweetness, herbaceous notes, and a distinct tang that did all that I wanted from cheddar.

The bottom line, if you live in WNY and want cheese advice, go to Premier Gourmet and talk to Amanda. If you live elsewhere, it pays to get to know your local cheesemonger, and other purveyors. Every cook needs outside advice on occasion!

The Anatomy of a Burger, Part One – The Bun

Yes, I really have what Andrew refers to as Cooking Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I made my own buns for the Burger Smackdown.

In repertoire bread and related there of three types I have yet to be fully satisfied with the final product: Rye Bread, Bagels and Hamburger/Hot Dog Rolls. The perfect bun will be somewhere between those 8 packs of insipid grocery store buns and a crusty sourdough roll. I want a softer crust than the latter, as well as a lighter, less dense crumb – soft enough not to obscure the burger, but tight enough to absorb the juices without dissolving.

My current recipe is a constantly evolving variation on David Rosengarten’s Philly Cheesesteak Roll. I have changed over time from oil to trans-fat free shortening and reduced the flour, but it’s still not there. I need a slacker dough. I have even been thinking of experimenting with cake flour.

But the real purpose of this is to raise a variation of a theme that Michael Ruhlman posted on a about six weeks ago – the importance of a kitchen scale, with flour as his primary example. Flour measured by dry measuring cup can vary in weight by as much as 3-4 ounces per measured cup, sometimes even within the same brand. That is why the best books on baking measure by weight as well as volume, the best of the best give that weight in more accurate grams.

But there is another variation between packages of flour, moisture content – not just moisture caused by kitchen humidity, but the moisture content of the flour itself. When we are between trips to the Clinton-Bailey Market, where we usually buy all purpose in 25 lb. bags - bread flour in 50 lb. bags, we get a usual supermarket type brand.
The last 5 lb. two bags, bought at the same store on the same day, were very dry. Both Trish in her sweet baking, and me in my bread work, noted how thirsty the flour was. One loaf of a regularly made bread took almost an additional cup of water.

Whether it was how it was milled, or stored, or how long it was stored, this flour was dryer than usual.

Bottom line, the best cooking tools aren't one you buy. Your eyes, nose, ears, fingers and taste buds are bettere than any machine - and with practice, awfully accurate!

Burger Smackdown - The Photos

L to R: Mike, Andrew and moi. Below are some other shots from the event.

The Ugly, The Bad and The Good

What a great time - everyone really enjoyed themselves. Gosh darn it, I had a great time even though I didn't win. It was one of those wonderful events where old friends and new just gather for a fun afternoon (hey, what is the likelihood of going to an event at a new friend's house and meeting a young man who was in Pre-K with your daughter three years ago!)

So let's get to it:

The Ugly: Round One: Burger only - the meat-centric class that focuses on what happens to the patty, and cooking technique. Served on standardized buns. My naturally raised Niagara County Beef Chuck vs. Andrew's locally raised Waygu vs. Mike's dry aged Delmonico, with cheese and a condiment..

I put this round right in the tank. Big Time. And it turned out to be my best chance to score a win! You know you are in trouble when the burger you hold back to share with your co-competitors is light years better than the one you sent to the Judges. I just couldn't get in the zone. Yes there were several external distractions (and I'd tell you about some, but one would make my wife not speak to me for a while), but this round was my fault. I screwed the pooch.

Having said that, given the choice of enjoying the convivial atmosphere of the event, or trying to recreate the intensity of the line, I'd pick the former.

The Bad: The Weather. It could have been a heck of a lot worse, but after a relatively rain free April, with above-average temperatures, Sunday was lower than normal with frequent rain. The competitors huddled under tents, and the onlookers stayed inside. As I said, it was a hoot, but the idea that people would be milling about sipping cocktails in the sunshine was dashed.

The Good: Round Two: Burger dressed as the chef desires - where special buns, toppings, etc can come into play. This burger sang. I knew I was in good shape after Lydia, Andrew's daughter and our designated server, came up and whispered "they love it". My co-competitors and onlookers agreed. Dave Cloy and his troops did a SUPURB job with the beef - it got raves! Alas, I lost to Mike - which is as it should be. As I have said before, he's the best cook in town.

One postscript though. I was at the competition less than 5 minutes when I realized that I was was working out of a different playbook than Andrew and Mike. Nobody's fault, just "failure to communicate" as Strother Martin once said. The bottom line is that I never thought this was about anything but beef. Andrew made an absolutely delicious Lamburger with Israeli Feta, and Mike used Ahi for his burger, flown in from Hawaii. It was amazing. There may be no one in WNY who handles seafood better than Mike - even Kuni Sato.

And a final note - if invited to a grilling cookoff, don't bring a side dish that needs to be grilled!

Burger Smackdown - The Burger

Here is the Burger - wish me luck:

The Rolls:

Homemade from bleached all-purpose flour, water, yeast, non-transfat shortening, sugar and salt. Source: My Home

The Mushroom Ketchup:

Portabella, Shiitake, Oyster and Maitake mushrooms grilled with Vidalia onion, combined with Garlic, Molasses, Balsamic Vinegar and Chipotle Chilies.
Source: Wegmans, Sheridan Drive.

The Cheese:

Beaufort - a French Raw Cow’s Milk Cheese from the Savoie region often called the Prince of Gruyères. A classic mountain cheese. Source:
Premier Gourmet, Kenmore

The Bacon:

Pork Belly - cured in Grade B Extra Dark Amber Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar. Smoked over Pear Wood. Sources: Valint’s, Tonawanda; Maple Glen Sugar House, Gowanda; My Mother-in-Law’s backyard, Buffalo.

The Beef:

Eye of Chuck – naturally raised Niagara County Beef, cared for and cooler hung to perfection by Dave Cloy. Source D.H Cloy and Son, Ransomville.

Be careful what you wish for . . .

You might get it! I have mentioned Andrew Z. Galarneau before, a writer for The Buffalo News often on the subject of food. He did a piece a few weeks ago about the best burger in Western New York. My favorite was number two in his rankings.

But, Andrew is also a blogger. He did a post after his article asking for input. After a mention of Grover's, the number two above, and a "homer" vote for Bill Grey's from my birthplace of Rochester, I suggested that the best burger in Buffalo was to be had off my backyard grill.

This is not self confidence - the worst e-coli bearing hockey pucks are best served off your own backyard grill with an audience of friends. But, what I didn't expect was getting invited to participate in the first annual Burger Smackdown between Andrew, me and Mike Andrzejewski - the best cook in Buffalo.

Now I am going to take them down - big time (no, I am sure I am going to get killed). But, the bottom line is that, wherever we sourced our beef, whatever ingredients we choose, ultimately this will be an event with friends - new and old - hanging out, having our kids running around, talking Bills and Sabres or the BPO.

My God, isn't that what food is supposed to be about?

Oh, Michael and Andrew - you are toast! (No really - I don't have a chance!)

Scotty