Saturday was burger night in my house. I decided to try something a little different than just the standard griddled fare that I usually cook up. So, I took some tips from a recipe for an Animal Style, In-n-Out burger off their secret menu.
Using a post from A Hamburger Today, as inspiration I set about my task. I didn't stay true to the recipe (I am not at the "grind your own" stage just yet), but I did hit on some of the keys to this style.
I started the griddle heating, while I sliced a yellow onion and set about turning it into the onion jam using the technique in the recipe. Using about 2 1/2 ounces of 80/20 chuck for each burger, I hand pattied the beef into thin disks. After applying salt and pepper, I placed the patties on the lightly oiled griddle and applied yellow mustard to the raw side.
When the buns toasted to a nice golden hue, I dressed them with the onion spread and set them aside. After about 3 minutes of cooking I flipped the burgers and applied a piece of Wisconsin brick cheese (I usually would go for the American Cheese here, but I was out). After the burgers finished cooking, I turned them into the double doubles and placed them on the buns. To top it all off, I added a homemade sauce consisting of about 2 Tbl of ketchup, a pinch of salt, a Tbl of dill pickle relish, a 1/2 Tbl of sugar, and a 1/2 Tbl of white vinegar.
These came out fantastic! Again, not a true Double Double, Animal Style. If you're a purist, I apologize. Griddling the patties in mustard did impart a distinct flavor in the beef, and the onions were an exceptional addition. The brick is a mild cheese that has nice melt-a-bility to it, and the sweet/tangy flavors of the sauce served as a nice compliment to the savory beef patties.
For the side I pan fried some frozen steak fries (not ideal, but they do when you're in a hurry). I washed it all down with an ice-cold bottle of Totally Naked, a truly exceptional lager from the New Glarus Brewing Co.
On a side note, if you aren't reading Serious Eats and regular contributor J. Kenji Lopez-Alt you are really missing out.
Kenji, with his scientific approach to burger (and lots of other tasty dishes) making, provides for some entertaining and enlightening reads.
No comments:
Post a Comment