Hamburger construction.
October 20, 2023 1:58 AM Subscribe
I am making hamburgers. I have beef patties, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. And tomato sauce. What is the best order to layer these ingredients within the bun?
Here is chef Jean Pierre (French Italian longtime resident in the US) talking about how to make a cheeseburger. He is quite good on the steps and the culinary logic behind the steps. His order: lightly toasted brioche bun, Dijon mustard/mayonnaise mixture on both halves then lettuce then a tomato slice. Then the burger: cooked in clarified butter and topped with brie cheese, added salt and pepper and topped with caramelized onion. Burger on top of tomato and topped with top of bun. Slice, admire, eat. Note that assembling the thing in two sections: the burger, cheese, onion and bacon in one section in the pan - and everything else in the bun - with the two only brought together at the end.
posted by rongorongo at 2:43 AM on October 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by rongorongo at 2:43 AM on October 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
I have deeply held opinions on this subject to the point that when I was in Toastmasters, I gave a speech about it.
The basic gist is that there are meat condiments and there are salad dressings and that determines much of where things go.
Condiments go on the bun directly as this helps krep your burger from sliding apart. On the bottom, you place meat condiments which I presume tomato sauce is, as ketchup is. Thats also where relish, mustard, bbq sauce, etc go.
If you had mayo or other sauces they would go on top. The exception to the mayo on top rule is if you use a bit of mayo to grill your bun, then it can go both places.
Meat goes on meat condiments, cheese goes on meat so it melts. Bacon goes on top of cheese which helps hold it in place so it doesn't all pull out as one giant strip in the first bite. This is where you would put other warm ingredients such as mushrooms or fried onions if you were using them.
Pickle is next as it benefits from, or at least doesn't suffer from, being warmed by the hot ingredients. This also where you would put unusual ingredients like beet root or pineapple that do the same sweet sour role. It makes your transition into salad ingredients which are placed in the order of least to most damaged by being warm. In your case, tomato comes next and then lettuce.
Then you add your top bun which already has the salad condiments on it.
Some exceptions: really well fried onions or mushrooms can become more like a condiment than a topping in which case they may go on the bottom condiment layer.
Some toppings, like dijonaise, can cross the line between meat condiments and salad dressing and you may use them both top and bottom if you prefer.
posted by jacquilynne at 4:37 AM on October 20, 2023 [10 favorites]
The basic gist is that there are meat condiments and there are salad dressings and that determines much of where things go.
Condiments go on the bun directly as this helps krep your burger from sliding apart. On the bottom, you place meat condiments which I presume tomato sauce is, as ketchup is. Thats also where relish, mustard, bbq sauce, etc go.
If you had mayo or other sauces they would go on top. The exception to the mayo on top rule is if you use a bit of mayo to grill your bun, then it can go both places.
Meat goes on meat condiments, cheese goes on meat so it melts. Bacon goes on top of cheese which helps hold it in place so it doesn't all pull out as one giant strip in the first bite. This is where you would put other warm ingredients such as mushrooms or fried onions if you were using them.
Pickle is next as it benefits from, or at least doesn't suffer from, being warmed by the hot ingredients. This also where you would put unusual ingredients like beet root or pineapple that do the same sweet sour role. It makes your transition into salad ingredients which are placed in the order of least to most damaged by being warm. In your case, tomato comes next and then lettuce.
Then you add your top bun which already has the salad condiments on it.
Some exceptions: really well fried onions or mushrooms can become more like a condiment than a topping in which case they may go on the bottom condiment layer.
Some toppings, like dijonaise, can cross the line between meat condiments and salad dressing and you may use them both top and bottom if you prefer.
posted by jacquilynne at 4:37 AM on October 20, 2023 [10 favorites]
Bottom bun, beef patty, cheese, bacon, tomato, lettuce, pickle, tomato sauce (I'd just leave this one out, but you do you), top bun.
posted by box at 5:14 AM on October 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by box at 5:14 AM on October 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Burger > cheese > bacon > lettuce > tomato.
I don't have strongly held views on your other ingredients. I normally put ketchup on top of the bacon but I'm now wondering if it would be better between the bun and the burger.
posted by plonkee at 5:38 AM on October 20, 2023
I don't have strongly held views on your other ingredients. I normally put ketchup on top of the bacon but I'm now wondering if it would be better between the bun and the burger.
posted by plonkee at 5:38 AM on October 20, 2023
Top bun
Ketchup, mustard
Pickles
Bacon (if you must)
Cheese
Burger
Bottom bun
Burger goes directly on the bottom bun so the delicious juices soak into the bread. Sauces and pickle juice enliven the top bun.
Bacon is highly optional— it overwhelms the flavour of the beef. Did that cow die in vain? Make a bacon sandwich, or a grilled cheese with bacon if you want bacon inside bread. Let a burger be a burger.
Use that lettuce and tomato to make a side salad like God intended. No cold wet vegetation on my hot melty greasy deliciousness, thank you. I can allow a tomato slice if it’s summer and the tomatoes are really good, but nine times out of ten they’re just watery and underripe.
Lettuce in particular is totally unnecessary on a burger. It doesn’t taste like anything and is just soggy. “But it adds crunch!” Dude, no. We have PICKLES for that. Pickles are crisp and have flavour and give you acid to cut through the grease! You do not need to entomb them under a compost heap of wet lettuce.
Sauces: I recommend mustard alongside your ketchup, in a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio. I note with pleasure the absence of mayonnaise from your ingredient list. I’d countenance BBQ sauce or British “brown sauce” or even Worcestershire, but mayo on a burger is an affront to the tastebuds of God and man.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:45 AM on October 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
Ketchup, mustard
Pickles
Bacon (if you must)
Cheese
Burger
Bottom bun
Burger goes directly on the bottom bun so the delicious juices soak into the bread. Sauces and pickle juice enliven the top bun.
Bacon is highly optional— it overwhelms the flavour of the beef. Did that cow die in vain? Make a bacon sandwich, or a grilled cheese with bacon if you want bacon inside bread. Let a burger be a burger.
Use that lettuce and tomato to make a side salad like God intended. No cold wet vegetation on my hot melty greasy deliciousness, thank you. I can allow a tomato slice if it’s summer and the tomatoes are really good, but nine times out of ten they’re just watery and underripe.
Lettuce in particular is totally unnecessary on a burger. It doesn’t taste like anything and is just soggy. “But it adds crunch!” Dude, no. We have PICKLES for that. Pickles are crisp and have flavour and give you acid to cut through the grease! You do not need to entomb them under a compost heap of wet lettuce.
Sauces: I recommend mustard alongside your ketchup, in a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio. I note with pleasure the absence of mayonnaise from your ingredient list. I’d countenance BBQ sauce or British “brown sauce” or even Worcestershire, but mayo on a burger is an affront to the tastebuds of God and man.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:45 AM on October 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
My burger ingredients are different from yours, but my preferred order is (bottom to top):
- bottom half of crusty bun, ideally cut to be slightly hollow
- ketchup (the lower it goes, the less spilling)
- fried onions
- burger patty
- cheese
- lettuce
- top half of the bun
I've also experimented with using big lettuce leaves to wrap around all the other ingredients, to prevent things from spilling out the sides.
posted by demi-octopus at 6:26 AM on October 20, 2023
- bottom half of crusty bun, ideally cut to be slightly hollow
- ketchup (the lower it goes, the less spilling)
- fried onions
- burger patty
- cheese
- lettuce
- top half of the bun
I've also experimented with using big lettuce leaves to wrap around all the other ingredients, to prevent things from spilling out the sides.
posted by demi-octopus at 6:26 AM on October 20, 2023
I always want mustard on the bottom bun, with the meat on top of that. I think meat touches mustard is my one rule for any meat sandwich. They are complimentary and feed off the other.
posted by Windopaene at 7:09 AM on October 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Windopaene at 7:09 AM on October 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
kevinbelt needs to come out of retirement for this one.
posted by dianeF at 7:28 AM on October 20, 2023
posted by dianeF at 7:28 AM on October 20, 2023
Power Rangers villain Mesagog has opinions about this.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:48 AM on October 20, 2023
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:48 AM on October 20, 2023
Top bun
Duke's mayo (your condiment of choice here)
pickle slices and a tomato slice (your veggie-type toppings here)
bacon (your extra option here)
smoked cheddar (your cheese of choice here)
burger patty
Duke's mayo (your condiment of choice here)
Bottom bun
That was the construction of the cheeseburger I had for lunch today
posted by emelenjr at 10:43 AM on October 20, 2023
Duke's mayo (your condiment of choice here)
pickle slices and a tomato slice (your veggie-type toppings here)
bacon (your extra option here)
smoked cheddar (your cheese of choice here)
burger patty
Duke's mayo (your condiment of choice here)
Bottom bun
That was the construction of the cheeseburger I had for lunch today
posted by emelenjr at 10:43 AM on October 20, 2023
Dan Pashman wrote about this (in a sandwich context) several years ago. His piece should give you all the answers you need.
Plus, "Semolina Fulcrum" is the best band name...or drag name.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:47 AM on October 20, 2023
Plus, "Semolina Fulcrum" is the best band name...or drag name.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:47 AM on October 20, 2023
If you must use sauce on the bottom bun to keep it from being dry, use a very thin layer, as thin as you can get away with, and them put something moisture proof on top of that, like cheese or lettuce leaves, to prevent the bottom bun from getting too moist and falling apart.
posted by Jane the Brown at 2:22 PM on October 20, 2023
posted by Jane the Brown at 2:22 PM on October 20, 2023
Eating an In-n-out burger right now, animal style. Bottom to top:
Bun
Thousand island
Pickle
Tomato
Meat
Cheese
Bun
It's pretty good!
When I make my own burger, I tend to put only the lettuce on the bottom. Couldn't tell you why.
posted by billjings at 8:04 PM on October 20, 2023
Bun
Thousand island
Pickle
Tomato
Meat
Cheese
Bun
It's pretty good!
When I make my own burger, I tend to put only the lettuce on the bottom. Couldn't tell you why.
posted by billjings at 8:04 PM on October 20, 2023
Food Theory's take on "correct way to build a burger"
posted by kschang at 8:27 PM on October 20, 2023
posted by kschang at 8:27 PM on October 20, 2023
I had no idea cheese on the bottom was such a controversial take! I started doing this a million years ago to keep the patty from slipping out and developed my theory of structural sandwich integrity later down the line. Truly we contain multitudes.
posted by Mizu at 9:58 PM on October 20, 2023
posted by Mizu at 9:58 PM on October 20, 2023
Best is hard to pin down, especially without some sort of criteria for what you value most about the burger experience.
I put the cheese on the patty, usually before taking it off the grill/pan so that it gets a bit melty. Buns are toasted on a griddle or pan with butter. Light scrape of mayo on both inner sides of the bun to help keep the juices from soaking into the bun. From there I go (from bottom to top): bottom bun, meat, cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce and any other condiments (e.g. ketchup/tomato sauce if you're aussie, mustard, bbq sauce, etc.) go on the top bun before it's put on top of everything else. Would agree that tomato and lettuce are unnecessary ingredients on a burger and often compromise the structure of the device by adding sogginess and slipperiness without adding much in the way of flavor. Put some grilled onions or mushrooms on if you want more vegetation on it, they at least add interesting flavor and texture.
Honestly, tho, sounds like a great excuse to experiment a bit.
posted by Aleyn at 10:26 PM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
I put the cheese on the patty, usually before taking it off the grill/pan so that it gets a bit melty. Buns are toasted on a griddle or pan with butter. Light scrape of mayo on both inner sides of the bun to help keep the juices from soaking into the bun. From there I go (from bottom to top): bottom bun, meat, cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce and any other condiments (e.g. ketchup/tomato sauce if you're aussie, mustard, bbq sauce, etc.) go on the top bun before it's put on top of everything else. Would agree that tomato and lettuce are unnecessary ingredients on a burger and often compromise the structure of the device by adding sogginess and slipperiness without adding much in the way of flavor. Put some grilled onions or mushrooms on if you want more vegetation on it, they at least add interesting flavor and texture.
Honestly, tho, sounds like a great excuse to experiment a bit.
posted by Aleyn at 10:26 PM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
« Older How to back up and export folders in outlook for... | Rock music review site from the early 2000s Newer »
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
Logic: cheese on the bottom provides a barrier between water based ingredients and the bread to prevent sogginess, and the presumably hot toasted bun and patty will keep the cheese meltier for longer. The bacon against the top bun is another barrier for moisture, though not as vital as the bottom bun. The sauce flavors the patty most directly because it is one of the most plain ingredients, and the pickles flavor the tomatoes. The moisture of the veg is sandwiched between greasy items. The lettuce and bacon stay crispiest on top in part because they have the least weight and moist heat on them. Ideally, you would have an oil based sauce like mayo on the top bun, or maybe a second piece of cheese, but that is up to preference. Also good is if you have a fried component like an onion ring, that goes on top right beneath the top bun too. I am very passionate about sandwich construction.
posted by Mizu at 2:22 AM on October 20, 2023 [5 favorites]