Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I have these currently in the fridge - I am desperately hoping they will firm up as the mix seems awfully sloppy. Could lead to a deliciously moist burger, or one that falls apart when I try to cook it. Watch this space...

These food lab articles are wonderful. I can't wait to try these turkey burgers. Keep 'em coming!

Thank you

@SkinnyFatty

Yep - roast it whole in the skin, kinda like you'd do when making baba ganouj. The idea is that you want to retain some of the moisture in there. Modern eggplants are not bitter at all - especially the small one called for in this recipe, so you don't have to worry about salting and pressing them. If I wanted to give them a denser, meatier texture, then I'd do what you do: slice them, salt them, wash them, press them, then cook them.

That said - I didn't actually try it the second way. Perhaps it would work as well. If you give it a go, let me know!

Kenji

Looks great but what about the melted shredded cheese on top of bread? I have never gotten one in France that didn't have cheese on the outside as well. It makes a perfect resting spot for the egg. . .

I love McDonald's. I don't quite understand where all the disrespect comes from, other than the fact that everyone hates a winner. I fully understand as a Subway franchisee and the disrepect I hear from some of my customers, yet, they keep a coming in. McDonald's has a special taste that reminds you of the good part of your childhood. When I was a kid we were only allowed the regular burger. When chicken McNuggets came out I said "Pish Posh", not literally, but I couldn't imagine them tasting good. Oh how wrong I was. McDonald's magic is their ability to create a taste all their own, and don't even bother with the negative comments about their "taste". Numbers don't lie and there's a reason they're #1. They create flavors we all can relate to, and every one in awhile, crave.

I also agree with ALRUI that most establishments (whatever chain) are abysmally ran (out here in San Bernardino anyway). Believe it or not, I don't think In and Out is "all that". Frankly it's a little baffling. What are they famous for, an extremely simplified menu, a 50's atmosphere, non-frozen ingredients, and overrated burgers and fries.

I like Jack in the Box, and Carl's, but I can't find a good establishment in my area. I know full well how hard it is to find good help, but really, most of the employees that work at these establishments (including the management) are loathsome people who have no concept of serving a quality product, let alone providing good customer service.

Burger King and Carl's taste too much like grease smoke, and the funniest thing of all to me is the love for Wendy's. I've been all around this country and the world, and Wendy's sucks ass period. Great concept, but horrible execution. I've tried all their burgers. Hell, I've wanted to like them, but I've never, and I mean never, had a decent burger at Wendy's. I guarantee if there were a blind taste test, they would lose.

Back to my original premise, McDonald's is #1 because of what they serve, food that people actually enjoy. Mock it all you want, but there's that new one just outside the Louvre. I love gourmet burgers, sliders, and fast-food burgers. I love burgers.

P.S. Islands is a great premium burger chain out here, and Red Robin blows!!! Sorry for the rant, but I had to get it off my chest.

I regularly make a potato dish that treads the line between 'traditional' and 'different': Cider Scalloped Potatoes. Instead of broth, use good, fresh cider so you get a good tang & some sweetness, and then smoked gouda to add another element to the taste. I've done it with regular potatoes, with turnips, with celeriac and even with sweet potatoes. It's amazing and people ask about it years after...
It's a riff off an old Cooking Light recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222496

@axis: I explained in my intro I only included the largest burger chains.

ummm...well...none of the above. I cannot stomach mcdonalds processed hamburger food stuff. bk flame broiling I taste that nasty charring for the rest of the day and it ain't pretty. wendy's is dry and tasteless even though it is fresh(?) and hot. I did a commercial for carl's junior several years back and ate those damn things for two straight days. never again. sonic suffers from a similar aftertaste effect as bk. and there's just something wrong w/ that cheesy mayoey sauce jack uses.

the real bottom line is that no one can compete w/ in and out burger. better than decent burger at a better than reasonable price. and fortunately for me it is right down the street. when I need a fast burger fix, that's the ticket.

Thank you so much for this post, Damon! I love your writing and your purist sensibilities. You haven't missed with me, yet. In short: you rock.

I just hit Zeke's Smokehouse last night and had the Zeke's Burger w/ cheddar (sans bun). It was a might tasty burger with bold smoke flavor, and everything you said it was. I agree wholeheartedly - no condiments required. I was quite pleased. Better still, it's just a hop skip and a jump from my house! Bravo!!

I look forward to hitting up more of your suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

@sticky wicket: I thought about adding cheese...but it's too late by this point. Fail. Pretend this is the poll for "What are your favorite toppings that aren't cheese or condiments?"

I've often overlooked the burger choices at high quality BBQ joints simply because the traditional pork BBQ or brisket there is so good. But it stands to reason that such an outfit has considerable meat knowledge that will be put to good use when grilling a burger.

OMG! You're insane, Damon! I love it! Thank you for chasing down this burger truck so I don't have to. Time is money and I have little of either so thanks to you I don't have to spend my money or waste my time trolling Twitter for this one.

I LOVED the pic of you in the food truck. Nice touch. While it looks like the burger sucked, this just might be my favorite of your posts yet.