A Burger Plea: Keep It Real
The hamburger has been around for at least a century, but its exact origins are a little hazy. But maybe we can all agree on what makes a real burger.
By Robin Kleven Dishon for MSN City Guides
I did a search on the word “hamburger” and got approximately 47 million results.
Paris Hilton, on the other hand, only returned 11.3 million.
What can we infer from this? That we as a people like hamburgers four times as much as we like Ms. Hilton? Or, that we are four times more interested in hamburgers?
Perhaps it's simply that the American hamburger has been around approximately four times as long. Paris Hilton is 26. The hamburger, according to many food historians, is approximately 104. That must be it.
Of course, the history of the American hamburger is not definitive, relying on speculation, regionalism and the occasional forged menu. Many a town has laid claim to serving the original hamburger. Two of the more credible claimants are Athens, Texas, and New Haven, Connecticut. (The original original is attributed to Hamburg, Germany.)
The cheeseburger, according to Wikipedia, was born in Pasadena, but there’s plenty of argument about that too. Hamburger lovers are a contentious bunch.
Coincidentally, the hamburger has much more in common with its customary platemate, the French fry, than you might think. During World War I, widespread anti-German sentiment in the U.S. caused the hamburger to be re-named the “Salisbury Steak.”
Anyone remember Freedom Fries?
Amateur sleuthing and political references aside, our collective fascination with chopped beef patties is ongoing. How else could McDonald’s have sold so many billions that they had to give up counting?
The Real Deal
And those were fast-food burgers being tallied, mass-produced identical hamburger units, not what yours truly calls The Real Deal.
The Real Deal of hamburgers is all beef and proud of it. Hand-formed, no two alike. Never turkey, much less tofu, and certainly not tempeh.
The Real Deal of hamburgers is not a snob. It can show up anywhere from a backroads lunch counter to a luxury resort, which is part of the thrill of the hunt. It may be decorated simply with a slice of ripe tomato or red onion, or decadently with a morsel of foie gras. A few grains of fleur de sel are a lovely garnish, if you’re not watching your sodium intake. Ketchup is acceptable if you are under 10 years old.
Regardless of the venue and the price, the Real Deal must be the size and shape of a gently flattened softball. Grilled or seared, the finely-minced meat must consist of tiny individual nuggets of prime-quality beef that explode in your mouth like juicy, exuberant fireworks. It must grab your attention from first bite and leave you satisfyingly sated, almost drowsy with joy.
Of course, it must be served rare for optimum flavor and texture, although the faint of heart (not to mention the United States Department of Agriculture) recommend cooking to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Where we’re from, we call that particle board.
Robin Kleven Dishon has been a professional restaurant, food, wine and travel writer since 1986. She has written for a variety of print and online publications, including Elle, the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Magazine and numerous travel guidebooks.
