5 Secrets of a Perfect Burger

By Metro Magazine date Dec 8, 2015

Things we learned through judging Auckland’s best burger earlier this year could prove invaluable for barbecue season.

1. Less is more

If the patty is too big, it’s gross. If the whole burger is too big, it’s too hard to eat. If there are too many ingredients, they fight with each other or, more likely, you won’t even notice you’re eating half of them.

2. Use a part-brioche bun

The crumb texture of brioche can withstand a good soak, making it the ideal base for a burger with lots of sauce. However, most of our favourite burgers used a demi-brioche bun, keeping the dense, buttery characteristics of brioche in check with sour or regular dough.

3. Forget the tomato

They add colour, sure, but so often they’re floury, limp, bun-soggers, best eaten on the side. Never include them out of season.

4. Use meat from different cuts

You want it fatty enough, and meaty enough, and consistent from one patty to the next. Blended meat, like blended wines, helps guarantee the right quality time after time.

5. Pickles are important

The pickle adds sour cut-through with a hint of sweetness. Good pickles, with a big enough flavour to be noticed and not so big as to overwhelm, are the perfect complement to patty and bun.