nkedel

Not who you were responding to, but I find most onions to have a very unpleasant texture when raw or lightly cooked. Cooked to mushiness in french onion soup or spaghetti sauce is fine for me.

OTOH, I like the taste in a lot of things, so getting those thing with the onions and then removing them (or eating around them) is a standard MO of mine.

braslvr

Actually, I am a fan of the independent (mostly Greek owned) hamburger joints all over the greater Los Angeles area which In-N-Out attempts to copy. Also the remaining independent "Drive In" hamburger joints up and down California's central valley. In-N-Out is good for a chain, and I use the name to describe the basic type of burger I like to people who have not had the fortune of experiencing real California drive in burgers.

A thick medium rare patty might be fine eaten separately, but the soft texture of such ruins the hamburger experience completely. IMHO of course.

nkedel

A thick, but not-too-thick medium well patty (diner-style -- 1/4-1/3lb depending on diameter, not over-thick gourmet or chain-restaurant style) is just about perfect.

Medium-rare is for (really good) steaks, not hamburgers IMO, and even for cheaper steaks medium is a better call.

Has anyone here tried grinding their own? I've been wanting to since reading this a few years ago: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/...s-of-beef.html

jackal

I have. It's a completely different ballgame. You'll never want to go back.

Ancien Maestro

Hamburgers medium rare? This is the first time I've heard of this. I've never thought you can order burgers to order in this manner.

I do enjoy a good gourmet burger. One I received on Captain Andy's cruise to the Na Pali cost, on the Southern Star in Kauai. Personal chef on board and served a great all beef burger. Ended up having two, even with all of the ocean motion going on.

Best burger in Calgary is at the #3 nationally rated Notables which I happen to be a landlord. IIRC melted provolone or cheddar, on a grilled 60/40 beef/pork patty. Not that big, but melts in my mouth. Better than Smash burger and Five Guys bar none.. the Stockmans restaurant by my house makes their burger with the same beef/pork combination.. and I love the sauteed mushrooms on the burger topped off. But these burgers I don't think you can do medium rare with the beef/pork combination.

nkedel

Has been normal at diners and nicer restaurants as long as I've been ordering my own food -- since the mid-1980s at least; fast food places and other skinny-patty burgers, not so much.

That sounds tasty... I've had all-pork burgers, and been unimpressed, but never a blend. And yeah, I'd steer clear of medium-rare for pork.

You might check out the "Best Burgers" thread even though it technically is entitled "in the US."

Sweet Willie

I don't know of a fast food chain that will cook a burger to a MR doneness, it is all well done in the essence of food safety. (Because the meat is ground, there is a greater chance for product contamination). There are even townships that have decreed by law that ground meat must be cooked to well done. (In the town next to me, one can't order a MR burger, but in my town, perfectly fine to do so).

However if a restaurant (or market) is purchasing (or making from scratch) high quality ground beef, I have zero concerns about contamination.

A medium rare burger (for me anyways) is what I really crave in a burger.

jackal

I just discovered this last trip to L.A. that In-N-Out will cook to medium-rare. It's hard to see in the thin burgers, but there is definitely a pink hue to the center of the patty.

In-N-Out grinds all meat in-house (probably not in each store, but they grind it themselves before sending to each restaurant), so the chances of contamination are greatly reduced.

That said, there are few things in this world better than a thick hamburger patty with good, fresh-ground beef grilled to medium-rare. Mmm!

nkedel

Depending on your definition of "fast food," Nations would as a of a few years ago.

braslvr

But that would no doubt eliminate the crispy edges which make In-N-Out patties rock.

Sweet Willie

I was thinking along those lines as well, the crispy/caramelized patty is one of the prime benefits of a thin patty.that is some pretty amazing timing to cook a thin patty w/some pink in it with everything else a grill cook would have going on. And if this is the case, I stand corrected about a major fast food chain not cooking to a MR.

jackal

I think the INO folks hate me when I show up. The latest version of my "perfect INO order" is something like this:

Double Meat (no cheese, aka a 2x0)
Medium-rare (just discovered this!)
No salt
Extra-toasted patty
Animal style
No pickles
Extra whole grilled onion

and a root beer float. Mmm!

(And if I'm in the mood for fries, I order "fries well done." That makes absolutely nothing in my order part of the standard menu. )

Ancien Maestro

The blend is a tenderness, and the taste to me is of pure perfection. The burger I received on the Na Pali Souther Star Captain Andy's burger was pure perfection for an all beef burger. But the 60/40 blend is my preference, and drizzled with goat cheese.. Out of this world.

But dining at Notables the #3 rated restaurant in Canada for fine dining, and having a burger there is an abnormal treat. They do it so perfect, and so deep in flavors that it really is the best burger I've ever tasted.

With pork in the mix, I believe that the entire burger would have to be cooked well done.

I'm used to pink hues and I think that's would be normal in a thick patty. I guess I'm surprised you can cook this to order. I'm not used to this, but will definitely keep my eyes open for any possibility of a request when ordering.

braslvr

I think the shocking thing here is that as much as you eat out, you have never been asked how you want your burger cooked. When I order a hamburger anywhere in the US other than fast-food places, 90+% of the time they ask me how I want it cooked. Even in many other countries this is the norm.

Dr Jabadski

Correct, none of those either. And absolutely no ja-lap-a-nos! In addition to the assault on the taste buds they even assault the sinuses!