Page 23 - Trending Magazine 2018 Fall

Beautiful Burgers_Layout 1 18-09-18 2:43 PM Page 4

A good rule of thumb is to maintain a ratio of 80 per “The last thing you want when you’re serving a
cent protein or meat to 20 per cent fat, Hendricks burger with all these nice condiments is for you to bite
said. into the burger and the resistance of biting into the
Regular ground beef from the grocery store should (bun) causes everything to shoot out the other end,”
be about that on it’s own, he added, but you can also Hendricks said.
use bacon ground into the mix, pork belly, or pork or The crunch can come from ingredients as simple as
beef fat from your local butcher. lettuce or dill pickles to something more out of the
“Fat is flavour, fat is moisture,” Hendricks said. “A lot ordinary like pickled cauliflower or tempura crisps,
of people shy away from fat but you know, to have a Hendricks said.
really nice product you do need to have that fat … you Any entree can be made into some sort of burger,
need to have that moisture in there.” Hendricks said, it’s just a matter of exploring flavours
Hendricks recommends making burgers about a day and using your imagination.
ahead of time and making sure they are kept ice cold. “When my students first start out in year one, I tell
He also grinds a little bit of ice in with the burger to them to go to the grocery store and walk up and down
keep the fats solid and add moisture. the rows, and pay special attention to the chip aisle,”
And if he’s going to use any sort of binder, Hendricks Hendricks said. “All your flavour components are
said he might use a little bit of Guinness beer. there — sour cream and onion, salt and vinegar — all
“The Guinness will help hold your burgers together,” those things are there but nobody pays attention, and
Hendricks said. that’s a great way to start. Paying attention to what’s
Smashing or pressing down the patty while cooking already paired in the grocery store and just start
is a huge no-no, Hendricks said, as it squeezes out all experimenting.”
the flavour and moisture. Perfecting a burger that will stand out a dinner
Flipping the burger back and forth is the way to go parties may take some trial and error, but Hendricks
in order to ensure cooking is even and there’s no said anyone can become a burger expert with some
charring on either side, he added. practice.
While a burger needs some sort of crunch, “It’s the favourite sandwich of everyone … the most
Hendricks said, the bun is not where you want it. Any popular sandwich that’s out there,” Hendricks said.
softer bun, lightly toasted with butter, garlic butter or “You can do anything with it, change it to whatever it
even olive oil, will be a good base. is you want to do.”

Second-year students with Assiniboine Community College's Culinary Arts program
work the grill while preparing burgers at the North Hill campus.