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Katie Lee Joel on the Burger Backlash

partysugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:45:11 -0700

Yesterday I had the lovely opportunity of speaking with cookbook author and burger queen Katie Lee Joel over the phone. She was calling from New York City to set the record straight about her Burger Bash win. According to her critics, the Logan County Burger, which won fair and square, is not a burger at all, but rather a popular sandwich known as a patty melt. To find out what the soft-spoken, charming chef had to say, read more.

PartySugar: How did it feel to win the Burger Bash?
Katie Lee Joel: I was so excited and so surprised! There were so many big New York City chefs who participated that I thought I didn't even have a shot.

But when I noticed that there was more and more buzz around my booth I thought it might happen.

PS: Why do you think your burger won?
KLJ: I think because it's so simple, that was part of the appeal. It's nostalgic, it reminded people of getting a patty melt. It's easy to eat, easy to hold, and really, who doesn't love the combination of ground beef, melted cheese, and buttered bread?

PS: How did it feel to be the only female participating in the competition?
KLJ: It was pretty exciting and even more so that I won. Women are really underrepresented in the culinary field, they are still second on the totem pole, so it feels great to change that. And I love some of the burgers that were competing! I eat a BLT burger at least once a week.
PS: Why did you decide to use bread instead of a bun?
KLJ: My grandma came up with the recipe. She is from Logan County, WV, and didn't have much money. She would make these burgers with very thin patties to make the meat last longer. I grew up eating them and calling them burgers. I love the buttered bread. But honestly, I love a burger any way!

PS: How many burgers did you make that night?
KLJ: I made 400 burgers cut into quarters. That's 1,600 burgers total. There was five of us doing it. It's actually a really simple recipe for serving a large group. You make all the patties and then you put together the burgers in an assembly line. I always love to cook recipes that you can do ahead.

PS: Critics complain that your burger was not a burger, but a patty melt - what do you have to say to them?
KLJ: I don't really understand the critics. The burger patty makes it a burger. There were no rules or guidelines that said the burger had to be a specific way or on a specific type of bread. I don't think it was that avant-garde. It's pretty funny because there were a lot more inventive and creative burgers being made, so I don't know why mine caused the controversy!

Actually a lot of the Internet controversy bugged me. People in the food world wanted to be so crappy about it, but that's not what food is about. To me food is about bringing people together, not criticizing each other. It's really getting almost as bad as the fashion industry! I mean at the end of the day, it's just a hamburger.

PS: What’s next for you?
KLJ: Well now I'm planning for the Burger Bash in South Beach. I have to defend my title! I'm also writing my next cookbook; this one is dinner menu oriented. There will be menus for everyday dinners and menus that can be made on the weekend. But it's still going to be me and my style of cooking like the comfort table.

Source

Katie Lee Joel's Award-Winning Burger

partysugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:15:16 -0700

Former Top Chef hostess and cookbook author Katie Lee Joel was crowned this year's queen of the Burger Bash. The event, which was hosted by Rachael Ray, was a part of the Food Network's NYC Wine and Food Festival. Joel was the only participating female among the 18 chefs who submitted burgers. Her burger was a cross between a hamburger and a grilled cheese.Dubbed the Logan County Hamburger, the burger is a creation of Joel's grandmother who made the burger with cheap ingredients during tough times. It's simple, yet delicious and intensely comforting. The combination of the beef, melted cheese, and crisp bread is perfectly satisfying. Look at Joel's recipe and read more.

Logan County Hamburgers
From The Comfort Table by Katie Lee Joel

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (85 percent lean)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 medium yellow onion, half grated, the other half thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 slices white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
12 slices American cheese, optional

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, egg, grated onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
Form into thin patties.
Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Drain the grease from the skillet.
In the same skillet, place six slices of bread, butter side down. Top each with a slice of cheese, if desired, some onions and a burger. Top with remaining slices of cheese, if using, and bread, butter side up.
Cook each sandwich until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
Serve with mustard, ketchup, pickles, or any other desired hamburger toppings.

Makes 6 burgers.

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Momofuku's David Chang Talks Sabbaticals and San Francisco

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:00:48 -0800

We've always been huge fans of New York chef and restaurateur David Chang: He was Sugar's pick for Best Restaurant Chef of 2008. By fusing innovative flavor combinations and haute kitchen techniques with casual dining, the Momofuku overlord revolutionized the restaurant scene in America.

What's most refreshing about Chang, however, are his irreverent demeanor and unapologetic opinions. Even though I'd interviewed him before, when I heard Chang and his co-author, New York Times writer Peter Meehan, were in town promoting their new bible, the Momofuku Cookbook, I couldn't resist chatting with them. His two cents on culinary trends, TV, and Top Chef Masters, after the jump.

How to Pack Burgers For a Picnic

partysugar — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:30:51 -0700

While burgers are a beloved backyard, picnic, and barbecue staple, enjoyed all Summer long, they aren't necessarily the easiest food to transport. However, it can be done. I recently made 16 burgers and successfully carried them to a remote location in Golden Gate Park. There, I grilled the burgers to perfection! Here's what I did:

The night before or morning of your picnic, prep the burger at home. Make any condiments and slice toppings, like tomato or lettuce, that don't spoil quickly. Leave avocado whole and cut on location.
Make the patties and place on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.
Cut parchment paper into four- by five-inch squares. The number of squares depends on how many patties you make. You need one less square than patties (I made 16 patties and cut 15 parchment paper squares).
Spread a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface.
Place a patty in the middle of the foil. Top with a parchment paper square. Place another patty on top of the parchment paper. Repeat until you have a short stack of four patties. Fold the foil up and around to enclose patty stack.
Repeat, layering patty with parchment paper in stacks of four patties each, until all of your patties are packed.
Store patty packs in fridge until ready to leave. Place stacks in a cooler with reusable ice packs. Do not use regular ice; it could melt all over the meat.
Grill and enjoy at your destination of choice.

Got a tip for transporting picnic food? Please share with us below!

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Bobby Flay Shares Suggestions For Making Supreme Burgers

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:49 -0700

Although he'd just given President Obama a lesson on grilling steaks, Bobby Flay was back on the burger track at his seminar in Aspen, where, like fellow Iron Chef Michael Symon, he had plenty of his own venting to do. "I've never met a vegetarian burger that I like," he declared, as he wowed the crowd with a Cheyenne burger (barbecue sauce, bacon, cheddar, and onion rings), garlic-parsley bistro fries, and a chocolate milkshake. "And I can't stand a cheeseburger that's not fully melted." To right all the world's burger wrongs, Bobby offered plenty of pointers for plating the perfect burger patty. Be burger-equipped for the holiday weekend when you read more

Bobby Flay's Burger Tips

partysugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:15:22 -0700

One of the seminars I attended while at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen was Bobby Flay's "Grill It!" The Food Network star was incredibly entertaining, rowdy, and funny. His demo consisted of a surf-and-turf theme: first he made lobster and clams then he made three types of burgers. The master of the grill, Bobby is particular about creating the perfect burger.

To check out his seven tips to burger heaven, read more.

The type of meat in the patty is important. Do not use extra-lean meat. Instead look for meat that is 80 percent meat and 20 percent fat. The ideal size for a burger patty is 6 ounces.
When forming the patty, make an indent with your thumb in the middle. This will ensure that the meat plumps nicely. Flatten the patty before placing on the grill. Never press down on the patty or flatten it while cooking. This will release the precious juices that are essential to a burger's flavor.

The best burgers are all beef. He prefers the purity of ground beef and dislikes "meatloaf burgers" in which vegetables and other ingredients are mixed with the ground meat. Use the toppings and condiments to make the burger more exciting.
Only flip the burgers one time. To form a good crust, set the patty on the grill and leave it alone for several minutes. Over high heat, a burger usually cooks in about four minutes per side.
Properly melt the cheese. There is nothing worse than a burger with half melted cheese. Trap the heat by closing the grill over the patties. If cooking indoors, place a metal bowl over the burgers to melt the cheese.
Don't overlook the rolls. Ideally, the rolls should be soft and chewy with a light toast.
Be aware of the four main factors - thickness of the patty, the fat content of the meat, the heat of the grill, and the condiments - that affect the burger. Take care when controlling these factors and you'll end up with sheer burger bliss.

What are your tips for making the best burger? Share your secrets with us below!

Michael Schlow's Award-Winning Burger

partysugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:15:51 -0800

The South Beach Wine and Food Festival hosted by Food Network and Food and Wine magazine kicks off today in Florida. One of the hottest tickets is to the wildly popular Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray. In October, I checked out the New York competition that Katie Lee Joel won with her Logan County Burger.

Tonight, Joel will defend her title against last year's South Beach winner, Michael Schlow. Since I won't be present at the SOBE Burger Bash, I decided to treat myself by making Schlow's monster of a burger. The Schlow burger is more complex than Joel's burger and involves fried onion rings, melted cheddar cheese, and a creamy horseradish sauce. The recipe says that the 9-ounce patties make "two fat-boy burgers" and trust me, after eating one of these babies (I made it through half), you'll feel like a fat boy.

However, this incredible burger is worth it. It's a masterpiece of flavors: the crispy onions are slightly caramelized, the lightly seasoned ground beef is tender, the mayonnaise is tangy and provides a much-needed moistness. If you or a loved one is a burger fanatic, make this burger. There's a reason it won the Burger Bash - quite simply, it's absolutely delicious. Want the recipe? Please, read more.

The Schlow Burger
From It's About Time

Ingredients

18 ounces ground beef (Ask the butcher for 80 percent lean. Do not change this part, please!)
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish
Juice of half a lemon
2 thick slices good quality Vermont or English cheddar cheese
2 hamburger buns, split in half (buy the best ones you can get; I like brioche buns)
Crispy Onions
Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Combine the ground beef with the olive oil, salt, and plenty of black pepper.
Divide the meat into two 9-ounce patties and refrigerate until the grill is ready. (Don't do this more than an hour in advance.)
Combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and season with black pepper. (You can do this ahead of time and store it in the fridge.)

Heat the grill to high. Take the hamburgers out of the refrigerator 5 to 7 minutes before you are ready to grill them.
Place the burgers on the preheated grill and cook 1-1/2 minutes (for rare). Give the burgers a quarter-turn to "mark" them, and cook 1-1/2 more minutes.

Flip the burgers over and cook 1-1/2 minutes. Rotate a quarter-turn to "mark" and cook 1-1/2 more minutes.
Transfer the burgers to the grill's top shelf or to a cooler section of the grill and cover each one with a slice of cheese. Turn the grill off and shut the lid.

After 4 minutes, open the lid. The cheese will be melted and the burgers cooked rare to medium-rare. Toast the buns, if desired, and place a burger on each. Spread plenty of the horseradish sauce on each burger; it should drip down the sides. Top with Crispy Onions and season with freshly ground black pepper. Slather more sauce on the other half of the bun and place it on top of the burger. Grab a cold beer or iced tea and get ready to make a mess. This is not a dainty meal!

Makes 2 "fat boy" burgers.

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