A Trip To The Burger Maker Processing Plant

At the last Burger Bash I saw a lot of familiar faces in the burger world and made a few new friends. After sampling a few of Bobby Flay's Crunchburgers and boozy shakes I was introduced to the ground beef supplier who just happened to be standing right there. One thing led to another and I was invited to check out their facility in NJ. I had never been to a meat processing plant so I jumped at the opportunity.

Burger Maker is a processing facility, not a meat packer (no feedlot and whole cows here). Cuts of chuck shoulder are shipped to their plant so they can do one thing and pretty much one thing only - make ground beef for burgers. It wasn't a huge place but they manage to produce over 200,000 pounds of ground beef a day. Whoa. That may be because one of their clients requires a lot of fresh-ground beef for their burgers, a place that just happens to be one of my favorite East Coast burger chains - Five Guys.

I'm not going to go into detail about the facility (because I promised) and because some of it was a bit gnarly anyway. Let's just say that I'm glad we visited Burger Maker before lunch and not after.

That said, the most important thing I took away from our visit was that this was one clean operation. There were basically three industrial meat grinders larger than 18-wheelers pushing out fresh-ground product into stainless steel bins at a rate of about 300 pounds every 5 minutes. It was freezing in the plant so we had to wear supplied jackets (pictured below, with Expert Burger Taster Kris B). We also had to wear hairnets and probably should have had beard nets too.

In addition to sending out bags of fresh-ground beef Burger Maker also makes patties of every size for a few other large national burger chains. Although I'm not a fan of them, the patty machines were fascinating. Another amazing piece of machinery we saw in action was the Fat Analyzer - a machine that gives a readout of the exact fat-to-lean ratio in the grind. The mix is tested often to ensure exact ratios.

After a whirl through the grinding floor we met the resident lab technician. He showed us some paperwork for tests he was working on and I was glad to see column after column of the word 'negative' under the word 'e-coli'. Testing is big here.

Not surprisingly we had burgers for lunch in their company kitchen. The chef was the lab tech we had met earlier (which was a little weird). We did not question the freshness of the product however. Burger Maker is working on a new ground beef blend to sell to higher end restaurants so we tried the new blend. It was good except it was a formed patty. Next time I have to try it as a smashburger. I also noticed a few boxes of fresh-ground beef in the refrigerated shipping area heading to Fresh Direct. Now you can order Burger Maker patties to your doorstep (in NYC).

After we left Burger Maker we headed over to nearby White Manna where we were underwhelmed by the sliders for the first time ever. I said to Kris about halfway thru my first double, "The onions taste weird, right," and he said, "Yeah, they do. I thought it was just me." We rectified the situation by heading over to nearby ice cream counter Bischcoff's for chocolate malts. They never fail to satisfy.

Burgers In Men's Health

I was asked to pen an ode to a great burger for the December issue of Men's Health and chose the Apple Pan since it was the site of my life-changing burger epiphany way back in 1991. The magazine just sent me the page with my article and it looks pretty good! Look for it mid-November.

Triple XXX Family Restaurant - 24hrs and Tasty

Way back in July I visited a burger joint that will definitely be in the next edition of my book but it has taken my 3 months to get around to posting about the place. If you've been to the Triple XXX you are probably already a fan. If you have not been yet you need to find an excuse to get there.

My excuse (other than burgers being my obsession) was a trip I took to Indianapolis to see a NASCAR race (my other obsession) at the famous Brickyard. I spent the day in the garages and pits during the race thanks to a ridiculous all-access pass that allowed me to be just about anywhere but in a race car (thanks Josh). To top off the perfect day I visited the awesome Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum then headed up to nearby West Lafayette, Indiana for some dinner and research.

Why I didn't know about this place when I was researching the book baffles me. Everything about the Triple XXX fits my criteria perfectly. They serve tasty burgers made from fresh-ground beef and have been around for decades. As an added bonus the burgers are cooked on a flattop griddle and served on toasted white squishy buns. And the place sports mismatched stools and horseshoe counters. I was in heaven.

I met owner Greg Ehresman who gave me the lowdown on the history (which I'll save for the book) and how they make their burgers. Grinding and pattying happen upstairs and they start with steaks from a local butcher. Like Steak 'N Shake the burgers start as a plug, a tall, cylindrical wad of beef , that is produced by their patty maker. The patty press spits out plugs for portion control and the burgers are pressed thin just before hitting the griddle. But there's a twist, something even I have NEVER seen before. As I watched Greg make a burger for me he nonchalantly tossed the patty into a bin of flour before plopping it onto the hot griddle. Perplexed, I asked him why. Like all stewards of tradition his only response was, "Because that's the way we've always done it." The result was predictable and amazing. The flour mixes with the cooking fat to create an even more pronounced griddle char. Why does no one else do this?

The burger I had was the Boilermaker Pete, a triple with cheese and grilled onions (pictured above). It sounds huge but the patties are thin and proportions perfect. I washed it down with some of their house-made Root Beer and the restaurant's namesake. The other 5 signature burgers on the menu looked amazing but unfortunately I was full. I now have an excuse to go back.

Oh did I mention that the Triple XXX is always open? That's right, with the exception of 8pm Sunday to 6am Monday the place never closes. How comforting is that?

The Wheel Inn's New Location

A few years back the Wheel Inn Drive In of Sedalia, MO was in danger of closing thanks to a bit of eminent domain (the City of Sedalia, MO wanted to add a turning lane to the busy intersection the Wheel Inn used to occupy). But as all great heroism stories go, the Wheel Inn was spared at the last moment by a longtime employee (of 47 years!) named Judy Clark who moved the business down the street. The original structure is now gone as you can see from this excellent Google street view frame above but the famous Guberburger topped with hot peanut butter lives on. The Wheel Inn now occupies a defunct video store across from the state fairgrounds and thanks again to Google street view we can see that they are in business. The photo was obviously taken during Christmastime as evidenced by the large wreath near the door.

Like so many great burger stands in America they have moved, reopened, and soldier on. Now I need a Guberburger.

Bill's Bar & Burger - A New Classic

Opening tonight, Bill's Bar & Burger is exactly that and (thankfully) not much more. The latest venture by restaurateurs B.R. Guest are wisely keeping it simple and living up to the name by pretty much only serving burgers in a bar setting for decent prices. Who's Bill? Who cares, the burgers are great.

Taking a page out of the Shake Shack playbook Bill's is serving an All-American original - the griddled smashburger. It's the burger Josh O, Adam Kuban, and myself have been pushing for years and the burger that started it all over 100 years ago (one which of course predates the fast food McWendyKings). It's the primary source burger we crave which can usually only be found in the Midwest. It's a burger that looks and tastes similar to Steak 'N Shake but one that is made with top-notch Pat LaFrieda ground beef. I'm not sure this burger has an equal in NYC.

Shake Shack finally has some healthy competition. Like the Shack, Bill's is employing a Mira-Clean flattop, a bun-buttering wheel, and a Pat LaFrieda burger blend. The focal point of the menu is their signature burger selection, one which caught my eye immediately - the Bobcat. That's right, a Green Chile Cheeseburger may have finally made it to the big city. Unfortunately, there was no green chile in the restaurant yet for the press preview and no one at Bill's had actually been to the Bobcat Bite to taste the country's best example. Hmmmm. Chef Paul Sale assured me that they were using authentic green chile and nothing else (the green chile that Bobcat uses is unadulterated and stewed, spooned on the burger hot, and damned spicy). I'll go back soon to make sure they are using authentic Hatch Green Chile.

The classic cheeseburger alone is worth the visit but the burger that really did it for Josh and I was the Fat Cat (pictured above), a double patty (2 - 5oz.) cheeseburger served on an English muffin with caramelized onions - truly sublime (after taking his first bite Josh actually screamed out, "OH MY GOD"). I'm not a big fan of the burger-on-a-muffin thing but this sort of worked. Next time I want this burger on a toasted white squishy.

Cheap, high-quality burgers are a rarity, especially in the trendy Meatpacking District. I'll be back for more. Imagine if you can actually get an authentic Green Chile Cheeseburger in Manhattan! I hope they get it right.

Motz 'N Martha

Not that I should be blogging about bloggers but I thought this was a good one from AHT's coverage of the Burger Bash last week. Here's a shot of Martha and I at the bash (not in the same frame, though I did thank her for having me on the show just after these shots were taken by Nick Solares). The mini version of the Minetta Tavern Black Label burger was amazing and cooked perfectly. I didn't even know there was a pickle in that fry boat..

Here's a clip from the Bash of me enjoying a Minetta mini. So juicy, and not raw!

Hamburger America on TV in Hungary

I was interviewed by friend and Kiss legal counsel Angus Vail for a Hungarian Television show he was hosting - subject: The history of the hamburger. The interview was wacky but fun, filmed out at Water Taxi Beach, LIC last month. I saw the tease the other day for their burger show (where they actually go to Hamburg, Germany to ask questions - I don't know of anyone who has gone that deep before). The show is nuts, in a good way. Looking forward to seeing the full segment.

Schnipper's - Wow

What is it about this place? Every time I go I'm knocked over by these burgers and remember that I need to get there more often. Jon Schnipper, the man behind the food decisions at the restaurant, is nuts. He's the kind of crazy the burger world needs more of. Every detail of everything on the menu is the result of Jon's intense attention to quality. Their signature burger, the Hickory Bacon Blue Burger, is a perfect balance of expertly sourced ingredients and a kick-ass piece of meat. Although there is bacon, blue cheese, a tiny squirt of BBQ sauce, and the just-right amount of crispy onions, you can still taste the beef in the burger. To me that is the sign of a great burger, when the beefiness is not hidden beneath a pile of overpowering condiments. "We just switched to a sliced blue cheese," Jon told me. That's right, no cheese sauce here. You get the real thing - a slice of actual blue cheese on your burger and it makes all the difference. "It's more expensive but worth it".

What I love about this place is not limited to the burger though. Schnipper's, unlike some of the other fancy-pants burger destinations all over Manhattan, is totally accessible and cranks out high-quality food (I would love to send everyone down to Minetta Tavern for a burger but you can't get a reservation). And the milkshakes are unreal. I still have not ventured into other parts of the menu. With burgers so great it'll be a challenge to stray.

Here's to Jon Schnipper losing sleep to benefit your hamburger happiness.

Burger Bash Was A Smash

I didn't know what to expect from an 1800 person burger scrum and was pleasantly surprised when I had a great time. Friday night's Blue Moon Burger Bash was a blast. The beer flowed freely and the burgers for the most part were amazing. I tasted 14 of the 17 visiting restaurants and went back for 2nds and 3rds at the Minetta Tavern and Bobby Flay tents. They really were my faves by far. Seemed like too many burgers out there were downright RAW. I don't mind a lot of pink in my burger (Minetta had pink 'n juicy down) but cold and raw is just not my thing. I like the reaction the meat gets when it spends another 45 seconds on the griddle...

We ran the 250 image 'Never Ending Burger Slideshow' on one of the tent walls Friday night (the best of my burger research) and auctioned off a 30"x30" framed photo (from the book) of a Jucy Lucy from Matt's Bar in Minneapolis to benefit the Food Bank for NYC (pictured with Seth Unger, photo by Kelly Neal). There were old burger buddies there, meat celebs, and a few new friendships were born (I'm looking forward to a promised tour of the Burger Maker meatpacking facility in NJ). I also got to personally thank Martha for having me on her show last month and Rachel Ray commented that she loved my photography.

It was quite an event. Next year Lee Schrager, the promoter and mastermind behind the bash, plans to hold the 3rd annual Burger Bash followed by a Hot Dog Bash the next night. Pure genius.

Nashville For Burgers - Fat Mo's Hits The Spot

Last weekend I was at a wedding in Nashville and worked a few burgers into the schedule. A stop at Rotier's to visit old friends was a must and lunch at the local favorite Fat Mo's was in order.

During the research for Hamburger America the book I visited a bunch of talked-about burger joints in and around Nashville. Rotier's and Brown's Diner made it into the book but one spot, Fat Mo's was cut because it failed on the 'must have a burger on the menu for over 20 years' rule. Opened in 1991 Fat Mo's needs just a few years to be eligible. They meet most of the criteria, make one helluva burger, and need to be in the next edition of the book.

The nondescript box near the I-440 and I-65 interchange is the original location of Fat Mo's which has now spawned a 14-store mini-chain in metro Nashville. Fat Mo's has two drive-thru lanes, one on each side of the building. One of the lanes, it seems, you'd have to get your order through the passenger window. There is no talkback box so someone comes out to your car to take your order which you then collect at the window. It's a bit lo-tech but it works.

The burger menu is slightly confusing offering a 1/2 pound Fat Mo and a 1/2 pound Double Mo. A typo? Nope. The Fat Mo is one large 1/2 pound patty whereas the Double Mo is made of two 1/4 pound patties. It makes sense to offer different patties to customers with different tastes - The thick-patty people need to order a Fat Mo and the thin patty lovers (myself included) need the Double Mo. Simply put, the Double Mo is the same size burger with twice as much griddle char.

Served on a toasted white squishy the burger is an American classic with the exception of the seasoning. Fat Mo's owners Mo and Shiva Karimy hail from Iran so the burgers do have an unmistakable Middle Eastern essence. The patties are seasoned with a subtle mixture of pepper and another unidentifiable tasty spice. 

As you can see from the photo of my Double Mo the ubiquitous golden arches loom in the background. But that's not all - the Southern burger chain Krystal is across the street and Checkers is just down the road. That said, you'd be a fool to get to this part of town and not choose Fat Mo's.