The Difference Between A Good And Great Hamburger

Bella Breakdown

Amateur Food Scientist brought three different people together to try and figure out what makes a hamburger great: an amateur, a home cook, and a professional chef. They were all asked to make their own version of a hamburger, and then each one was taste tested by a food scientist, revealing the intricacies of the perfect burger at its varying levels.

There were many differences in the choice between the three cooks.

The amateur used store-bought ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, chili flakes. She used a non-stick fry pan with butter and presses down on the burger. She added American cheese, a grocery store bun, ketchup, mayo, dill pickles, lettuce, tomato

The home cook used grass-fed ground chuck, with 80% lean and 20% fat. He made some bacon to add to his burger. He cooked in a griddle with salt, medium rare, and using the fat from the bacon. He added a buttered, toasted kaiser roll, lettuce, tomato, onion, and ketchup.

The pro used ground short ribs that he worked and formed into patties until it sticks to his hand. He works the meat into a volcano shape. He cooked his in a cast iron skillet until there is only a little pink in the middle, seasoned with salt, and cooked with rendered beef fat. He adds a slice of onion on top to add flavor while cooking and then flips the burger to make the onion caramelize on the bottom. He added Munster cheese, a toasted potato roll, homemade pickles, and ketchup.

After the burgers were made, the food scientist analyzed all three of their ingredients. Surprise surprise, the professional chef had the best process according to the food scientist.