22
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
MAY | JUNE 2014
the
Chef
issue
How to MAKe
tHe perFeCt HAMBUrGer At HoMe
by
Chef Aaron Burgau, Patois, TrüBurger
I
grew up on Camellia Grill burgers and Lee’s Hamburgers, so I
prefer a griddled burger over a grilled one. I always use a cast iron
skillet, which lets you cook the burger in the actual fat. It’s the same
concept as the flattop griddle we use at TrüBurger.
I start with a blend of 80-20 ground beef. That’s 80% lean, 20% fat.
I use six to seven ounces of beef per patty. Don’t handle the beef too
much, just sort of mold it into a loose ball and lightly press into a
patty. Touch it with a little olive oil then salt and pepper both sides.
Cook the burger over really high heat so you get a nice crust on
the patty (about three minutes). Try not to mess with your burger
too much while it is cooking. Don’t press on it with your spatula,
don’t squeeze it — you want to keep the juices inside the burger. I
promise this will make all of the difference. When the first side is
crusty, flip it and cook until done (about four minutes for medium
rare, five minutes for well done).
the touch test
You can tell when your burger is done to your likeness by using a
simple touch test. The firmer the meat, the more done it is. A rare
burger will feel like the palm of your open hand — soft with a lot of
give. Other levels of done correspond to the feel of the palm when
the thumb and a finger are touching. A medium-rare burger will
feel like the palm of your hand when you touch your thumb and
pointer finger together, while a well-done burger feels like the palm
of your hand when you touch your thumb and pinky.
trüBurger, new orleans
Chef Aaron Burgau and the team behind Patois Bistro in New
Orleans developed this Uptown burger spot known for diner-style
burgers and hotdogs cooked on a flattop griddle and great fries, onion
rings and shakes. Choose your patty (or patties), cheese, toppings and
extras. TrüBurger makes its own secret sauce, and offers toppings
from homemade mayonnaise and TrüSauce to Sriracha.
Meet the Chef —
aaron burgau
restAUrAnt:
Patois, TrüBurger, New Orleans, LA
I wAs In MY tHIrD YeAr At lsU
and realized I didn’t want to
become a social worker. The only experience I had was in restaurants,
so I signed up for Johnson & Wales.
MY FIrst proFessIonAl JoB
was busboy at Sal and Sam’s. I
was 14, so I couldn’t even get a work permit.
leAH CHAse tAUGHt Me
when making a roux add the onions
before the rest of the vegetables. That lets the onions caramelize and
makes the roux darker.
photo by
Jeffery Johnston
photo by
Pableaux Johnson
