Building a Better Burger
Iron Goat’s Chef Mike – creator of the Canmore restaurant’s now-famous Game Burger – shares nine tips for transforming your barbecued burgers from ‘ho-hum’ to ‘Holy cow!’
DON’T OVER-MIX THE MIX Toss together the raw ingredients lightly. As they say in the Iron Goat’s kitchen, “provide ‘just a little love’ while you’re mixing it.”
PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE What do you get when you try to barbecue a giant meatball? A charred mass with a cold, pink centre. To create a flat patty with even density – the kind of patty that makes for a great burger – Chef Mike presses it out using a simple, inexpensive tool: a tuna can.
COOK ’EM SLOW Don’t crank the dial all the way to high. Medium heat cooks burgers evenly without drying them out.
TURN, FLIP, TURN Burgers that look good taste even better. To create restaurant-quality cross-hatch marks, turn your burgers 90 degrees, flip them once, then turn them again (with a few minutes’ cooking time before each action). And when you turn or flip your burgers, move them to a new, hotter spot on the grill.
USE FRESH PRODUCE Boston lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, red onion…whatever toppings you offer, make sure they’re fresh, ripe and – whenever possible – organic.
SAY CHEESE (BUT NOT CHEDDAR) “Be different. Be daring,” says Chef Mike. “Try Gruyere. Fontina. Monterey jack. Anything but cheddar.”
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE BUN It has to be fresh (buy it from a local bakery), and it has to be the right size (don’t let the burger get lost in the bun). Chef Mike’s favourite: a multi-grain Kaiser.
A BRUSH WITH GREATNESS Just before your burgers are done, brush some good sauce on top. In keeping with Iron Goat’s preference for local products, Chef Mike recommends Cattle Boyz sauces.
CHOOSE TOPPINGS THAT EXCITE Create your own signature burger. Add bacon. Grilled eggplant. Carmelized onions. Chili mayo. Jalapeño peppers. Anything. Be adventurous!
