The Science Of Hamburger

Usually Wednesday is reserved for the NY Times Dining section however it was an article in yesterday's Science Times that caught my attention.It was regarding liquid nitrogen and cooking hamburgers. Funny how something really not associated with food prep can create the perfect burger.

This was the topic of the Findings Column by John Tierney. The past week was devoted to the World Science Festival in New York along with a symposium by the great chef, Daniel Boiulud who helped to create the burger renaissance a decade ago. Combine the two and you get interesting musings on how to make the best hamburger ever.The first step is cooking it sous vide,Put the burger in a plastic bag and immerse it into hot water for half an hour. Then dip the patty into liquid nitrogen for thirty seconds to freeze it. It is then deep fried in 450 degree hot oil for one minute.

The result is a well browned patty ,crispy outside and a , tender pink inside.In other words, the perfect burger. This exploits what is known as the Maillard reaction named after Louis-Camille Maillard an early 20ieth scientist.It's basically carmelization where the existing water boils away producing a nice crisped crust. It appeals to our basest instincts -cooked meat with a mouth watering aroma and a bite of crunchiness and tenderness.

It;s amazing how something as a burger can have such a complicated cooking method in order to be good. However you don' t need liquid nitrogen to create the perfect patty. Just use good ground chuck and a fired up grill . Add spices if you want flavor and butter if you want a soft, tender middle.