Americans love their hamburgers. This German import has been a favorite in homes and in restaurants for well over a century. People love to eat the patties out in restaurants with innovative ideas. Which one has the best? It's not any fast food joints that's for sure.
Regular contributors Trjal Rao and Priya Krishna compiled a list of the most original and best hamburgers in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Some burgers reflect their surrounding areas such as Austen ,Texas' Camoechana restaurant with their cuantas hamburguesas recipe. This is a beef patty that chef Beto Robledo has added a carne asada sauce along with longaniza (a Mexican lanjager), chmichurri sauce cilantro and a corn crusted Mexican cheese. For those wanting to try a different type of Asian fusion there's Seattle's Lao burger.It comes from Burger in Seattle and chef Khampeang Panyathong adds ingredients from his native Lao. The burger is accented by toato jeow, a sweet earthy chili sauce along with taro stems for lettuce and added pork belly.Brookly, always the birthplace of trendy has the tasty Made in Lagos burger at Akara House in Brooklyn. Chef Funso Akinya doesn't so much as create a meat patty but a bean based fritter, popular in his native Lagos.It's sandwiches between Ed tow plantains and is doused with the peanutty flavored suya dressing.
Chefs of other nationalities have made this simple dish all their own. There is the KRapow and Laab Smash burgers that Los Angelles; Ban Ban Burger . Sisters Katy Noochlar and Amanda Maneessilassan used their Thai roots to come up with a sandwich that has a thick smear of garlic holy basil and birds eye chilis on it while the laab is seasoned with an aromatic paste of lemongrass, makut lime chlis and toasted rice powder. Chef Eileen Andrade puts a fusion spin on hers at Amelia's 1931 in Miami. It reflects her Peruvian and KOrean roots. The patty is a beef and chorizo mix marinated in a blend of sesame oil, chili sauce and gochujang.. It's topped with Gruyere and served with shoe string potatoes. Yes there are American style burgers on the list as well. Abbas Dhananai whose family owns nine hundred Burger King and Wendy's franchises creates a halal smash burger at Houston's Burger Bodega. Manhattan's own Haburger America has created the perfect smash burger.It a thin, crisp edged burger served on a buttered potato roll. Milwaukee has its' Lucy Goosy made at the Hot Dish pantry .This is a sandwich stuffed with a beef patty and slices of Wisconsin cheddar.Bozeman Montana gives us CHolms single from Cholms Burger a three ounce patty covered in gooey American cheese on a potato bun it also has smoky bacon ends added to the meat thanks to Chef Cory Taber.
America has its' burgers. These are the places that make the best and the most original. Like America itself the patty is always changing , yet remaining true to itself.