As businesses rebuild, burgers are a surefire bet
BURGERS HAVE BEEN A HERO PRODUCT across the spectrum of foodservice for some years now – from QSRs and cafes to pubs, clubs, catering and restaurants, multiple players have gotten into the game.
And as they’re an ideal takeaway and home-delivery item, burgers have been a mainstay menu item for many businesses during the restricted trading imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. Now, as operations begin the long road to rebuilding post-lockdown, they’re still a surefire bet on the menu.
For those establishments which have stayed open by pivoting towards takeaway and home delivery, offering burgers makes sound business sense – the strong demand for them will help you maintain that customer channel even as you open your doors to the eat-in trade once again. And because burgers also make a great dining in option, they’re the perfect choice to keep on the menu moving forward.
“You want a tasty, quality pattie – a ratio of 80 per cent protein to 20 per cent fat will ensure the meat cooks well and turn out tender and tasty.”
Our consultant chefs all agree there are two elements to a successful burger: quality ingredients, and creating a point of differentiation. “Look at what the really popular burger places are serving and try to replicate that success,” suggests chef Alex Patterson of Toukley RSL. “You want a tasty, quality pattie – a ratio of 80 per cent protein to 20 per cent fat will ensure the meat cooks well and turn out tender and tasty. And there’s no point in serving a really nice seasoned pattie on a plain white bun – which is why milk buns, potato buns or brioche buns are trending in the market now. You also need to choose the right cheese, one with a high melt. It’s all about the flavour and the presentation – it has to be seasoned and fresh every time.”
Alex acknowledges that “lots of places create their own signature sauce, and so we do – we mix a variety of ingredients together, and I can’t give that away because it’s our trade secret! The main thing is to create a great tasting burger which includes your signature ingredient or flavour combo to stand out from the competition.”
Err on the side of quality
Gary Johnson, National Executive Chef of ALH Hotel Group, agrees. “Generally we always err on the side of high quality for our burgers – our patties are made to our specs by our butchers and they have to come right to the edge of the bun. We offer a choice of three or four different buns, anything from Pretzel buns to Matcha buns or the standard milk bun, which are delivered daily. Once you’ve added the staple ingredients like lettuce, tomato, cheese and dill pickle, you can then begin to customise and create premium burgers – and we find a lot of customers like to build their own according to personal preference.”
ALH’s pubs also offer several signature burgers which Gary says “give our chefs a chance to play around and be a bit creative” – the most popular of which is the Southern Fried Chicken Burger. “We use a little bit of slaw, some cos, a buttermilk-soaked chicken thigh fillet, ranch sauce and then whatever else the chef wants to include.”
The increasing customisation of burgers has taken them away from being seen as a generic food, as chef Adam Moore affirms: “Burgers today are all about the add-ons: the type of cheese, the pickles, whether you’ve souped them up with spicy relishes and sauces. Burgers are a great choice for the menu right now because they’re an easy grab and go meal and they’re also quite filling – you can take your customers on a gastronomy tour with flavours and textures even when they’re buying it to have at home.”
He says the key is to be adventurous with ingredients and not to be afraid of ‘hamming it up’: “Chefs are using not just one cheese but two or three to get a contrast of flavours, and the great textural appeal of the cheese melting down into the protein. They’re also using multiple patties – one pork, one beef – so customers can be taken on that full flavour adventure.”
From a trend to a staple of the menu
As Corporate Executive Chef for Delaware North Australia, Markus Werner oversees new trends and concepts in the corporate catering market, and says that in the past few years burgers have evolved from a trend to become a staple. “Today we have pulled pork burgers, char sui pork burgers, lamb burgers, plant-based burgers – they’re not going away.
“The trend did peak a little while ago when we had dozens of burger chains opening, but the ones that have stayed the course are well-established now and most have been able to weather the current restrictions because burgers are so popular.”
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Markus agrees that the quality of ingredients has been on the rise. “I think those days of using patties made of cheap cuts and then frozen months in advance are over. The major chains are now using fresh ground beef made to order, and that’s fantastic to see because it raises the bar for everyone.”
Not long ago Markus was responsible for a rationalisation of the range of burgers being offered across Delaware North’s Australian venues. “We had 38 different types of burger patties in our system – obviously some were better than others. So I brought quite a few chefs together and we trialled recipes from colleagues in the US and UK, along with our domestic recipes and decided upon a special pattie blend which we could specify from our butcher.
“So now we have these made from 100 per cent freshly ground grassfed Gippsland beef – we’ve gone from 38 blends to three! We have a standard pattie, a Waygu and a premium. But you can go anywhere in our venues and order a standard burger, and the flavour of the pattie, simply seasoned with salt and pepper, topped with a tasty sauce like Chipotle mayo and delivered in a fresh soft bun – is sure to put a smile on your face.”
