Best Burgers Ever

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Too many choices to choose — but try!

Organizers for the 5th annual Acadiana Dragon Boat Races Burger Cook-off have a great idea — mixing vendor booths and a competition. With a ready-made consumer base, team members who start arriving at 6 a.m., vendors can be fairly certain their burgers will be consumed. Key for those coming late to the races, the burger may be sold out.

“Every year we’ve sold out so we tell them, the more you make, the more you’ll sell,” said Wess Robison from Iberia OnTap.

It’s hard to believe the Dragon Boat races have been happening for six years, the first year did not have the burger cook-off.

“Each vendor is an independent operator,” Robison said. “They pay us a fee to be there and then whatever they make in sales, is theirs to keep.”

Guidelines for judging, by a mix of amateur tasters, professional chefs and business owners, include creativity, taste and visual appearance. For the second year, Adele Montegut from Bon Creole Seafood is in charge of the Burger cook off.

“The first thing I look for is juiciness. The bigger the patty the juicier it is,” Montegut said. “I tell my kitchen staff, ‘don’t smash it, and don’t over cook it.”

No matter how you cook it, Montegut said, don’t overload the condiments. Her secret is in the seasoning of the meat before it goes on the grill. Although at the restaurant they will cook to order, the standard is medium to medium-well to keep a slight pink.

Of all the meat products, ground meat has the most exposure to touch and processing, but Montegut said, it’s rare to have any problems with the product. Much like eating raw oysters. Risk exists in eating meat cooked medium-rare or rare, but for people that like their burgers that way, know the risks.

When it comes to additives, Montegut said fresh tomatoes and crisp lettuce is the best choice for the best burger — and not too much mayonnaise or mustard. Don’t cover the taste of the meat, she recommends.

High end restaurants often will use better cuts of meat such as ribeye to grind for their burgers, but Montegut suggests and uses at home as well as at Bon Creole, ground chuck. She like to have a nice blend of fat with the meat. Even when her husband kills an elk, they make up a portion in ground meat using part elk and part pork to add in the fat.

The best burgers, she said, are made with short rib meat with church roast. Even ribeye ground needs to have some fat mixed it to make it more flavorful.

Robison said of the six Cook-off teams registered for this year’s Dragon Boat races, one is returning. Feldman Orthodontics has a cooking team and a race team. Both Robison and Montegut are in agreement about the competition and fun represented by the Feldman bunch.

“He brings his A-game every year, everybody does, but he (Chris Feldman) is in it to win it,” said Montegut and Robison.

If you like a good home cooked burger but haven’t found the right touch to compete in the burger cook-off, here are a few tips to put into play until next year’s competition.

Tips for grilling

Hamburgers are a staple at backyard barbecues. Though burgers are a relatively simple food, mastering the technique to grill burgers is no small feat, as there is more to great grilled burgers than simply firing up the grill and dropping down a patty.

• Choose fresh ground beef that has a decent percentage of fat. The fat-to-lean meat ratio should be around 20 percent fat to 80 percent meat. Spend a little more to get freshly ground meat that has not been previously frozen.

• Don’t overwork the burgers with a lot of handling. This will warm up the fat in the burger, which causes it to emulsify and could make the meat rubbery.

• Reconsider adding a lot of herbs, spices or add-ins to the burgers, as such items can detract from the flavor of the meat. Extra herbs and spices also may require extra mixing, which can lead overhandling.

• Push a dimple into the top of the burger, which will help prevent the burger from expanding upward and out while cooking and rounding out in the process. The dimple will keep the top of the burger flat, which facilitates easy topping.

• Make sure the grill is hot. Burgers do well with high heat and will cook relatively quickly.

• Resist the urge to push down on the patty with your spatula. This will cause the juices to spill out and may result in a dry, tough burger.

• Let burgers rest before serving. This lets the juices redistribute throughout and makes for a moist and tasty first bite.

The Ultimate Burger

Since I missed the burgers being served at last year’s Dragon Boat Races, several months ago I set out to find the best burger in town. You would think I’d start with the “Best of the Teche” nominated restaurants for Best Hamburger, but my quest is unfinished. I’ll have not tried Caribbean Ice Company, last year’s winner, nominated with A-Bear’s Kountry Kitchen, Beau Soleil Café and Viator’s Drive Inn.

New in town is Tony’s Box Lunch on Admiral Doyle, recommended by several friends and a new family atmosphere. I’ve tried the po’boy French bread burger at Duffy’s, and Chili’s is high on my list as is the standard burger at Hardee’s.

Each of the drive-thrus has my repeat business because I can drive through plus they all have a burger for less than two-dollars when at the end of a pay period I’m counting change. To tell the truth, I just haven’t found the perfect burger. You have to eat somewhere more than once to see if servings are consistent. Add the variety of condiments, and we may never know, where the best is served. Too many variables to choice.

The quest is on. Let’s see who wins Saturday. Keep tasting.