Flash in the Pan

A recent grilling special issue of Cook's Illustrated (with which I have a love hate relationship - good tips, but an arrogant approach to the best way to do this, that, and the other) mentioned using a pommade in making well-done burgers. I had forgotten about this, even though I use the technique in meatballs and meatloaf. The French word means a cream or ointment. In a cooking context, it's a term for making a paste and adding it to another mixture so that, after cooking, the result remains moist.

In this case, a good pommade is simply bread (one slice per pound of meat) soaked in enough milk to make it soggy, then rubbed into a paste. Mix the pommade with the ground meat, add in salt and any other flavorings you like (a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce per pound of meat is a touch I like), and then make patties without packing the meat in. Cook as you normally would, watching for over cooking.

If you're used to feeling the burgers on top for how well done they are, remember that the pommade will make them feel squishier, therefore less done. I'd use a thermometer the first time or two using this technique. At least, I would have, had I thought ahead. Last week I tried it and the burgers came out medium well, rather than the medium rare most of my family prefers. Guess I'll have to try it again - and not spare the digital readout.

Labels: burger, meat, technique

A weekly round-up of food and drink oddities:

• Bottle Wrapper Bourbon manufacturer Jim Beam is putting a 40 story-tall ad on the side of the RIO All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. We're waiting to see which hotel becomes the glass. (Press Release)


• Cheeseburger Diet A woman in Cheshire, England lost 63 pounds on a cheeseburger diet. What, no double patties? (Ananova)


• Chocolate Not Addictive A University of Bristol psychologist says that chocolate is not addictive. Clearly he can give it up any time he wants. (Reuters)


• Drive-Through Run Down A man tried to run down a Burger King worker in Syracuse, NY after a dispute. What, it wasn't after he tasted what he bought?(AP)


• Pasta Strike Many Italians boycotted buying pasta last Thursday in protest of planned price hikes. A saucy move. (Reuters)


• Garlic Stomp A worker the Great China Buffet in Nanuet, NY was caught crushing garlic by stomping on it in an alley. Don't ask about the sausage. (AP)


• High on Education A former student of Lake Highlands High School in Texas pleaded guilty to delivering marijuana-laced muffins to the teacher's lounge. The instructors didn't notice, being too amazed at the vivid colors of the text books. (AP)


• World's Largest Sundae About two dozen people in Canada set a new world record for ice cream sundaes at almost 55,000 pounds. Who set the record for the spoon? (The Calgary Sun)


• And a World Record for Soup Venezuelan officials claimed a new record for a pot of soup at 3,960 gallons with 6,600 pounds of chicken and 4,400 pounds of beef. It was to make a political point. Anything for politicians to stay out of hot water. (AP)


• Dog Beer Festival The Bunter Hund cafe in Vienna will serve special beer for dogs during Oktoberfest. Aged in dogwood kegs? (Ananova)

Labels: bourbon, burger, Burger King, diets, dogs, garlic, pasta, record, soup, sundae, weird

The Dallas Morning News reports that a police officer was fired for his deportment last November in a restaurant called Whataburger. Apparently the officer, after going through the drive-through with his wife and ordering two burgers and drinks, thought that he had more change coming to him. When the people at the counter double-checked and assured him that he was not owed an additional $9 and a manager went out to speak with him, he got out of the car, put the guy into a wrist lock, and said he was going to arrest him for theft. An employee came out with the money and Lt. Jay Cooper left. He was fired yesterday after an extended period of administrative leave. As the story notes:

"The Dallas Police Department is an organization lacking leadership with
integrity," Lt. Cooper wrote in a statement that he faxed to The Dallas Morning
News.

And they probably also don't remember the ketchup with your fries.

Labels: burger, Dallas, fast food, hamburger, police, Texas, weird