The hamburger is one of those dishes that has thousands of different versions and almost all of them are good. However, the perfect burger is a matter of three factors:
- Choosing the right ingredients
- Prepare them properly
- Assemble the burger correctly
At National Burger Barcelona we have years of experience in preparing hamburgers, so when it comes to this iconic dish we know what we’re doing.
Essential ingredients for a good hamburger
Getting that burger that stands out for its looks and taste is not about making it bigger or adding more ingredients.
For a hamburger in its classic version (meat, cheese, onion and lettuce) the aim is to achieve that ideal proportion between:
- Quantity of meat (and quality of that meat)
- That onion that sweetens but doesn’t chop
- A fresh, crisp lettuce as if freshly picked from the garden
- The best sauce you can make for each version of the burger
- A quality, lightly toasted roll that won’t break or soften from the heat
The best hamburger meat
The meat with which we prepare our burger is the soul of the dish.
Although the initial version of the hamburger (the dish known as frikandel, which was born in the city of Hamburg) was born by mixing low-quality meat to make it more edible, nowadays to prepare an excellent hamburger we must use the best beef available as a base. At National Burger Barcelona we prepare the meat for our burgers with the ideal mix of meat and fat to achieve a burger that maintains its consistency but remains sufficiently juicy. The percentage of fat that is added when we mince the meat is between 20% and 10%. There are some types of meat that have a higher percentage of intramuscular fat, such as Black Angus beef.
The best complements for a hamburger
There are as many versions of the burger as your imagination will allow. And each of these versions is achieved by combining complements that, although they may be very different, offer textures and flavours that complement each other. So you can create your own gourmet burger. The ideal number of side dishes on a burger should be no more than 3, and each should complement the taste of the others. You should never add two complements that have very strong or characteristic flavors, since the mixture of both will probably end up fighting in our palate and will not be completely pleasant.
Some examples of combination of ingredients
For our hamburger barnyard version
Add an egg (protein and fat, juicy but mildly flavoured)
Along with lettuce and tomato (slightly sour and juicy)
To finish with homemade mayonnaise (sweet and a little spicy, standing out from the rest)
For our caprese burger
- Mozzarella cheese (very soft and tasteless)
- Along with tomato and lettuce (slightly sour and juicy)
- To finish off with pesto sauce (which stands out for its characteristic taste and smell)
