Now, I'm not terribly impressed with this Obama dude, but I've always had a respect for him. That is until I found out he ordered his hamburger medium well. Who does that at a fine hamburger establishment? It really is just beyond the pale. Is it so hard to order a hamburger correctly? Apparently it is for Obama. I'm not sure this is an impeachable offense, but as of now, I've got my eyes on you Obama.
The Internet Food Association has a nice summary of opinions from some of the greatest bloggers around.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
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2 comments: #1- *hurumpf* that we judge our Prez by what he eats. #2- I was just telling my father over our medium rare sirloin steak how I can't believe people can eat meat well done. You cook the life out of it. Hmmmmmm.
I dunno. I eat my steak medium rare. A Hamburger Today is on my google feed. I am always looking for a great burger. But I can't stand medium rare hamburgers. To me, a hamburger should SLIGHTLY pink and thats it. Medium Well is perfectly acceptable to me, and the best burgers will still be perfectly juicy when cooked that way.
I have eaten the occasional medium well burger but for paranoid reasons, not taste preference. When you grind meat, the surface area exposed to bacteria increases to an enormous degree. Add to that the probability of meat from one cow being mixed with another's and the odds get scary. You are way more likely to become sick eating a pink burger than a pink steak.
DLC, I specifically alluded to Ray's being a quality burger joint where you don't need to be extra vigilant about tainted meat. The fact that Obama ordered it medium well there indicates that is his preferred cooking temp of hamburgers. This is an unacceptable default order.
I know, i just wanted an excuse to go on my e.coli rant
I order burgers medium. I am fine if it comes out medium rare or medium well (just use more condiments). Anything over medium well goes back.
Yeah, I'm such a food snob prick that I enjoy making fun of how strangers order food. Damn I'm so smart and they're so dumb.
While I personally eat my steaks rare/med-rare, I go for burgers med-well mostly for the reasons The DLC mentioned. Also, I had a burger on a boy scout campout when I was a kid that was burned on the outside and soupy rare in the middle. I think that traumatized me...the texture
From what I understand, a burger is usually chuck beef 80/20 percent fat. Fat room temperature is solid and disgusting to eat. Its not like eating tartare of beef. That beef is lean. With that in mind, its ok to have a medium to medium well burger. Light pink but not raw, slight bounce to touch.
I guess its like eggs at home or at commercial restaurant. The government wants to make sure your eggs are cooked, but lots of people like runny eggs. Foodservice RULE for cooking hamburgers--a core temperature of 150°F for 1 minute / 155°F for 15 seconds / 160°F instant pasteurization. Medium rare would be internal temp 140°F for 12.1 minutes. 145°F 3.8 minutes. Keep in mind carry-over cooking and resting the burger patty.
In the cooking of beef, the designation "medium" is generally agreed to have a warm, pink — not red — center and an internal temperature of 140° to 145°. Rare leaves the center cool and red (120° to 125°); medium-rare is warm and red (130° to 135°); medium-well is warm with little or no pink (150° to 155°); and well-done is uniformly grey-brown throughout (160° to 165°). Thick burgers can use a pocket thermometer. Thin ones have to be cooked till firm to touch and gray on inside at least 5 minutes on each side. Some people say when you see the blood on the top of the burger, its time to flip. Clear juice at the top after flipping means well done.
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