Chef Tim Davis, of Caesars Atlantic City’s Seven Star Lounge, recently prevailed at an in-house corporate national burger challenge involving several hundred competitors from restaurants around the country called the Best Burger Battle 2012.
Chef Tim Davis
I have spent a lifetime in pursuit of the perfect cheeseburger.
It is the ultimate, quintessential American food, with a hotly disputed history wherein at least four different restaurants — respectively in Pasadena and Los Angeles, California, Louisville, Kentucky and Denver, Colorado — all lay claims to its origination.
While this may sound to some rather a pedestrian culinary dream, the story I am about to relate should dispel that notion.
Chef Tim Davis, of Caesars Atlantic City’s Seven Star Lounge, recently prevailed at an in-house corporate national burger challenge involving several hundred competitors from restaurants around the country called the Best Burger Battle 2012.
His entry, ironically enough, almost never saw light of day. Davis was only informed of Caesar’s contest the morning of the local event. Having “about two hours to brainstorm and put it together,” the 34-year-old concocted a combination of meat, cheese, bun and toppings that proved nothing short of magic.
His half-pounder begins with a 70/30 mix of ground rib eye. That cut of beef, also preferred for Philly cheese steak, possesses a lovely, speckled marbling of fat and a dense, rich flavor profile. His patty gets exclusively pan-seared because “burgers tend to dry out quickly on a grill.”
Another secret weapon he’s happy to share is butter. Prior to arrival in that sizzling sauté device, the pan receives a liberal dose of melted butter. If you think about it, this makes sense, since beef and butter derive from the same bovine source.
Once fully lubricated and heated, the burger is added.
This is a crucial juncture in the process, with Davis insisting “for the first few minutes, don’t touch it ... and never press it!”
If there is any one quality that defines great cooking, it just might be courage. Restaurateurs are largely by nature risk-takers, willing to push and prod their enterprises forward.
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1. Anonymous said... on Aug 23, 2012 at 07:51AM
“I've had it...
Best. Burger. Ever.”