How to Up Your Burger Game in 6 Easy Steps

In honor of National Cheeseburger Day, one of our favorite holidays, let’s talk burgers. In this blog we’re going to dive into 6 elements of the burger:

·        Burger Blends

·        Grill vs. Flat Top

·        Cheese

·        Toppings

·        Bun

·        Plant Based Options

Consumers are ultra-aware of what they are putting into their bodies nowadays. They genuinely care. Americans have changed their diet substantially over the past 50 years, naturally. But do you think the basics, meat, cheese, fats, etc. have shifted? Absolutely! We’re eating more chicken and less beef. We’re consuming fewer dairy products…except cheese, cheese is booming and we’re okay with that!

Want to hear a disturbing fact? The average American consumes 36 pounds of cooking oils a year; wow! For reference, that’s 3 times as much compared to 1970. Here’s another one for you: Americans are on average eating around 47.9 pounds of chicken a year (2.1 ounces a day), versus 39.4 pounds of beef (1.7 ounces a day). Compared to 1970’s numbers, beef has fallen more than a third.

So, let’s get back to the consumer and their awareness. What does that mean for the meat? Consumers are smarter than they have ever been. They’re learning to cook at home again, especially with extra time on their hands via the pandemic. They’re keen on understanding the variables of the product they are putting into their bodies and how that impacts the end result.

Burger Blends

Burger blends aren’t a new thing, they’ve been around for quite some time. What’ different? Chefs are now looking to create a name for themselves based off their burger blends. It’s that important! When a consumer eats a ribeye blend for the first time, they are going to continue look for it anywhere they can. Smaller chains will feel the pressure form this cycle. Let’s pause there and talk about the cycle for a moment.

Datassentials Menu Adoption Cycle is critical to understand from a trending ingredients standpoint. There are four stages:

·        Inception - This is what we were referring to with the chef above. They are trying out something new and are ahead of the curve. Typically, chef-driven, or fine dining establishments.

·        Adoption - Smaller casual chains adopt the trend from fine dining and utilize in a cost-effective way.

·        Proliferation - Fast casual and QSR jump on the train and are following suit.

·        Ubiquity - It’s mainstream, you see it everywhere, even grocery stores.

So, what’s that mean for you? It means you’ve got a sneak peak into what is coming your way. If there is a famous chef, with an amazing burger blend, you’ve literally seen into the potential future of your concept. It’s like a crystal ball at your fingertips. Study up.

The blend itself should be something you’re proud of. Think of marketing buzz words that would support your brand, ribeye, short rib, sirloin, angus, even wagyu could be great options for you. The important part about this process is to watch the fat content. The fattier you go, the more you need to counterbalance that. If you’ve ever had a wagyu burger, 90% of the time it’s dry. Why? They’ve rendered out most of the fat during the cooking process. With wagyu you need to keep it as close to medium rare as possible. So, in this instance if you’re customers are primarily medium well to well done, wagyu isn’t going to do your brand justice. Take that into consideration.

Grill vs. Flat top

We get asked this all the time; what’s the best way to cook a burger? The honest answer, it depends. With a grill you’re achieving a certain flavor, a char if you will. If that’s what you’re looking for, don’t flat top burgers. If you’re burgers are relatively thick, it’s going to take a substantial time to finish them on the flat top. This probably isn’t the best option for you.

On the flip side, the flat top is all about fat and texture. You obviously season your flat top with some sort of fat; you’re literally rendering fat with fat. Flavors develop differently and that charred flavor isn’t possible. The texture is everything here. You’re looking to develop a crust on both sides of the patty with a soft, moist center. Flat tops also allow for clam shell cooking. This will drastically speed up the process, but there is a caveat! It can impede your capacity because you simply can’t fit as many under the clam shell.

Long story short, there are benefits to both cooking methods. Evaluate the flavor and texture first, implementing procedures will come naturally.

Cheese

Like we stated before, cheese is being consumed more and more; stay ahead of the curve. Here is another opportunity to investigate the Menu Adoption crystal ball and see what’s coming down the pipeline. The staples of the burger world, American, Swiss, Cheddar, etc. aren’t going anywhere, but there may be an opportunity to press the envelope with flavors.

A nice dill Havarti or a sriracha infused jack could go a long way from a buzz word standpoint. If you’re concerned with adding another slice of cheese due to shelf life, bring one in for an LTO and see how it performs for you.

As far as melting goes, here’s where a lot of restaurants run into trouble. Any guesses? They put the cheese on too late in the cooking process and therefore overcook the meat. Get your timing right. Figure out exactly how long it takes for you to melt cheese on a burger and time your procedures accordingly.

Toppings

Here’s a subject that causes a lot of friction in the industry. There are burger-purists that believe bun, meat, cheese, maybe a sauce and you’re done; we get it. It’s important not to overpower the star of the show. However, toppings are more important than they have ever been. Consumers are making decisions based off them.

There are some burgers that would improve with fresh ingredients. If you’ve created a burger with a ton of fatty elements, i.e. aioli, cheese, etc. you may need to add an acidic element to cut through the fat. When a consumer is only eating fatty elements, there’s nothing to cleanse the palate. Their taste buds can become fatigued. Adding an acidic element can make all the difference.

Bun

Here is an often-neglected component of the burger, the bun. You’ve found the perfect vessel for your burger and that’s that, right? No, push further than just a standard brioche sesame. There are so many options, so many opportunities to excite your guests with buns. That sounded weird….. Adding a small differentiating element to your bun could refresh your entire product line. For example, black and white sesame seeds instead of the traditional white. It adds texture, color and an amazing flavor. Black sesame seeds offer a nuttier component that can compliment different flavors. Push your bun game further.

Plant-based options

If you’re not on the bandwagon, find the next departure and get on it! Restaurants are seeing exponential growth with plant-based options. This took the Adoption Cycle and threw it in the trash. Consumers were so excited and so willing to pay for these, fast food restaurants beat a lot of casual burger spots to the punch. You are missing out on consumers and revenue alike.

We are not here to tell you which option is best. The fun part about plant-based proteins is that each is completely different in its own way. Flavors, textures, handling are all different. Get samples of 3-4 taste them on their own. Don’t stop there. Put them on your burger builds and understand the complexities that they bring. There is a ton of marketing support available from these larger brands as well. Simply put, get something on your menu and you will understand the craze.

To help you understand the mentality of the consumer:

“Although nine in 10 Americans don’t consider plants an acceptable substitute for meat, they increasingly consider plant-based “meat” products—like burgers from Impossible Foods, and sausages from Beyond Meat—an acceptable compliment.”  

Wrap up

At Altered Concepts Group, burgers are life. We have 20+ years and National Director level experience in burgers alone. We are obsessed and would love to help you build your best burger. Look at our services, let’s set up some time to chat.

www.alteredconceptsgroup.com/services

Oh, and we wish you the happiest of Cheeseburger Days!