Famous Burger Clones
Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers.
This clone recipe is for the whole hamburger, but anybody who knows about Tommy's goes for the chili. That's also the part that required the most kitchen sleuthing. Turns out it's an old chili con carne recipe created back in 1946 by Tommy's founder, Tommy Koulax, for his first hamburger stand on the corner of Beverly and Rampart Boulevards in Los Angeles. Adding the right combination of water and flour and broth and spices to the meat we can create a thick tomato-less chili sauce.
Chili
1 pound ground beef (not lean)*
1/4 cup flour plus 1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/3 cups beef broth
4 cups water
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoon grated (and then chopped) carrot
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 pounds ground beef
8 hamburger buns
16 slices Kraft cheddar cheese Singles
1/2 cup diced onion
32 to 40 hamburger pickles (slices)
8 slices large beefsteak tomato (1/2-inch thick)
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1. Prepare the chili by first browning the meat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Crumble the meat as it browns. When the meat has been entirely cooked (7 to 10 minutes), pour the meat into a strainer over a large cup or saucepan. Let the fat drip out of the meat for about 5 minutes, then return the meat back to the first saucepan. Cover and set aside.
2. With the fat from the meat, we will now make a roux -- a French contribution to thicker sauces and gravies usually made with fat and flour. Heat the drippings in a saucepan over medium heat (you should have drained off around 1/2 cup of the stuff). When the fat is hot, add 1/4 cup flour to the pan and stir well. Reduce heat to medium/low, and continue to heat the roux, stirring often until it is a rich caramel color. This should take from 10 to 15 minutes. Add the beef broth to the pan and stir. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, back at the other pan, add the water to the beef, then whisk in the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour. Add the broth mixture and the other chili ingredients and whisk until blended. Make sure your grated carrot is chopped up to the size of rice before you add it.
4. Crank the heat up to medium/high. Stir often until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the chili. Turn the heat down to medium/low, and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick. The chili should be calmly bubbling like lava as it simmers. When it's done cooking, take the chili off the heat, cover it, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before using it on the burgers. It should thicken to a tasty brown paste as it sits.
5. To make your hamburgers, you'll first divide 3 pounds of hamburger into 16 portions of 3 ounces each. Grill the burgers on in a hot skillet or on an indoor griddle for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Use some salt and pepper on each patty.
6. Build the burgers by lightly toasting the faces of the hamburger buns. Turn them over into a hot skillet or a griddle on medium heat.
7. Place one patty onto the bottom bun.
8. Position two slices of cheese on the meat.
9. Place another beef patty on the cheese.
10. Spoon about 1/3 cup of chili onto the beef patty.
11. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of diced onion onto the chili.
12. Arrange 4 to 5 pickle slices on the onion.
13. Place a thick slice of tomato on next.
14. Spread mustard over the face of the top bun and top off your hamburger by turning this bun over onto the tomato.
Make sure the ground beef you use has a fat content of at least 20 percent. This way you'll be sure to get enough fat to make the roux.
Makes 8 burgers.
(6 cups of chili.)
In-N-Out Double Double Burger
This is the one and only burger. Has been a consistent stalwart in the World's Greatest Hamburger's Top 10 charts since our humble inception. Now, you have the chance to make a pretty darn close version of it.
Ingredients
1 plain hamburger bun
1/3 pound ground beef (20% fat)
dash salt
1 tablespoon Kraft thousand island dressing
1 large slice of fresh plump tomato
1 large lettuce leaf
2 slices of American cheese
1 whole onion slice (sliced very thin)
Instructions:
1. Pre-head a frying pan over medium heat
2. Lightly toast (important) both halves of the hamburger bun, face down in the pan. Set aside.
3. Separate the beef into two even portions, and form each half into a thin patty (¼ inch thick) slightly larger than the bun.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Flip the patties over, lightly salt and immediately place two slices of cheese on each one. Cook for 2-3 minutes
6. Assemble the burger in the following stacking order from the bottom up.
bottom bun
dressing
tomato
lettuce
beef patty with cheese
onion slice
beef patty with cheese
top bun
Makes one burger
McDonald's Big Mac
Okay, so you want to be able to brag you know the recipe for a burger that has been sold a billion times over? Here it is.
Ingredients
1 sesame-seed hamburger bun
half of an additional hamburger bun
¼ pound ground beef
dash salt
1 tablespoon Kraft Thousand Island dressing (or special sauce clone – see below)
1 teaspoon finely diced onion
½ cup chopped lettuce
1 slice American cheese
2 – 3 dill pickle slices
Instructions
1. With a bread knife, cut the top off the extra bun half, leaving about a ¾ inch thick slice. This is the middle part of the burger
2. Place the three bun halves on a hot pan or griddle, face-down and toast them to a light brown. Set aside, but keep the pan hot.
3. Divide the ground beef in half and press into two thin patties slightly larger than the bun.
4. Cook the patties in the hot pan over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes on each side. Salt lightly.
Build the burger in the following stacking order from bottom to top:
bottom bun
half of dressing
half of onion
half of lettuce
American cheese
beef patty
middle bun
remainder of dressing
remainder of onion
remainder of lettuce
pickle slices
beef patty
top bun
Makes 1 hamburger.
For those who want the real deal
Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. stir well.
2. Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight), so that the flavors blend. Stir the sauce a couple of times as it chills.
Makes about ¾ cup
Sonic Burger
The chain that become famous in the States in the fifties. Named Sonic because of the revolutionary speed that the burgers were delivered. Adopting at the time – high tech – intercom methods to speed up the process of getting the burger to the customer's car in ultra-quick time.
Sonic burger has reverted back to their original concept and customers can once again experience the fun manner in which Sonic made a name for itself.
Ingredients
All American No. 1 Burger
¼ Pound ground beef (20% fat)
1 lare plain white hamburger bun
butter-flavoured spray or melted butter
salt
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
3 dill pickle slices (hamburger slices)
1 tablespoon chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped lettuce
2 tomato slices
Instruction
1. Shape the ground beef into a thin circle the same diameter as the bun. Cover the patty with wax paper and freeze it
2. When you ready to go, pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat
3. Spray some butter spray or a thin layer of butter the faces of the top and botton hamburger bun. Lightly brown the faces of the bun in the skillet, then remove and set aside.
4. Grill the beef patty in the skillet, and light sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the beef for 3-4 minutes per side until done.
5. As the patty cooks, build the burger as follows (bottom bun up):
Spread the mayonnaise over the browned bottom bun
arrange the pickle slices on the mayonnaise
arrange the lettuce over the pickle. mayonnaise
stack the tomato slices on the lettuce
when the beef patty is ready, stack it on top
Makes 1 hamburger
Wendy's Wild Mountain Bacon Cheeseburger
Ingredients
Southwestern Pepper Sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch salt
pinch granulated sugar
3 ¼ ounces ground beef
1 kaiser bun (no seeds)
1 slice colby Jack cheese
2 slices cooked bacon
1 leaf iceberg lettuce
2 tomato slices
2 red onion slices
Instructions
1. Make the Southwestern pepper sauce by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill the sauce until it's needed.
2. Form the ground beef on was paper into a square patty that is slightly bigger than the diameter of the bun. Put the patty into the freezer for at least 45 minutes so that it will firm up properly. This will help the burger stay together whilst cooking.
3. When your ready to go, heat up a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the faces of the kaiser bun on the skillet. When the faces of the bun are light brown use the skillet to cook the beef patty. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the meat, then cook it for 2-3 minutes per side or until done.
4. Assemble the burger by positioning the patty on the bottom bun. Place the slice of cheese on the beef, followed by the cooked bacon. Place the lettuce leaf on the bacon, then add the tomato slices and onions. Spread about 1 tablespoon of Southwestern sauce on the face of the top bun. Flip the top over onto the rest of the sandwich and serve.
Makes 1 hamburger
Tips: If you like your burgers thick, (like the Wendy's version with two patties) simply add another beef patty onto the first one (on top of the cheese), followed by another slice of Colby Jack.
White Castle
In the real deal they place the frozen patties on a bed of steaming re-hydrated onion chips and they put the split bun halves on an steaming onion bed. The bottom is added with the steamed onions. I think the goal is to get some of the onion (& beef) juice to soak into the bun . The bottom bun half has a very moist almost gooey onion texture and flavor - which I think is a great part of their unique flavor.
Mmmm, these little sliders are extremely close to the originals. You may find yourself doing slider runs at home in the near future or offering your services to friends.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground chuck (80% lean)
2/3 cup beef broth
1 1/4 cups dried chopped onions (about 3 1/3 oz.)
2 1/2 cups hot water (or more if needed)
20 small dinner rolls (or 7 hot dog buns cut in thirds)
sliced crinkle-cut pickles
Cheese and condiments (optional)
Instructions
1. Line a 10-by-14-inch rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Mix beef, and beef stock in a large bowl. Transfer mixture to lined baking sheet, and use a spatula to flatten. Place second sheet of plastic wrap over meat, and use rolling pin or hands to further flatten meat so it covers entire surface of pan.
2. Remove top layer of plastic wrap, and use spatula to score flattened beef into 2.5-inch squares. Reapply wrap, and place pan in freezer until meat is frozen solid.
3. Place dried onion in a small bowl, and add the hot water; let stand at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, take frozen beef from freezer, and remove from plastic wrap. Re-score it with a sharp knife, and gently break patties apart.
4. Heat a large skillet (cast iron works best) or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of onion-and-water mixture to skillet. When water begins to steam (which should happen almost instantly), place 5 patties on top of the onions. Add one slice of crinkle-cut pickle on top of each patty. Cook, to desired done-ness. Place a bun top on each patty.
5. Remove patties and buns, with a helping of onion, from skillet. Add bun bottoms, and any cheese or condiments as desired.
6. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Makes about 20 two-and-a-half-inch square patties
Notes:
(from an ex WC employee)
Each station at a White Castle has two aluminum gills, each of which holds 30 burgers. They are gas-fired, with two settings, the first of which is low enough to keep the burgers at serving temperature, the other is a high-temp burner that uses either a timer or thermostat to cook the burgers. The operator loads the grill, pushes a button, and a short time later, they are ready to serve.
The meat patties are made by Armour, to White Castle's specifications, which ensures consistency. They are delivered frozen, and kept frozen until they go on the grill. The five holes in each patty allow the burger to cook completely through with no flipping. The onion mix is shipped from the company commissary in individual portion plain white paper bags, containing dehydrated chopped onion, salt, and pepper. There is no MSG in the onion mix. One fills a stainless steel ice bucket with cold water and dumps in the contents of one bag of the mix, and it goes in the walk-in overnight, to reconstitute.
To load the grill, you take one ladle of the onion mix, place it on the grill and spread it out evenly with a spatula. The burger patties are then placed on the grill, followed by the bun bottoms, then the tops, and the button is pushed. A good operator can load the grill in about 30 to 45 seconds. There is no oil in the onion mix. When the burgers are ready, the operator uses the long offset spatula and lifts two burgers at a time to the counter, while holding the tops in his/her other hand, and then places the tops on the burger. The buns are baked in White Castle's own bakeries, and come in two 36 inch by 36 inch layers in plastic, wrap and a cardboard box. An operator separates these large layers into pairs of buns prior to their being placed in a container by the grill set.
