They won’t leave me alone. Today’s NY times piece on burgers has opened up a Pandora’s box of craving. The same cake tester, potato rolls, handling instructions, pickles and other pointers I’ve been playing with for weeks have been re-arranged and laid out for me in a way that has stoked an absolutely ravenous burger lust. I dare you to read it and try not to order a burger for lunch today. I’m left concerned for my future well being.
The Comme Ça burger recipe embraces my call for simplicity leaving me smitten, but it’s the quoted chef’s restaurant technique that has me most curious. The author glances over a plancha as a high end flat grill, but I’ve stood next to these devices at Cafe Du Parc and I’m telling you they get HOT. I’ve always thought the best burger had to be kissed by fire, but I’m envisioning a crisp uniform crust that amounts to one giant grill mark and I’m starting to drool.
Just a week ago I thought I had burgers perfected, but now I’m forlorn for a commercial source of steady and intense heat. How do you make your perfect burger?
The quest for Bovinity continues.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I just stumbled onto this website after googling ‘Plancha’ and ‘Burgers’ immediately after reading that NYTimes article. I am now going out of my mind with hunger for a burger. I am at work right now thinking out my plan of attack for Whole Foods tonight.
So anyway, the reason I did the google search was because I do not know a thing about planchas. I am a big, lumbering dumb grill guy, who, at my most artistic, uses a spatula. With a plancha, do you just rest it on top of the burger so it smashes it down? I’m outta my league here.
Anyway, good article. And nice picture too, now my hunger pangs are that much more stabbing.
I can’t say that I’m certain. The plancha I saw was like a large dense flat heating element. The cooks would set pans on it to heat, and then sear the heck out of things.
It wasn’t a press. And you’d never want to squish a burger. Imagine a massive heating element, with a super high temperature, and awesome heat retention
I’ve searched around and the only picture I can find is here but I’ve already emailed a few chefs, and I think you’ll be able to read more about this here soon.
S-
Nice post, also found via googling for “plancha.” You could probably get a similar effect using cast iron skillet (or stainless) & high heat like the article suggests, but I’m with you…a good burger needs to make it’s peace with a flame.
Great looking burger on the sesame seed bun above. Looks like mustard on it, not ketchup that Comme Ca uses. May I ask where the burger is from? Yes, googling la plancha too, interesting. Thanks,