Hamburgers & Hot Dogs: Best Places To Go / How Do You Make Them At Home?

[RedLED]

In the Los Angeles area, I like the Apple Pan for burgers, and Pinks for hot dogs.

In the desert, It's In N Out Burger.

Please tell us your favorite locations, and how you prepare them at home.

Thanks,

RL

 

[pilo7448]

I was a cook for 13 years... My backyard burgers are my favorite.. (imo) lol

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

 

[bykfixer]

I have tried for 25 years to cook a decent burger and I still screw up something every time. Well they do make great David vs Goliath tools. Grilled, griddled, gas, charcoal, it doesn't matter. Same with steaks. Now my twin brother can cook great burgers and steaks doing exactly what I do.

Hot dogs are easy. Boil them until they split or grill them until the outside blackens some. Done. Now if anybody in the family doesn't want split or crispy skin hot dogs……well too bad.

Regarding restaraunts, to me a fresh cooked dripping with grease and soaked in salt Wendys burger is my favorite.

But as a rule I hardly ever eat anything that was once part of a cow. I prefer birds and fish.

 

[P_A_S_1]

Donavan's in Woodside for burgers. Grays Papaya in the city for hotdogs. Making burgers at home, which is rare, seasoning the meat with salt and finely minced garlic is what I like. Bind it together with some egg and crisp/cook it in a hot saucepan.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

What's a thread sans pictures?

 

[P_A_S_1]

[emoji2][emoji106]

 

[Beamhead]

Smash Burger

 

[archimedes]

Red, I think you might like Mr Bartley's Burgers when you find yourself in Boston.

 

[RedLED]

Thanks, Arch, are they a local place?

I know LA and Palm Springs not NYC or D.C. Too much for burgers and hot dogs but they have them, I need more time to check things out. Palm Springs does not have anything, and so many places come and go, however, we have In N Out.

 

[archimedes]

Re: Hamburgers & Hot Dogs: Best Places To Go / How Do You Make Them At Home?

Thanks, Arch, are a local place? ....

Not a chain, if that's what you mean.

I haven't been in a decade or more, but opened by (yes) Mr Bartley, over 50 years ago. As far as I can tell, still family owned and operated.

Sure hope this current craziness doesn't permanently crush cool old places like this .... :candle:

 

[archimedes]

Do you get to Chicago ever ?

It's tough to surpass the Chicago Red Hot as far as hotdogs go, but I don't really have a favorite place.

 

[RedLED]

Arch,

I have heard about about the Chicago Red. I know Chicago has some great places. My problem is that my work and deadlines make it hard to look around sometimes. I have been to some great steak houses in Chicago.

 

[archimedes]

Yes, lots of great food in Chicago. Not just steak places, and not all fancy expensive stuff either.

 

[scout24]

Sabrett natural casing hot dogs are a national treasure. Blackened a bit and split on the grill, brown mustard only, toast the bun the last couple of minutes until dogs are done. My two cents... 😁

 

[RedLED]

Sabrett natural casing hot dogs are a national treasure. Blackened a bit and split on the grill, brown mustard only, toast the bun the last couple of minutes until dogs are done. My two cents... 

That sounds good! I will try that brand of hot dogs, I usually use Nathan's.

 

[RedLED]

Yes, lots of great food in Chicago. Not just steak places, and not all fancy expensive stuff either.

That's true and, I like the non-fancy little local places Best.

 

[Poppy]

Red,
Thanks for bringing this up because it has brought a smile to my face.
When I was a kid, my dad and I would stop at "White Manna" pretty much each weekend on the way to the boat house. I'd have three or four "with the works!" That meant a slice of cheese, onions, and pickles. LOL.... add your own ketchup.

Man... they were meatball sized sections of chopped meat, laid out on a grill right in front of you, smashed flat with a spatula, and then covered with shredded onions. Once they were flipped, ( he could do about 30 at a time) the small soft (later potato) rolls were placed on top and heated, and steamed with the moisture coming off of the onions, and with the grease coming off of the burgers. Three slices of pickles, and a squirt of ketchup... heaven on a bun!

That was in Jersey City, New Jersey. It's still there! IIRC it came from the NYC 1939 "World's Fair" ... The diner of the future. Now that I looked for some pictures. The guy from Diner's, Drive-throughs, and Dives, stopped in and did a review.

A couple of years ago, I stopped into the Hackensack, NJ White Manna, with my very picky eater grandson. He had a couple with onions, no pickles... then he had a couple more! It made me Happy to see him enjoying it so much.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Manna
https://www.yelp.com/biz/white-manna-hackensack


On the other end of the spectrum... gourmet.
At the Northern end of Greenwood Lake (which is part NY and part NJ) there is "The Helm"
Jen, the owner, and Culinary School trained executive Chef makes burgers to die for.
Smoked pulled pork, with layers of cheese, and two kinds of pickled coleslaw, topped with her special sauce, and any variety of cheeses. Wrap your senses around one of those, coupled with a dark flavorful porter beer.
ARRGGGHHH!!! 40 minutes away, and take-out only because of Cov -19
Soon... soon.
https://www.thehelmny.com/
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-helm-greenwood-lake-3

 

[RedLED]

Poppy,

That sounds so good!

 

[Poppy]

Poppy,

That sounds so good!

They are!


Regarding making them at home.
If making them just for myself, I add fresh chopped onions to the meat, usually, but more often than not I am making them for the family too, and they don't like onions, so I saute the onions, and throw them on top.

I do like to add spices, and cheese. I love Gorgonzola, but Cheddar, or American is fine.
I used to try individual spices, often just salt and pepper, (actually that isn't bad for beef), but lately have gone somewhat often to pre-mixed blends, such as the Grill-Mates Montreal Steak, or better yet the Brown Sugar Bourbon, or Nick Stellino's "special rub" (equal parts... salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, and paprika). Sometimes I'll add a splash of liquid smoke. You have to be careful with that because a little goes a long way.

Perhaps my most important cooking tool is a digital thermometer. Burgers to 160 F., chicken to 165 F.

Generally speaking I prefer potato buns.

I don't add garnish like tomato slices, or lettuce or a slice of red onion, because the people I live with won't eat it, and there would be too much waste if I did it for myself. Hmmm, that's a shame. BarBQue time is coming I should have friends over more often

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Two weeks back ......

I'm also a big fan of the Grill Mates Montreal Steak, Poppy. :thumbsup: It's great stuff!