6 minute read
FEATURE: BURGERS
Great expectations
Classic burgers are having a moment at fine diners.
WORDS Annabelle Cloros
PHOTOGRAPHY Jo McGann for Gimlet; Jiwon Kim and Steven Woodburn for The Charles
FINE DINERS HAVE been flipping burgers as a means to offer a high/low experience to diners. While burgers are ubiquitous at all sorts of venues, there’s no denying the difference that comes with those made with a superior blend of beef, and perhaps an optional add-on of foie gras.
Hospitality speaks to chefs Andrew McConnell from Gimlet and Billy Hannigan from The Charles Grand Brasserie and Bar about ratios, paying homage to classic flavour profiles, and why the burger just works in a restaurant environment.
Gimlet in Melbourne is the cumulus of Trader House’s culinary expertise. The CBD restaurant offers it all — slick service, a thoughtfully designed interior, and an evolving menu that heroes ingredients grown by some of the most passionate producers in the country. It’s also a place you can frequent for a multi-course menu or a late-night burger — it’s diner’s choice.
The cheeseburger is a big drawcard on Gimlet’s supper menu which is available from 10pm, making it an appealing option for post-theatre goers or night owls. It’s been available since the restaurant opened back in 2020, with the option introduced to welcome a broader range of diners to the establishment. “It was designed to be a casual dining option for people who want a snack late at night without having to commit to a full dining experience,” says Chef Andrew McConnell. “The team want it to be accessible to everyone — the perfect dish to enjoy at the bar with a cocktail before heading home.”
The Gippsland pasture-raised beef patty is made from a combination of chuck and brisket and has a 20 per cent fat ratio, with the brisket playing an integral role during the cooking process. “Brisket is used in the mix as it has fat and a low melting point, making it super juicy,” says McConnell. The chef brigade cook the protein on the plancha until it develops a crust and some colour on each side, which usually occurs around the three-minute mark. “It’s then finished off in the Josper oven to give it a smokey flavour and left to rest for at least 10 minutes. It’s cooked to medium.”
Once the beef is ready, it’s assembly time. A potato bun is covered in a classic house burger sauce (amped up with chopped dill, shallots, and diced pickles) as well as butter lettuce for “freshness and soft crunch” and American cheese — “it’s a classic for a reason” — which is melted by the heat of the patty. Large-format dill pickles are the final component, adding “crunchy texture”, ultimately resulting in the “perfect balance of sweet and acid which complements the fat from the burger”, says McConnell.
Gimlet’s burger has been featured in a plethora of roundups and has no doubt played a key role in the increasing demand for highquality late-night food options. “Supper trade has grown exponentially over the past six months,” says McConnell. “There are many customers who come in after 10pm on a Friday or Saturday night solely for the cheeseburger.”
A burger is a burger, so we wanted to keep it simple but make sure the important things were there.”
– Billy Hannigan
Sydney’s burger options continue to diversify, with The Charles Grand Brasserie and Bar recently adding its own contribution to the mix. But it’s not any old cheeseburger — which was the brief for Executive Chef Billy Hannigan when he started the development process. “A burger can be a bit boring, generic, and simple,” he says. “I didn’t want to do just any ordinary burger, I wanted to put as much effort into it without being too ‘cheffy’.”
The differences start with the patty. Hannigan worked closely with Gavin Gray from Great Meats Co in Leichhardt, with the local business supplying all the beef used at sibling venues Loulou and Poetica. “We developed a recipe using a percentage of chuck, brisket, and pork,” says the chef. “Putting a thick slab of bacon on a burger is always delicious, but incorporating a percentage of bacon and using all the fat is more efficient for the kitchen. Aged Wagyu trimmings go into the patty as well which gives it a nice amount of funk. It doesn’t taste like something you could have at home, which is the biggest part of restaurants — we want to give guests an experience they can’t get at home.”
The burger is cooked in a pan on the flat top until it caramelises before it’s moved to a tray and topped with two types of cheese from France — Comte and Emmental. “They are perfect for melting,” says Hannigan. “We bake it for a couple of minutes, and it’s served pink, blushing, and juicy.”
Loulou provides the buns, which are a milk–brioche hybrid covered in sesame seeds and linseeds that are delivered daily. The burger’s other elements channel the flavours of fast-food classics, with a burger sauce combining yellow American mustard with Heinz tomato sauce and a hit of Tabasco. “We do sliced, raw white onions and the pickles are marinated in dill, lots of vinegar, and sugar,” says the chef. “They are sweet and acidic.”
It’s been a popular addition to the menu, with the bar area of the restaurant offering it daily for $25 alongside fries and a choice of a schooner, glass of house wine, or a soft drink from 12–6pm. Guests can also tack on a supplement of foie gras, should they wish.
There’s no denying it’s a steal, especially in the current climate where diners are not willing to spend as much as they once were. “A lot of restaurants are doing happy hour or bottomless lunch, and we wanted to create something with a point of difference,” says Hannigan. “A burger is a burger, so we wanted to keep it simple but make sure the important things were there as far as the percentage of salt and the ageing [component]. All the thought and care is there without overthinking it and we’ve never had one sent back — it’s been an absolute hit.”
Gimlet’s burger is on the supper menu
The Wagyu cheeseburger patty includes bacon
$25 gets you a burger, fries, and a drink at The Charles
Gimlet’s beef is sourced from Gippsland
