Australia’s burger culture has exploded over recent years. High-end burger restaurants are opening all around the country, offering a staggering range of variations on the humble classic, and including fusion options among other innovations.
Not surprisingly, judgement about what makes a good burger tends first to focus on the core ingredient – the burger patty itself. Whether it’s traditional beef, vegetarian, chicken or pork, a burger can’t be considered seriously unless the patty is made from the finest ingredients and cooked to perfection.
The other elements of a quality burger need to be considered as well – pairing the finest additions, whether buns, pickles, sauces, bacon, lettuce or a wide range of other quality ingredients is essential in setting apart a quality high-end burger from the cheap, mass produced or generic varieties.
Not least of these is the choice of cheese for a top quality burger. Restaurateurs choosing the best quality beef, cooked perfectly and presented with a keen aesthetic eye don’t want to be adding a cheap, sub-par cheese that doesn’t do justice to their cuisine.
Regardless of the type of cheese being added to a burger, quality is of the essence. But when it comes to a good old-fashioned cheeseburger, incorporating melty American-style cheese, burger restaurant scarborough should be just as concerned about the quality and characteristics of the cheese as they are of the patty.
The value of quality ingredients is no more evident than with the success of Betty’s Burgers – a business built on great quality food elements that has now opened more than twenty stores nationwide, using, among other things, high quality American style burger cheese – the clientele loves it.
There are a few basic guidelines to selecting the best quality cheese for an American style cheeseburger:
- Flavour
Many fast food restaurants use strongly flavoured cheeses with added lipase (lipase is the enzyme that gives parmesan its strong, sharp flavour) in an attempt to disguise the poor quality of the patties. If you’re looking to enhance your quality burger patty with a quality cheese, you should be looking for a burger cheese with a rich, creamy flavour that complements the burger.
- Moisture content
Moisture content is important because it allows the cheese to melt. Harder, older cheeses with less moisture are better suited to a cheese platter. While they may taste great, you won’t achieve that all important melt.
- Melting point
While moisture content is critical to achieving a melt with heat, you don’t want to see your burger ruined by an oily, watery cheese. Many cheddars, for example, will quickly separate under heat and leach fat and water. The best burger cheese will have a relatively high melting point so that it will melt but will also hold together.
- Aesthetics
And, most importantly, that goes to the look of the burger when it’s presented to the customer. A thicker cheese slice, which holds its shape while also melting and not turning into an oily mess will enhance the aesthetic appeal of the burger – a critical factor in a competitive Instagram world where looks can be as important as taste!
Producing the best quality burger means using the best quality ingredients, and that goes for the cheese as much as any other burger component.
