The Food Lab: Cheeseburgers | Serious Eats

*READ ME*
A few years back, we raised some money and spent some time asking ourselves, "What would a Food Lab television show look like?" Like the column, the show would strive to communicate complex scientific concepts, and more importantly, show how understanding those concepts can improve your cooking.
We pulled together a production team, and enlisted the help of former Serious Eats intern Katie Quinn to up the on-camera charisma factor, we wrote some scripts, and we shot and edited the episodes.
Then...pretty much nobody saw them. This was our own fault-due to a partnership we made to get the series funded, we were unfortunately required to distribute them behind a paywall. That contract has since ended, and we're in the clear to do with them as we please. So here we are, releasing them to you one-by-one, for free.
The very first episode is about hamburgers and the science of ground meat. The science bits all hold up pretty well. The acting/screen presence, on the other hand, maybe not so much (Kenji thinks he's gotten much better in the last few years, you tell us). Overall, we think it’s a good watch, and you will probably learn something in the process. We hope you enjoy, and enjoy the episodes to come!
FULL STORY: www.seriouseats.com/2019/09/t...
Kenji's channel: / @jkenjilopezalt
Four Secrets to Improving Any Fried Chicken Recipe: www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/f...
Our favorite wok for frying: amzn.to/32EkqUK
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Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

0:18 But J. Kenji López-Alt HAS told us that we're cooking our burgers wrong... several times.

[@ThinkImBasedGod]

nice seeing you here, glen! love your channel

[@MrJimYves]

Just watched Glen's Mexico City tour :)

[@brookstarkington]

OH SHIT. FIGHT HIM.

[@bytowneboy]

This is a callout.

[@suivzmoi]

shut up Glen

[@sevpha1259]

Just found this channel, but I'm loving it. It's like a mix between Mythbusters and Good Eats.

[@hokumu]

1:24 "clomplex"

[@GenoM1]

This is incredible. It's good eats with Kenji! Love it! Glad you guys decided to bless KZbin with this content!

[@DavidFSloneEsq]

This may be my favorite buddy cop team since Starsky & Hutch.

[@majoroldladyakamom6948]

Careful, our age is showing, lol!

[@oscartaniii9222]

Literally just found this channel a few hours ago while searching how to make dry-brined chicken. Their content is gold !!!

[@taccosnachos]

Katie is handsy af

[@Davidwood15]

i'd allow it

[@cdreyes81]

Flag on the play

[@ARMTOAST]

@@xyz0zyx kenji is married to a woman named adriana

[@elephantgrass631]

@@ARMTOAST weird last name too. Alt?

[@AlfonsoVallarta]

Love the style of this Food Lab video. Love the information I've learned about burgers from Kenji...several times over. Looking forward to this, but with something new.

[@CulinaryExploration]

The new video / production style looks great

[@Billy123bobzzz]

Awesome, thanks for all the great information, its very helpful!

[@primarch984]

More of this please!!!

[@robertmcelfresh1031]

Thank you for this small but important technique.

[@CipherC233]

Great video, but I'm disappointed by the use of inferior equipment. Next time try a trebuchet, and tell me that it's not superior in every way.

[@michaelullman9832]

You must be a true trebuchef

[@eugenesedita]

WTH is a trebuchet?

[@keyrd1]

Is this where KZbin becomes Reddit?

[@scottasche3362]

i saw Kenji do this on Cooks Illustrated. I made it that very night. Now the wife won't let me make hamburgers any other way. And instead of a lazy fallback meal, it is a treat.

[@LarryFournillier]

Thanks for the awesome Food Lab vids! 👍🏽😊

[@Migs3]

Excellent show! I wish I'd discovered you all years ago!

[@ryangriffithbass]

Nice work, gang! Fun video, great production value. I dig it!

[@gus473]

👍 A chance to see The Lost Videos! Splendid! 😋

[@BigD42886]

Love new videos from Kenji, but I think I have seen this same message in 9 different videos from him

[@smartydix]

Luckily this isn't really new

[@EchoSigma6]

“Welcome to Good Burger, home of the good burger may I take your order please?” - The Good Burger movie

[@mrtspence]

My Good Eats senses are tingling. Similar feel, but without the intricate camerawork or sock puppets.

[@HowToMakeDinner]

mrtspence totally.

[@erichenderson6515]

I know, It's like J Kenji Lopez Alt is Alton Brown's apprentice or padawan.

[@roboslug7582]

He's wrong about the salt. You can add salt all you like, without making the burger dense or rubbery. You just have to add it to the pre-grind chunks of meat, then let them sit for 12-24 hours for the salt to soak in. Also, use a variety of salts, including MSG, inosinate & guanylate, and phosphates. Adding a bit of sugar helps the salt work faster, plus it enhances the caramelization a bit when you cook it. As for the tiny bit of cross-linking that occurs when you finally grind the meat, you can almost entirely prevent that by adding a tiny bit of sodium alginate--maybe about .1% of the weight of the meat, maybe less if you used a larger grind size. That will gel slightly with the free calcium in the meat and sequester the proteins just enough to prevent cross-linking. Carrageenan works too, but you have to add more of it. Rubbing the pre-grind chunks with a bit of rendered beef fat mixed with maltodextrin will also prevent cross-linking while still helping the patty hold together nicely. Bottom line is, you have plenty of options to keep your burger from becoming dense, so just season it properly like any other food.

[@pedritop3541]

Also ALWAYS toast the buns! :)

[@kcnc429]

While the video covered smashing initally helps to develop a strong "m" rxn on the initial cook surface w/o loosing juice, what is recommended after the flip? Should there be Smashing after a flip ? do we loose juice? is it the other side not cooked enough so that a smash can be done on the "flip" side ?

[@mondoal]

I think you shouldn't smash second side. The idea is you get the perfect crush on one side still means you have that flavor in every bite.

[@walterw2]

do the smash right when you throw it in the pan at first to make that "giant grill mark" over the entire surface for maximum crusty brown goodness; in fact, maybe don't even form it into a "patty" to begin with, just drop it in there as a round ball and then smash it flat. i think that's how the shake shack-type places do it, both to skip a step and save time but also to reduce that added toughness from pressing on it too much beforehand. after that no smashing or pressing at all

[@eugenesedita]

Gotta tell you from bitter and long experience, the Chefs Choice all steel grinder for your stand mixer has the KitchenAid grinder beat by a country mile. Two KA grinders both cracked and smashed/crushed the meat. The CC cut cleanly. Get it!

[@eugenesedita]

And the Chefs Choice cleanly cut hard fat and a little gristle. The KitchenAid , not so much. (Disaster, it crushes the meat. Very BAD.)

[@homumu]

omg this is crazy show love it

[@tly7486]

Help! My wife always says that my meat is salty but there is no way for me to confirm it.

[@gabrieltoledano5560]

I love Kenji!!!!

[@hennking2107]

damn I love this show!

[@colina1330]

This is the second video I've seen with J. Kenji destroying burgers for science, and I'm ok with it.

[@HowToMakeDinner]

Love burgers, love Kenji, don’t love the overly snazzy production but I guess I’m probably the minority?

[@esclrocks]

How To Make Dinner same

[@glxbe]

"what's going on between those soft buns"

[@erichenderson6515]

I hope Ed Levine (founder of Serious Eats) gives Katie Quinn a column on Serious Eats because she can get them more viewers and so that she and Kenji will work together more.

[@pleasesircanihavesomemore2402]

boorger with double cheese

[@Markus_St.]

Great video, bow couldn't you make your own buns? It makes such an huge difference.

[@user-xh5pi2nf9q]

I bought a large cast iron griddle for my Santa Maria style grill juat for smash burgers

[@dzurisintube]

This was extremely entertaining and Katie should definitely have a number of shows with that camera presence. Eagerly awaiting the rest!

[@irian42]

The Food Lab is back!

[@AndrewKarczewski]

Katie reminds me of Kevin Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn

[@smartydix]

You should put the description at the beginning of the video, or at least a part, it'd make better sense

[@playea123]

Tomatos on the bottom no Kenji noooo

[@bl6973]

I like using a small skillet and foil to smash a burger. Gets out the stress and anger.

[@tawer69]

Awesome format ! keep doing this it was amazing and very informative !

[@bcask61]

Got it bad, got it baaad, got it baaad, I’m hot for teachaaahhh.

[@abefroman5437]

Nice! Got that legendary Alton Brown Good Eats vibe!

[@AXLee27]

So if I’m grilling, I shouldn’t smash the burger?

[@walterw2]

kinda silly but i actually tried a combo method where i fired up my little charcoal grill then put a frying pan on it to get hot; i did the magic "smash" into the pan for the first side, then for the flip i put the other side right onto the grill itself for that smokey outdoor grill flavor dunno if it'll cure cancer but it was really yummy

[@average.tren.enjoyer]

A very intriguing way to test if your burger is too tough

[@chuckirby2888]

It's a crime to finish those burgers w American cheese singles

[@Deimos000]

Soooooo shouty... informative video though.

[@HowToMakeDinner]

Deimos000 way too shouty

[@katydidiy]

I recently got some ground round by mistake. It was the worst hamburger ever. 80/20 is what i prefer - so juicey!

[@emmereffing]

LOL GUYS COOKING IS SO WACKY AND FUN. I'M WEARING A COW MASK!

[@daniel1c]

Now to make Kenji viral!

[@eugenesedita]

Katie, you have drool on your chin. :)

[@danielp763]

Kenji still works here?

[@PaulEgan1]

This video was made many years ago.

[@alexill]

Looking good Kenji.

[@sabahbubbler]

Awesome stuff!!! For smashburger, can you do smashburger using blended cuts or only chuck?

[@theocoxd]

Use meat that contains at least a 20%-25% fat. Chuck has the nearest amount needed for it.

[@FixingTheInternet]

You want 80/20 or at least 85/15 meat/fat. Use whatever cut(s) you want to use to acheive this is fine. Often people will combine the beefier tasting cuts with the fatty cuts to get this blend.

[@sabahbubbler]

@@FixingTheInternet i did try topside(round for american), brisket and shortribs but didn't really stick to the pan. If i changed the round for sirloin then it'll work.

[@FixingTheInternet]

@@sabahbubbler Take a look at this article to get you started, you will have to do some arithmetic. www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/the-leanest-and-fattiest-cuts-of-steak/ %Fat=Mass_Fat/Total_Mass. Then combine to get your goal percentage. IMO I would try to stay around 20%. 25% has too much fat and will leave gaping holes in your burger once rendered. (some holes are fine, more crispy bits!)

[@FixingTheInternet]

Also if you have it, use scorching hot cast iron or equivalent cookware that keeps alot of heat. Smash burgers should only take a min or so until the sides look like they are getting crispy, then salt and flip. Less than a minute on the last side.

[@BombedNevada]

You’re lost if you think I’m going to grind my own meat. Nice try.

[@bonsaitreehouse5534]

My meat is cold until I mix it with some tuna

[@amancalledcraig]

Are American butchers so accommodating? I am in Australia and am yet to meet a butcher that will comply with my request to grind meat unless it is 4-5kg worth. Please comment, I need to know if Aussie butchers are un-accommodating.

[@pegasus912]

No. These two are in a bit of a bubble. Also, a lot of people don't even have butchers within a reasonable distance since many use supermarkets like Wal-Mart. Wal-mart has a meat department but not really what I would call a butcher in a traditional sense.

[@amancalledcraig]

@@pegasus912 Makes sense especially when they said to ask your butcher to gently hand over the minced meat. That has to be a joke. As if.

[@Cookandtell]

My Dutch butcher will grind meat for me. And customer service in this country is notably persnickety...

[@marcj3846]

Can I hav extra side of ches

[@yoseppijoe]

Katie has some amazing legs.

[@bougie86]

look like all the vegans have left the comments section...

[@nelsonbrooks]

Glad to see you two enlist as tag teamates again. Hope it’s not your last.

[@pabloprado3233]

Food waste should be a crime!

[@Ortex313]

Didnt they just spend the whole video telling you how youre doing them wrong?

[@mydogskips2]

Yes, but only if you've been doing it that way. And if so, now you know better.

[@jonty536]

Cows are "clomplex" creatures

[@SuperHonkus]

I loved this episode. Katie Quinn is a nice addition to the mix. Can't wait for future episodes.

[@Groet]

0:29 I want to know the truth to what is going on between THOSE soft buns if you know what i mean.

[@YatriTrivedi]

Katie's a good foil to Kenji. Can't wait to see how the back-and-forth develops as you get used to working together!

[@idontgotnothin]

Girl, why are you yelling?

[@fglend73]

Come on kenji!!! You’re a food scientist guru, and you don’t even melt your cheese??? Smh

[@tunafishriot]

You're supposed to use American Cheese for smashed burgers which will melt easily enough with the residual heat of the beef patty.

[@michaelmayer3259]

Great video and even better description on making an awesome burger!!! What blend of meats did you guys use?

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Why do they stand so damn close its weirding me out.

[@AlBrownComedy]

Trying really hard to not just stare at Katie but failing...

[@harryape9059]

There are literally millions of people in Africa and India that would consider throwing food across the room to be very cruel. Americans are so clueless sometimes. DISCLAIMER: I'm an American.

[@kencharm2909]

Heston Blumenthal disagrees with about presalting ground meat for burgers. But what does he know?

[@_badmadsadlad]

you're right, blumenthal cannot possibly have ever made a mistake. the scientific explanation and proof shown in this video must have been faked and full of lies

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Heston uses much more than salt and understands how to counteract the crosslinking effect that salt has.

[@kencharm2909]

@@ImBarryScottCSS www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/heston-blumenthals-beef-burgers Nothing besides top round and salt. The cross linking is key, but the salt doesn't toughen the meat if you use the right meat and treat it correctly.

[@omgitsjulian]

I prefer more information and science and less Saturday morning family show content. Seems like that cheese wheel has been beaten to death as of late. Either way, I would be great to move on from burgers next time.

[@yosh9651]

"something something SMASH WILLY NILLY HAHA something something" somebody, for sure

[@FixingTheInternet]

More of this please.

[@Jais271]

Cheese with me

[@OptimusWombat]

Does Katie have soft buns? 🤔

[@stiles3711]

Yes, soft white buns

[@AWDYDOOD]

SMASH BURGER BEST BURGER

[@brokeindio5072]

They def smashed.

[@endofanera1983]

1:24 clomplex creatures.

[@chechingg]

Katie sounds like a news anchor. Maybe dial up the casual vibe instead.

[@eugenesedita]

She's adorable window dressing.

[@itr0863]

cute right ring finger lmfao.

[@FrankWoodPhotography]

My God Katie’s beautiful.

[@soldn6068]

not realy

[@bazzadownunder6117]

We will agree to disagree. I will say it is a myth not to buy minced meat is a "must". If I have to go 3 types of meat and just grind it right and do this so and such I will be spending my whole live in just making burgers and I will be a broke ass dude that cannot afford hamburgers (yes I did I said all that in one sentence without taking a breath). I buy the cheap mince and my customers (friends and family) always come back for more. Nah! You do it your way and eat 1 hamburger a month, maybe cause you sick of making it your way, or you make burgers 20 times a month because it takes you 10 minutes to make four hamburgers and done! Make the burgers your way because everything is myth when it comes to these dainty people and their "way".

[@44tknguyen]

You two are not compatible! She sounds like she doing a science project!

[@wxfield]

Flush Katie.

[@craignelson5689]

Yes, all of this yes

[@craignelson5689]

This was long before the patty-pult...

[@PepperGipper]

Just make the fuckin burger and leave the theatrics out.

[@roccosiffredi6427]

Very try hard

[@kangarool]

This is just too full on for what it is. You don’t have to yell or try all this schtick to make something worthwhile and interesting and helpful. Check out Adam Liaw for a totally different, calmer approach.

[@anguskd]

Kenji is so liberal I am surprised he still eats meat. He also hate small business and tried to intimidate pizza shop owners from attending the Barstool event. Disgraceful!

[@davidg5584]

Why would you ruin a great burger with American cheese?

[@daz0086]

You two look like you’ve never left your hometown and tried anything different

[@itr0863]

yea, this is horrible.

[@tib0980]

I really like this episdoe, but please don’t waste food just for more drama

[@gmart225]

scripted talking...

[@Chrisyade]

Sorry but as much as I enjoy the content, the dynamic between these two is just creepy. Ick.