Five Layers of Crunch

[Mike5966]

This a burger thread inspired by a phenomenon I first noticed when trying to recreate the Shake Shack burger in my apartment, and one which I have seen most fully expressed in the burger at the Gallows in the South End.

What is it?

Layer 1: Crispy, butter-griddled under-surface of the top bun
Layer 2: Top surface of the well-carmelized patty
Layer 3: Bottom surface of the patty
Layer 4: Some additional vegetal element; I prefer tiny chopped raw onions
Layer 5: Top surface of bottom bun

When attention and care are taken to develop a maximum amount of savory, crispy, carmelization in four of the five non-vegetal layers, and then you add to that the extra bite from the onion and/or pickle or whatever else you like to give the fifth, a burger can truly reach new heights. Throw in a gooey cheese (my favorite is American) to bring things together, and you have a burger where every bite feels like a masterpiece onslaught of burger textures.

Every "Our Way" burger I've ever had at the Gallows (excluding the huge monster burgers that come heaped with gravies and stuff like that) achieves all five layers of crunch, every time, to a relatively extreme degree compared to most other burgers. Do you know of any others?

[Aromatherapy]

Can't help you, but posts like this are what keep me loyal to this site. Thanks.

[opinionatedchef]

mike, i'd urge you to try the Strip T's House burger w/ the lemon aioli and smoked miso and a very flavorful combo of beef, on top of some amazing pickled (crunchy) onions. Do let us know what you think. p.s. they're also serving it for lunch now. (closed Sun.)

[Blumie]

That sounds really, really good (a lot better than Shake Shack, IMHO, which is an awesome alternative to a fast food burger but really no comparison at all to a good pub burger, and certainly not worth the typical 45 minute wait in line)!

[Mike5966]

Thank you! I've been meaning to get out there. I think that with the exception of sliders which are meant to be soft, squishy, and gooey, most full size burgers really benefit from a contrast in textures to offset the otherwise soft and pliant nature of the rest of the burger, especially the bun. When you can literally feel your teeth shattering through the crispy layers in succession with each bite, it's just... I mean, I can't even... this (wipes mouth) is so... (chew, chew, breathe, clear throat)... good.

Strip T's it is. Thanks for the tip!

[opinionatedchef]

hey mike, with that kind of passion, i sure hope you are a regular reader of rich's bostonburgerblog. I bet he'd love to meet you for a burger too. neat guy.

http://www.bostonburgerblog.com/

[opinionatedchef]

p.s.i perused his most recent reviews and ,from 2011, it looks like Towne is one to check out.