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It’s uncommon, however often I’ll drop by a restaurant and are available throughout a peanut butter burger. Peanut butter. On a meat burger. I could also be behind the herd, however this feels like a trick to me. It’s attainable that I am barely scarred from that terrible peanut butter omelet I made as soon as (in my protection, I used to be 10 years previous), however I normally chalk this burger up because the odd restaurant’s playful menu merchandise—pointed at, however by no means to be ordered. That’s not honest of me although, is it? As they are saying on the planet of earnest meals exploration, don’t knock it ‘til ya attempt it. So I did.
My preliminary low expectations
Admittedly, as I rolled into the grocery store to select up components, I had a detrimental mindset. I used to be pondering of components that would make the burger higher, assuming from the leap that it might need assistance. I wasn’t completely fallacious, however a tad circumspect I suppose.
Peanut butter has a strong taste. If it has its druthers, it’ll command the stage and your entire roof of your mouth. I wished a number of co-stars for stability, so I selected bacon and an aged Dubliner cheese from Kerry Gold. I normally love a burger that is been run by way of the backyard, however this didn’t look like the fitting time, so I held off on the same old greens.
I anticipated the burger to be extraordinarily nutty and boring, missing the usually juicy and umami-packed expertise I like when devouring a burger. I used to be fallacious.
I began with a reserved quantity of peanut butter, and located myself including extra later. Nobody is extra shocked than I’m.
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Peanut butter is a superb savory flavoring
I’m shocked I didn’t consider it at first, however peanuts and peanut sauces aren’t new companions to meats and savory dishes. Consider Thai rooster or pork satay with peanuts, or kare-kare, a stew from the Philippines that includes a thick peanut sauce and beef or oxtail.
Peanut butter, particularly the unsweetened type, has an earthy, roasted taste, and a refined sweetness. It performs properly with fat and spices. Peanut butter sits in a particular class with cocoa and cinnamon—flavors initially thought of candy, however they really have a pure bitterness or tannic high quality that may complement a variety of dishes. If spicy peanut sauce is sensible in your fried rooster wings, I’ve to say, it actually has a spot in your burger.
Towards the top of the expertise, I added pickles to try to throw it off. In some way it was nonetheless scrumptious.
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Ideas for the perfect peanut butter burger
Make burger. This may appear apparent, however inform that to the eating places that made me unseasoned burgers, dry burgers, low-quality, and under-cooked burgers. It’s tempting to try to pile on the condiments in an effort to save lots of the burger, but when the central ingredient is off then it’s over. Peanut butter isn’t going to save lots of a nasty burger. Moreover, peanut butter is sticky and might depart your mouth feeling dry. It wants moisture to assist wash it down, and the fats from a thick, juicy burger does precisely that. Season it properly, and cook dinner it with love.
Extremely-rated grill choices in your subsequent PB burger:
Use salty companions. I normally intention for stability when working with highly effective components, and the identical is true with peanut butter. Peanut butter has a pure sweetness and slight bitter high quality I discussed earlier, and that tastes nice with loads of salt and a touch of acid. To achieve these marks I used crispy, old-school bacon (not that low-sodium stuff, or uncured lies), and aged cheddar, which has a faint chew to it. I additionally tried tomato and pickles on my burger—for science—and whereas they each work, pickles are higher.
Don’t be afraid. I attempted one burger with Loopy Richard’s crunchy, unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter. I additionally tried a burger with Jif and all its sugar-boosted, hydrogenated glory. I’m shocked to say it, however they had been each nice. Jif is thicker, in fact, however the taste mixture, even with the sweetness, by no means went south. So long as your burger is juicy, the layer of peanut butter gained’t be too dry or sticky both.
Ought to peanut butter go on burgers? Sure. I imagine this well-loved condiment is extra versatile than I gave it credit score for. So go forward, combine it into your cookie batters, stir it into an umami dipping sauce, and slather it in your meat burgers. Whenever you’re prepared in your subsequent meals journey, peanut-butter-topped burgers don’t disappoint.
