What is the point of mustard-frying burger patties?
I mean the type where mustard is placed on the hot griddle, and the patty is placed or smashed on top.
Mustard is actually mostly water (with some vinegar and mustard powder mixed in). The water inhibits browning of the patty and causes the patty to be steamed, so it does not seem like a great idea to put it below the patty.
There are other ways to add mustard flavor to the burger, like adding mustard or mustard powder to the sauce, or smearing mustard or mustard powder on the patty after it has been cooked. You could even season the patty with mustard powder before cooking it.
So, why place the patty on that mix of water, vinegar and mustard powder, which we know as mustard?
Best Answer
I did various tries and ate a lot of smashed cheeseburgers lately. Here is what I found:
The best option is, in the case of smashed burgers, to fry the first side without mustard, and the second side very briefly with mustard. This tastes better than frying without mustard at all, frying both sides with mustard, frying just the first side with mustard, smeering mustard on the patty after frying or adding more mustard into the sauce or elsewhere on the burger.
I cannot say why, but I can say that at least for my palate and my wife's palate mustard frying only the second side very briefly is best.
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Quick Answer about "What is the point of mustard-frying burger patties?"
Mustard is actually mostly water (with some vinegar and mustard powder mixed in). The water inhibits browning of the patty and causes the patty to be steamed, so it does not seem like a great idea to put it below the patty.What does cooking burger with mustard do?
After the patty is done cooking on one side, yellow mustard gets slathered on top of their burgers before flipping and finishing cooking. Adding mustard to one side of the burger creates a nice crust as it sits on the grill and helps lock in those yummy juices. Plus, its slight tanginess gives it a major flavor boost.What is mustard fried burger?
grilled in mustard. Just say "mustard grilled," and after cooking the first side, the cook will squirt some mustard onto the top of the patty before flipping it so that it sizzles into the meat on the grill.Does in and out use mustard on their burgers?
Grilled mustard: Just like on the animal-style burger, you can ask In-N-Out to grill mustard into any patty for any burger.How do you make fried hamburger with mustard?
Cook the burgers on a grill or in a skillet. When they are just cooked to your liking, spread the mustard on one side of each burger, and sear mustard-side down. Repeat the mustard sear on the other side, and top each patty with a slice of cheese and remove from the heat.Mustard Burgers (like you didn't already know how to cook a burger)
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Answer 2
You are right how it's not a great idea to put mustard below the patty.
If you saw this in a recipe or saw someone do this, the recipe is most likely by a person who personally likes the taste and/or texture of resulting patty, and there would always be other people in this world (be it few or many) who would agree.
In short, food critics (Gordon Ramsey's my favorite) might not go easy on encountering such a method. On the other hand, here is a post that might interest you: Mustard-fried burger patty
Answer 3
As others have said, there is no good reason to do this other than personal preference. Yes you will get more of a mustard flavor by just putting mustard on as a condiment. Ground mustard seed in the meat works better. If you want a steamed burger, just use a little bit of water under the party before tossing a steel basting done on top.
The places that are doing this are likely doing it for two real reasons. 1: Their customers expect it and 2: It's super quick and they are pumping out thousands of burgers a day.
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Images: Daniel Reche, ROMAN ODINTSOV, Katerina Holmes, ROMAN ODINTSOV