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Burger Beast’s The Grinder is Back! And I need your help!

By Burger Beast · Comments (0)
Thursday, August 16th, 2012

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A few years back I did this cool Question & Answer thing with local restaurant owners, Chefs and some Food Celebrities called The Grinder. Well I’m bringing it back and I’d like for you to help me out.

We’re gonna go much more local for this series and we’re starting with the “Mad Scientist” Nedal Ahmad of Pincho Factory. Please send in a question you’d like for him to answer to thegrinder@burgerbeast.com. If your question is chosen and you won’t find out until the interview is live, you’re going to win something pretty cool for you and a guest. So make ‘em good and if you’ve never read The Grinder, get with it!

Thanks for all the questions! Come back to BurgerBeast.Com on September 10th for the new Grinder!

Put Though The Grinder Already:

Chef Brett Reichler (Bill’s Bar & Burger in NYC)

Chef Jonathan Eismann

Chef Norman Van Aken

Jamie Deen of the Deen Bros.

Univision’s Ingrid Hoffman

SoBe & NY Wine & Food Festival Director Lee Schrager

Chef George Duran (of Ham on the Street fame)

Chef Michael Schwartz (Michael’s Genuine & Harry’s Pizzeria)

Chef Mike Saperstein (Charm City, Jefe Luchador & Rebel House)

Hamburger America’s George Motz

Grill ‘Em All Truck (Winners of the Great Food Truck Race Season 1)

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The Grinder – Grill ‘Em All Truck

By Burger Beast · Comments (0)
Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Grill ‘Em All Truck  has been featured on Travel Channel’s Food Wars and this upcoming Sunday they will be on the Season Finale of Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race (They won). The most important thing about them is that they’re all about the burger with some metal on the side. I’m a fan and you should be too! So with further ado, here’s Matt & Ryan getting put through The Grinder:

BB: What’s the best selling Burger on your truck and why do you think it’s so popular?

Matt: The Behemoth is selling like crazy…Ryan 86′d the bun on that one and replaced it with grilled cheese sandwiches. That’s probably why it sells so much. People like to accomplish things and eating a Behemoth is truly an accomplishment.

Ryan: There’s also the waste em all (green chilies, pepperjack, and beer soaked onions), kids love it cause there’s beer in the onions. Also, all our specials sell real well. The “exciter” – duck con fit sauteed in savory orange marmalade with garlic aioli and lettuce…on a burger. That thing is intense!

BB: Your favorite burger topping?

Matt: Besides human calf flesh? I really like pastrami on burgers. Meats should hang out more.
Ryan: I love meat on meat, it’s a beautiful thing. Buffalo chicken is awesome and I gotta agree with Matt, pastrami is absolutely the shit on burgers!

BB: What was the inspiration for the ‘blue cheer’ Burger? Munchos is such a great idea.

Matt: Ryan is inspired to greatness by booze and 80s metal videos on VH1 classics. Though I do not speak for him. I’m just guessing.
Ryan: I loved Munchos as a kid. I was a fat kid…now I’m a fat man. Munchos are so salty and light it works so well w the blue cheese and gastrique, and you still get that nice crunch that goes well with burger. Damnit, now I’m hungry

Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All

Grill ‘Em All’s Logo

BB: Love the logo but has Metallica contacted you about it?

Matt: No but if they did they would probably say… Damn you guys rule so hard, keep up the good work you handsome dukes of burger-dom.
Ryan: Matt summed that up perfectly

BB: Have you considered banning anyone from eating at your truck for adding ketchup to the Burger?

Matt: I love ketchup on everything so, no, never considered it. But we have banned people for saying dumb shit on Twitter and for being general fuck tards.

Ryan: Nah, I like ketchup. But it is fun to ban people for being idiots. It happens more than you’d think. #1 offense: telling us how to run our business. #1 response: get yer own fucking truck, yer banned. Hahaha!

BB: Marry-F@ck-Kill : Austin Daily Press, Spencer on the Go or Nom Nom. By the way, killing Tyler Florence is an option, just throwing that out there.
Follow Them:

Matt:
Marry: Nom Nom – they seem like they are the nurturing type. Plus we all know they made tons of money in Santa Fe.
Fuck: ADP – they, as a team, seem like they would be good in bed…as a team. Weird.
Kill: Grill Em All – for being too bad ass for their own good.
Ryan:
Woof that’s a tough one.
Marry: Austins, I already got the tattoo and I love them to death. Spencer is a runner up though cause I love them too and Laurant can cook his ass off
Fuck: I believe we fucked em all
Kill: no one. I’m a lover not a fighter. And a damn good one at that, ask my girlfriend.
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The Grinder – Hamburger America’s George Motz

By Burger Beast · Comments (1)
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

George Motz is best known for being a burger expert. His documentary and book, Hamburger America is my burger bible and should be a part of every burger fan’s collection. George has also been keeping himself busy with the NYC Food Film Festival and the upcoming Chicago Food Film Festival taking place on September 24 & 25th. So after harassing George a few times, he was able to take time away from ravaging a burger to be put through The Grinder:

BB: What’s more of a crime? Having your Burger cooked well done or having ketchup on your Burger?

GM: Whoa, definitely overcooking is more of a crime! Though you sure can ruin a good burger with ketchup. I’d have to say worst case scenario would be an overcooked burger with ketchup on it. Yuck.

BB: If your life ended tonight, where would you eat your last Burger from?

GM: My kitchen. I’d head down to my butcher, say good by and pick up a good fatty piece of chuck, take it home, grind it and make myself a smashed, fried-onion burger.

BB: What’s the biggest mistakes most restaurants make when creating “New” Burgers?

GM: Straying from the tried-and-true soft, toasted white squishy bun tends to be the biggest mistake. And most who believe that a white squishy is not gourmet enough is forgetting that the hamburger itself should not be treated like a gourmet item.

BB: How many toppings is too many?

GM: Three. Any more than that and you can’t taste the damn burger. Usually, grilled onion is all I need.


BB: I’m thinking about writing a book entitled Cheeseburger USA, you’re not going to sue me are you?

GM: Naw, I’ll just get some of my goons to kick the piss out of you.

A Burger Bible

BB: Is it true Josh Ozersky doesn’t want you on Ozersky.TV?

GM: News to me! I love Josh and I think we have an awesome relationship (on most days). Or maybe he’s just jealous…
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The Grinder: Charm City Burger Company’s Chef Mike Saperstein

By Burger Beast · Comments (3)
Monday, August 16th, 2010

As we near The Burgies in September I figured it might be a good time to start putting some of the people behind my favorite burger places through The Grinder. Charm City Burger Company is located in Deerfield Beach, Florida and well worth the drive from wherever you might be located. It’s got a wide variety of great burgers, fresh cut fries and Blue Bell Ice Cream Shakes. It’s also got Mike Saperstein, the mastermind behind all their burger creations. So without further ado, The Grinder:

BB:  So what’s a “must” topping on any burger?

MS: Definitely some sort of sauce. I am crazy about sauces, some of our burgers have up to 4 sauces in the preparations. A sauce is necessary for a few reasons 1. Adds another layer of flavor to the burger 2. Holds the variety of toppings together 3. Enhances the sloppy factor. We put our Charm Sauce or roasted garlic aioli on everything. My personal favorite is the Charm Secret Sauce style(mayo/ketchup/relish base)

BB: How essential is the grind and blend of beef to a burger’s success?

MS: They both are very important. We have three cuts of beef in our blend, Chuck, Brisket, and Short Rib. Anyone can try to copy the blend, but it is the way it is ground for us (in a specific manner) that makes the burger unique. We are partners with a local meat company and our burgers are fresh ground from whole muscle every morning and delivered within hours of being ground. We are also very brand specific in our burgers we only use Creekstone Farms Premium Angus for our patties. Our patties are made to be cooked over a flame grill, if they were going to be cooked on a flat top grill, the grind and blend would be much different.

BB:  What’s next on the horizon for Charm City Burger Company?

MS: We are patiently looking for more locations. Our biggest project right now is launching a frozen version of our different burgers: Steak burger, Big fat Greek (lamb & feta), Banh Mi (Asian pork), & Mobster (Italian sausage) for the retail market. These incredible burgers will hit the stores in the next few months. We are also in the process of bottling our Secret Charm Sauce for retail sale. And the last project we have going on is we will be opening a Mexican street food quick service concept in Deerfield Beach by the end of the year.

BB: Any meat shakes on the way?

MS: No, but we have been throwing around beer-Ice Cream Floats

BB: Who created the characters of Charm City?

MS: The characters were my partner Evan’s idea, but as far as design goes we work together on the general ideas, and forward our vision on to our designer and he draws them up. It is a lot of fun. We think exactly like the artist so it’s a pretty easy process. It helps that he is extremely talented too.

BB: Why isn’t Burger Beast a character, I deserve it don’t you think?

MS: You definitely deserve a character. I see a resemblance to the big sloppy character ;) We will see what we can do!
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The Grinder: Michael’s Genuine – Chef Michael Schwartz

By Burger Beast · Comments (0)
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Michael Schwartz is having a stellar year. The man behind Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink won the Golden Grill Award at the SoBe Burger Bash 2010 as well as a James Beard award for Best Chef: South. And as if that wasn’t enough, his Harris Ranch Black Angus Burger (served only on the lunch menu) continues to rock the world of anyone who tries it. It was time I send a few ?s his way, it’s time for him to get put through The Grinder:

BB: How long did it take you to come up with the Harris Ranch Black Angus Burger?

MS: All of 5 seconds. It’s a no-brainer. Use the best ingredients and make it yourself.

BB: Is the Brioche Bun part of what makes your burger so stellar?

MS: Absolutely. It’s all about the individual components coming together to make something great.

BB: The #1 mistake people make when creating burgers at home is….

MS: Putting too much crap in it. Buy good products and leave it alone. Especially when it’s cooking.

BB: What’s your favorite fast food burger?

MS: Anywhere the burger comes from meat from one cow. So… 86 fast food!!

BB: Look, you can be honest with me. Have you ever put catsup on one of your burgers?

MS: Fuck yeah except spelled ketchup, and with a Heinz label on the bottle. Too bad they got rid of the pickle, though.

BB: Rumor has it that you are using your Golden Grill award as a bowl to eat cereal for breakfast. Is this true?

MS: Funny you mention it. Harry, my seven year old, likes to use the Christofle tray for his pancakes. Maybe silver makes them taste better.
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The Grinder: TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off & Ham On The Street’s George Duran

By Burger Beast · Comments (0)
Monday, July 26th, 2010

Watching George Duran on Food Network’s Ham On The Street made me fearless with my crazy food combinations. I loved that show and if you’ve never seen it, I’d suggest you search it out. George now has a gig on TLC where he hosts Ultimate Cake Off but unfortunately you don’t get to see the Ham on the Street George Duran on there. If you’d like that version, I’d tell you to check out either George Duran or his Facebook Page. He’s a funny dude plus he let me put him through The Grinder:

BB: Back in 2009, my wife met you at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash. You mentioned that you liked your burger still “kicking and screaming” Anything change since then?

GD: I still stand by my word. I love rare burgers…in fact, I’ve become a big fan of steak tar tar (even if it’s not technically a burger). I cringe when I go to a great burger joint and I hear someone at the table next to me say “well done please”. I want to get up and punch them in the face, then apologize and buy them a rare burger.

BB: In your cookbook, “Take This Dish and Twist It”, there are some great recipes and fans of Ham On The Street will appreciate your humor & quirky style throughout but there’s only one burger recipe. Why are you holding out on us?

GD: Dude, that burger recipe is the single best burger recipe in the country. No need for anything else. Actually, the recipe has evolved a bit and has been perfected. I now make the world’s best burger and anyone who wants to challenge me (bring it on Bobby) can come over and have a grill-off.

George’s World’s Best Burger

BB: Which topping is a big no-no for burgers?

GD: What a fantastic question. There’s nothing that can’t be topped on burgers except for cotton candy as it would melt with the heat of the burger.

BB: As a New Yorker you’re qualified to answer this question, is NYC the Burger capital of the world?

GD: Hell yeah. Every week when I open New York Magazine or Time Out New York, there are 3 or 4 new burger joints popping up. And I’ll let you in on a little secret, America’s next big burger joint is opening here in NYC at the end of this summer. It’s called “4food” and it’s guaranteed to blow every burger joint out of the water.

BB: With your current hosting duties, what’s the likelihood of an Ultimate Burger-Cake Off episode?

GD: I pray every night before I go to sleep that this comes true. In fact, I’m not much of a cake expert. But if the show were about burgers, I’d be the happiest man on Earth.

BB: Would you get mad if I created a show called Spam on the Sidewalk?

GD: Do it man! Do it! Just pick up the phone when my lawyer calls…

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The Grinder: SoBe & NY Wine and Food Festival’s Lee Schrager

By Burger Beast · Comments (0)
Monday, July 19th, 2010

Most folks know Lee Schrager as the director of the SoBe and NY Wine & Food Festivals. I happen to think of Lee more as a Burger ambassador and giant Burger fan (which explains why the Burger Bash at both festivals are the world series of Burger events). So it’s a good thing he’s agreed to get put through The Grinder as I’ve got some questions that need answering.

BB: What’s your favorite type of burger?

LS: Patty Melt

BB:What’s the best burger you’ve had this year?

LS: I’m a Shake Shack Addict. I’d heard that Lure in New York City is pretty good but I have not been there to try it yet. So for me Shake Shack is still the best this year.

BB: What’s the best burger you’ve ever had?

LS: I think I have to say, one that I grilled myself a few summers back in The Hamptons using Pat La Frieda Black Label meat. It’s the best burger I can remember eating.

BB: When is a Frita (Cuban Hamburger) going to be included in the South Beach Burger Bash?

LS: With your help in securing them, we would love to invite a Frita burger chef to the Festival’s 10th anniversary this year and the 5th anniversary of Burger Bash.

BB: When will Bobby Flay win a Burger Bash? Is he the Susan Lucci of the Burger Bash?

LS: Sadly it appears he is the Susan Lucci of Burger Bash because he’s always in the Top 3 but can never win the top prize.

BB: I’ve got a couple of suggestions for next year’s South Beach Burger Bash, can I send them your way?

LS:Yes, of course!

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