An old saying goes, “The history of every nation lies visible on its table.” Wars and victories, its occupation in defeat, the marriages of its kings, its religion, its empires–all have left behind some flavors, ingredients or dishes destined to become part of any national cuisine.
That’s certainly the case in the United States, where flavors and dishes from all parts of the world have become part of our cuisine. But of all the dishes over the last 200 or so years, which ones can we characterize as classics? And which new dishes seem poised to become classics in the next millennium?
If I had to vote on what constitutes the most popular food classics of this century, I would pick hamburgers and Caesar salad.
I was lucky enough to go to Glendale High School with Bob Wyan, the creator of what became the huge national chain of hamburger places called “Bob’s Big Boy.” One of his employees in the early days was Ray Kroc, who eventually left to start McDonald’s. Kroc generously credited Bob with inspiring McDonald’s Big Mac.
The genius of the two-patty Big Boy hamburger was that nothing slid or flopped over the edge because Bob sliced each bun into thirds. One slice was spread with mayonnaise and sprinkled with chopped lettuce, then topped with a thin hamburger patty. The top of the middle slice was spread with relish, and the bottom was spread with mustard. The last slice was spread with ketchup and chopped onions. The second patty was placed on the onions.
The sandwich was no thicker than one’s mouth. Most hamburgers are thick monsters. There should be a mouth measure so you never have to buy these impossible-to-eat types!
Bob Wyan’s way of assembling hamburgers was sheer genius, but the classic hamburger recipe I’ve given here uses the standard assembly method.
BASIC HAMBURGERS
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound lean ground beef, see note
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 hamburger buns
Mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, onion slices, cheese slices, pickles or relish, iceberg lettuce
1. Put ground beef, water, salt and pepper in large bowl; gently mix with fingertips. Don’t squeeze or press meat. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Gently pat each into 3-inch-diameter patty.
2. Place large skillet over medium heat; heat 1 minute. Add oil, tilting skillet so oil coats bottom. Put patties into skillet; cook about 3 minutes. Turn patties; cook 2 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to buns. Pass toppings at table so diners can build their own version of a perfect hamburger.
Note: Lean ground beef is at least 10 percent fat.
Nutrition information per burger (excluding condiments):
Calories ………… 380 Fat ……….. 20 g Saturated fat .. 7 g
% calories from fat .. 48 Cholesterol .. 75 mg Sodium …… 585 mg
Carbohydrates …… 22 g Protein ……. 27 g Fiber …….. 1.2 g
