Mission Burger

Our method for the patties was originally conceived by one of the world’s most respected chefs and one of my personal heroes, Heston Blumenthal. In his TV-and-book series In Search of Perfection, Blumenthal dissects conventional dishes and then outlines a methodology for creating his ideal version. We admired Blumenthal’s hamburger technique and dubbed his process “granulation,” since it organized the burger into a pattern resembling the grain of a steak. Granulation provides an elegant solution to a common problem facing most burgers: overly dense patties. Organizing the meat strands and slicing patties with a knife results in a relatively smooth-faced yet uncompressed patty, which in turn allows a cook to sear the outside extremely hard without sacrificing tenderness or moisture.