Shoutout to the sous who told me to stop cranking the heat on flat top

I used to think more heat = faster sear = better crust. Kept burning my burgers and getting bitter tasting bits on the griddle. Sous chef at my last gig in Nashville finally pulled me aside and said "bro you're torching the oil before the meat even hits." Dialed it back to medium high and let the patties sit without touching them for a solid 4 minutes. Night and day difference. Better crust, no burnt taste, way less grease fires. Anyone else get taught a basic thing way too late into their career?

3 comments

3 Comments

flores.mark22d ago

Wait, medium high is still pretty hot for burgers.

the_rose22d ago

Read something the other day from a pretty well known chef, actually. She was saying that for thicker burgers, you actually want to go medium high for a good sear but then drop it down so the inside cooks through without burning the outside. @flores.mark, I think a lot of people get that wrong because they keep it on the same heat the whole time. It's why you end up with raw centers or hockey pucks. Have you tried adjusting the temp halfway through?

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drews5522d ago

Does starting with a screaming hot cast iron pan help with that initial sear before you drop the temp?