The Recipes: Prague
Anatomy of a burger
Prague is home to one of the most famous burgers in Europe. Naše Maso has gone internationally viral with their butcher shop burger: an excellent thick burger showcasing their dry-age program. Prague is definitely a meat-centric dining city and with this week being Burger Week at Mabel Gray and peak summer, I thought now would be a good time to talk about burgers…
The Mabel Burger.
You will need
Two Wagyu beef patties (note: I like to use 4 oz thin wagyu patties. I prefer the patty to be as wide as the bun. A double cheeseburger has a tenderness because of the thin patty as well as a great cheese distribution. 1 slice of cheese on two thin patties is a much better ratio and mouthfeel than two or three slices on one large patty.)
Sesame seed bun, buttered and toasted. It’s incredibly important that the bun is toasted and heated to the point of softening the bread. A “cold” or stiff bun can absolutely derail a good burger. I’d rather have a lower quality bun toasted properly than an excellent quality bun under toasted.
High quality pickles (preferably homemade). For making at home, I’d submerge sliced cucumbers in a boiling hot seasoned vinegar solution. I like to add garlic cloves, mustard seed, turmeric, salt, pepper, sugar and tons of fresh dill at a minimum.
Caramelized onions. Spanish onions, julienned and cook on high until the bottom of the pan starts to create a fond of burnt bits and the stirring of onions and moisture naturally deglaze the pan, creating a nice golden brown pan of onions.
American cheese.
Special sauce consisting of an aioli/mayo base, spiked with ketchup, some kind of chopped pickled vegetables, Tabasco, dijon & other seasonings.
The Mabel burger has a strong following. Pre-Covid, I occasionally had a burger on the a la carte menu at Mabel. We’d rotate all sorts of styles. A staff favorite was the Brasserie Burger: Colorado lamb patty, dijonnaise, cornichon, Brie, frisee, brioche bun. I love a good pub cheese and griddled onion on a wild game patty and English muffin (a guaranteed knife and fork situation). I also love a Dust Bowl burger, where a mountain of onions are griddled with the patty to boost the sustenance of the burger. During the pandemic, we relied on the to-go sales of our Wagyu Double Cheeseburger to keep the lights on. The feedback was wild and the burger took on a life of its own. We’re basically unable to put the burger on the regular menu as it will highjack service. So we adapted and rolled out Burger Week.
I’m very proud of the burger and we have dedicated 2 weeks a year to all-burger-takeovers of our menu. A big part of the deliciousness of the burger is the flattop. Our Keating Miraclean flattop came with the building and we’ve had it rebuilt multiple times. I love it so much. The bun, onion and patty all benefit from a high heat griddle sear. I think a griddle burger is superior to a char broiled or open flame burger. If you’re a backyard grill aficionado you can buy a Blackstone griddle or a cast iron griddle to put over your grill. In my opinion, propane gas grills are a waste of space. I’d rather use a charcoal hibachi/konro or a cast iron pan in my house. Cooking proteins and vegetables over a propane flame just doesn’t inspire me. But to each their own.
The Doug’s Burger.
I bought the extremely run down “Doug’s Delight” in Hazel Park shortly after opening Mabel Gray. I wanted to bring the corner staple back to life. We ran it for a little while and honestly, I loved it. But I met Matt & Mo and they were really trying to make a go of it with their Italian Beef Sandwiches. So I leased them the space under the condition they keep the ice cream going. It was important to me to have a place for young kids and families to walk to and hang out at. The only casualty of leasing Doug’s was losing my favorite burger.
You will need
Single 4 oz beef patty, griddled
Simple bun, like Aunt Millie’s, griddled
Griddled white onion ring
Thick slice of fresh tomato
Shredded iceberg
American Cheese
Sweet Pickles
Whole Grain Mustard Mayo
Basically the Chicago hot dog version of a burger. Probably more weight in vegetables than beef. I’ve heard a ton of opinions about “no salad on my burger” blah blah. But I love it. Tomatoes year round can be questionable so use them accordingly. I’ve found that if your tomato isn’t perfectly ripe a little salt and pepper before going on the burger can help. A little salt and pepper on the tomato is nice regardless.
If I were to make backyard burgers for friends, it would be the Doug’s Burgers. But the Mabel Burger is pretty perfect for a restaurant setting with a few margaritas and oysters.
Paulina says…
To me, burger pairings are easy: Pilsner, still rosé or champagne. Red wine lovers swear by heavy tannic reds, just like beer enthusiasts lean into hoppy IPAs. I prefer something a bit more delicate, but with the fruit, acid and carbonation to cut through the richness. My champagne of choice would be something Pinot Noir-dominant, ideally a blend. The fruity aromatic bouquet of a still rosé, chilled temp and tannic structure pair nicely with a pickle-y burger sauce. And of course, in homage to Prague as the ultimate beer city, we have to plug our friends at Urbanrest who brew the crispiest, foamiest lagers in town. Na zdraví!