Umami burgers

Bash

No pics of the burgers, but I used the Umami recipe several have posted recently:

http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/best-umami-hamburger-recipe/

I didn't tell anyone what was in them, and had mixed results. My 11 yo daughter loved them. My 7 yo son was OK with them, and the wife said they were good, but not the best I have ever done. (I usually just do salt and pepper on my burgers). Personally, I thought they had a very good taste, and did not taste fishy at all.

For me, I would do it again, but since they were not a hit with the family, and they take extra time to make, I probably will not bother again.

I'd be interested if anyone else has tried them, and what they thought about them.

Richard

EGGARY

Thank you for the Link to the recipe. I just got a meat vacuum machine and am willing to try it. I also want to use the machine as well.

You can't please them all the time.

Theophan

I very excitedly tried that "best Umami" recipe, and was very disappointed. I didn't tell my wife what was in them and she thought they were great. I liked them, but did NOT love them, and maybe only because I knew what I'd put in it, I thought the fish sauce flavor was not mild but very noticeable, and seemed sort of a rotten fish flavor. :( To me, they weren't hamburgers with more "umami," they were "fish sauce burgers," and I was really, really glad I had NOT put in more, as the recipe encouraged me to do. I thought about trying less, but honestly, I just don't think I'm going to try that again.

If you can stand a "the one that got away" story, decades ago I found a recipe in my dearly loved and lamented Gourmet magazine for burgers that sounded decadently wonderful but I didn't have the nerve to try it, apparently didn't save it, and can't find it anywhere. You made a seasoned butter with garlic and herbs or spices, but I don't remember anything else, formed it into a log, chilled it, sliced it into disks (I don't remember how thick), made a burger out of two thinner patties and a disk of the seasoned butter tucked and sealed into the middle. Yeow -- sounded like heart attack city, but what a way to go! I've been interested in seeing some discussion of "stuffed" burgers on this list. I'm curious to know if anyone has tried anything like this.

Theo

ground control

I'm going to give these a try next friday--already planned on making burgers, now I'll try these. I often sneak fish sauce into lots of recipes without any complaints (or compliments, come to think of it), but it adds something to noodle dishes, roasts, and sauces.

Unknown

I've made the Umami burgers a couple times and I really liked them. I added scallions to the recipe and also some steak rub (the second time) and I liked them a little better.

I think in the future I will either use 1/2 the called for fish sauce in a burger recipe - or rather than use salt or fish sauce, simply substitute Soy sauce. Umami is good!

sharhamm

I add about a little less than a Tablespoon of fish sauce and black pepper to one pound hamburger meat. No sugar, or garlic. They were great. There are so many choices of fish sauce out there. Some are putrid. I prefer Three Crabs or Squid.

Village Idiot

Yes. Three Crabs brand is considered one of the best. I got some and made umami burgers and they were great ! However, Pato says Italian Colatura beats the asian fish sauces hands down, so I have a bottle on order. I trust Pato.