Burger of the Day: Dean & Deluca's Foie Gras Burger

5-20-2007 @11:16AM tony2x said... And representing the other end of the scale... I've made a burger with foie gras in before for a dinner party. The addition of the silky smooth controversial foodstuff really does lift the humble burger into the ethereal. For me it completes the flavour profile of the burger and adds a richness to the beef and when combined with some gently roasted and pureed garlic cloves makes a perfect burger mix.

It also makes for a very interesting dinner party menu when you tell your guests that you are serving burger and chips on oversize white china plates! :)

Oh and yes, I do get that foie gras really isn't the most humane foodstuff but I'm ok with that, it tastes delicious so it's a moral choice i'm happy with.

I've visited a factory in Perigord, France that produces foie gras and the birds were not caged all day, only for feeding. The conditions were actually set to minimise the suffering of the bird because any damage to the esophagus would put the bird in danger (and mean they couldn't sell the foie gras) the force feeding didn't seem to distress the bird and I felt the conditions were a lot more humane than we often give the industry credit for. I believe if you make informed choices about the source of your foie gras in the same way that we, as foodies, would seek out organic, naturally reared meat then you minimise your impact into the needless suffering of the animals. And we all know that less suffering means tastier fare!

If your foie gras producer is force feeding the vomit back into the duck or goose then you are buying your foie gras from the wrong place.

I think it is a shame that the US is slowly outlawing the product, it is a gustatory treat that a lot of us enjoy from time to time.

Ok it's time to make foie gras burgers, I have a barbecue coming up! :)
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5-20-2007 @12:32PM Camille said... To the Tony2X who is ok with eating a substance that he admits is inhumane, wake up and smell the coffee.....foie gras is being banned in places all around the world, not just the United States.

If you think that less suffering means tastier fare then by your own rationale, you should be substituting food that does not come from the confinement and brutal killing of sentient beings. I am a vegan and I can assure you that what I eat is as tasty as can be and it causes no suffering. Isn't that better than choosing a dish that in your own words "...isn't the most humane foodstuff..."?

Foie gras is nothing but the diseased liver of a confined, force fed and tortured animal. Think about that next time you make one of your "moral" food choices.
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5-20-2007 @5:55PM Aaron said... I wish everyone would get the facts straight on Foie Gras.

I am not hear to say if you should or shouldn't eat it, but at least learn what it really is.

Foie Gras is produced by overfeeding or force-feeding ducks or geese. The liver then becomes engorged and larger than usual. This may sound inhumane, but the truth is that ducks do this to themselves before migrating for the winter. Foie Gras was first discovered in wild ducks. Granted, they do not have a tube shoved down their throat in the wild, but ducks don't have nerve endings in their throats and often store food in them when their stomach is full.

As Tony said above, these ducks and geese are typically free range and treated very well. Is is an expensive, rare, artisinal product, after all. Not a slab of bacon, or chicken breasts that can be found in every grocery store from coast to coast.

I think the people of America should be more outraged over the production of most Pork, Chicken, & Beef in this country. Ducks farmed for Foie Gras are treated much more humanely than these other animals.

And to the vegan, I applaud you for your lifestyle choice, but I'm sorry to inform you that it isn't cruelty free. Millions upon millions of field mice and other small animals are killed in the farming of vegetables every year. There was even a study done that showed that more animals are actually killed in vegetable farming than in livestock farming. I can't vouch for the authenticity of the study, but either way, your diet is far from cruelty free.
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5-20-2007 @7:29PM laurent said... Hi, nice blog.
I m french and we do lot of special burger like that, with deifferent nice cheeses, or beef "filet"

i m a private chef in Nice - Monaco - Cannes

My website : http://www.en.exclusivereception.com

Write to me pleasure to know you and your blog i will be back ! lol
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5-20-2007 @8:53PM Adriane said... I kind of have to agree with Aaron...of all the animal products out there, why does everyone get so bent out of shape about ducks and geese?
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5-21-2007 @10:43AM jrt said... Forget this high-falutin' stuff and get yourselves to Burnsies in Naugatuck, CT for a Billie Burger - 2 patties, bacon, cheese and a fried egg on top.
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