Veggie burgers are a large part of my diet. Whether homemade or of the Morningstar/Amy's/Dr.Praeger's variety, I eat 'em plain, pile on sauteed veggies, or cut them up and throw them in a salad. They never get old.
As one would expect, I also tend to order them when I'm out to dinner (often, they're one of only a few vegetarian options available). Sometimes they're amazing - in fact, I find that, not surprisingly, tiny, out-of-the-way cafes and family-run kitchens have the best, crispiest, most satisfying veggie burgers. This includes a crispy outer shell, just the right amount of spices, a good protein-to-vegetable ratio, an egg or two to bind the mix together, and a non-mushy middle.
Lately, though, I've found an unsettling trend among larger restaurant veggie burgers: The outer layer is crisped to perfection, but the middles are completely underdone! (If you're furrowing your brow, think of it as ordering a steak weIl done and it showing up rare).
Now, I know that thinking of vegetables and lentils as being "underdone" may be amusing to you carnivores out there, but trust me: it's entirely possible. And sadly, pretty easy to avoid. Sometimes it takes one fewer egg or a little less water, and sometimes it takes a smaller patty, which allows the burger to fully cook through.
But whatever the issue, restaurant veggie burgers just aren't cutting it. I offer my plea to chefs: please cook your burgers fully! Vegetarians like a "well-done" burger as much as our carnivorous pals.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-03-2008 @ 9:07PM
Frank said...
Vegetarians like a "well-done" burger as much as our carnivorous pals.
We don't like our burgers "well-done".
Are you talking about "made in house" veggie patties, cuz I thought most of the veggie burgers out there use those pre-made/frozen patties.
Or is the problem that places that USED to use pre-cooked are now going to homemade?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2008028347_gburger020.html
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7-03-2008 @ 9:07PM
Bernie B said...
I'd hazard a guess that they're using an inferior product direct from GFS [Gordon Good Service]. Many lazy restaurants and deli's are relying too much on bulk nowadays. If I want good potato/macaroni salad just have to make it myself as the sludge from GFS is beyond awful.
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7-03-2008 @ 9:07PM
olaamigo said...
I got a veggie burger at Wynkoops in Denver that was like that. It had just enough firmness to barely stay together but on the inside it had the consistency of stale oatmeal. Not a winner. The ones at Red Robin are usually good though. At home I like Boca brand stuff.
I'd be happy to grab something other than a veggie burger, but at a lot of places, that's the only option for vegetarians. Part of the reason I don't eat out that much.
Happy 4th.
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7-03-2008 @ 10:58PM
Rudi Riet said...
If the place pre-makes the patties and freezes them, they may be throwing them on the grill frozen, rather than letting them thaw a tad before cooking. Given the tight time constraints in a lot of restaurants, that means they'll cook them at high heat for less time. The result? Crispy outside, mushy middle.
Note that many commodity veggie burgers (e.g. Boca, Gardenburger) have been formulated to cook well directly from the freezer - though perhaps not from an extra-cold deep freezer.
What makes the mush factor even worse is if they use a microwave to expedite the process (not common, but can happen).
The best advice? If you get a bad burger, send it back with advice to the chef about cooking technique. Yes, it's a bit of an affront to many chefs, but so many are poorly versed in the art of vegetarian cooking that a bit of constructive feedback isn't a bad thing at all.
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7-05-2008 @ 12:16AM
ABT said...
What Rudi said. I was going to say the same thing about frozen veggie burgers but the rest of that comment was well done (pardon the pun).
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9-10-2008 @ 7:43PM
Marla said...
I know this happens to me at Burger King, or bigger restaurants; it's because they microwave them. I mean, I'd like them to microwave them, as the other option would be to fry them on the grill with the meat. I just eat it and move on. *shrug*
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