"burgers" news and stories

You've heard of egg-in-a-hole, also known as egg-in-a-basket (eggs fried in the center of grilled bread). Now there's the Eggsplosion, in both Grilled Cheese and Cheeseburger versions, courtesy of Serious Eats. It's a runny, meaty, eggy, cheesey protein mash-up that's exactly what we want for lunch.

Get the Cheeseburger Eggsplosion how-to and recipe at Serious Eats.

Our new monthly installment features a portion of the popular guide, Eat This, Not That! in hopes that it will help you make better choices at casual and fast-food establishments.

Two pieces of bread. That's the bedrock of every hamburger on the planet. Here's the caveat: With the power to create comes the power to inflate. In fact, the average cheeseburger has ballooned from 333 to 600 calories in the last 20 years.

Some burgers even top out at 2,000 calories. For this there's no greater evidence than the greasy bread-boats being served at our most popular burger shops. Sure, there are decent options out there, but more often than not the junk that comes stuffed between the buns is enough to turn Jessica Simpson into Homer Simpson. Like these five burgers listed below. They're gut bombs in the worst way. Luckily, Eat This, Not That! discovered healthier alternatives for each of them.

After the jump, an overview of the best -- and worst -- burgers in America.

For Burger King's New Year's resolution, The King has proposed to place toppings not on top of their signature flame-broiled burgers but inside them. BK might just be making 2011 the year of the stuffed burger -- kicking things off in January with the kick of jalapeño, complemented by cheddar cheese. Here's how it rates:

The Claims: The Jalapeño & Cheese BK Stuffed Steakhouse Burger is a thick "steakhouse" beef patty infused with bits of chopped jalapeño peppers and morsels of cheddar cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, and a creamy poblano sauce, all served on a bakery bun.

The Price: $3.99, at participating locations.

See my verdict after the jump.

It was the height of lunchtime decadence for the New York lunch bunch: Daniel Boulud's $32 DB Burger, available at his Bistro Moderne in the heart of Midtown's Loosen Your Expense Account Belt. For that price, you got braised short ribs marbled into your beef patty. And fries, of course. Now, reports the Wall Street Journal, there's word from Vegas about a burger that makes Daniel's delicacy seem about as affordable as a Value Meal. Are you ready for Hubert Keller's $5,000 masterpiece-the FleurBurger 5000-at his brand-new restaurant, Fleur, in the Mandalay Bay resort? For that price, you get fries, of course, but also primo Kobe beef, foie gras, and black truffles. Still not sold? To be fair, Hubert (PBS' Secrets of a Chef and Bravo's Top Chef Masters) has sweetened the pot considerably by including a bottle of 1995 Petrus in the deal, plus a pair of crystal Ichendorf Brunello glasses, which are shipped home to you after the meal. We might still be expecting a little more bang for our buck, though. Maybe a date with the server of our choice with an option to marry, ring included.

You're not likely to find gruyère in most fast-food burger joints, but now you will, at the crossroads of America, New York's Times Square. Just in time for the city's New Year's Eve bash, there's a new burger joint in town: The Counter, a nearly 8-year-old California-born chain specializing in custom-built burgers with uncharacteristically top-notch ingredients. The new outpost just opened in Times Square yesterday -- the chain's 26th U.S. location -- at 1451 Broadway.

Oprah has already named their "Build Your Own" burger one of the "20 Burgers You Must Eat Before You Die," and GQ's Alan Richman put it on his list of best burgers in the country. At least with more than 300,000 possible combinations you'll never get bored. There are four types of patty (Angus beef, grilled chicken, turkey, veggie), 12 types of cheese (like Greek feta, provolone and soft-ripened brie), 33 toppings (house-made guacamole, sautéed mushrooms, and even a fried egg) and 21 sauces (like basil pesto, chipotle aioli and ginger-soy glaze). Then, top it off with one of six different buns, such as honey wheat or ciabatta.

Unexpected starters round out the meal, from sweet-potato fries to turkey chili and fried dill pickle chips. New York City's location is also the first to have shakes, malts, floats and a full bar with spiked shakes, beer and wine. Plus, they say all their meat is humanely raised and hormone- and antibiotic-free. Especially cool? The promise that each outpost includes some locally sourced market ingredients. Happy National Burger Day!