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Chef David Chang says you shouldn’t ever BBQ hamburgers
By Joanna Sarah-Freedman
04 Jul 2023
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Getting BBQ ready? Well, celebrity chef David Chang has some advice which might get in the way of your menu planning a bit.
Yup, the TV cooking star has warned people off barbecuing their hamburgers, acknowledging “this viewpoint could get me in trouble..”
The chef, who founded two Michelin starred Momofuku Ko, said that while we all love to whack the grill on when we’re entertaining in summer, it just risks turning your meat into “carbonised c**p”.
David Chang had some advice about BBQing meat (Credit: Getty)
Speaking on his podcast, The Dave Chang Show, the chef, 45, said it was in fact best to ditch the BBQ grill and use a griddle when cooking a hamburger instead.
“Grills suck for burgers. We have assumed as a culture that in summer, we eat a burger and it’s grilled,” he said.
Adding that it was a view that was probably going to be controversial, he added that grills were a “horrible thing for the burger.”
“The success rate of the griddle is better than the grill, and also there’s no clean up, you have nothing to worry about,” he explained.
“A juicy burger is going to turn into a guaranteed grease fire [on a BBQ grill]… why use it? This whole idea of imparting flavour from the grill, the only flavour that’s being imparted is the carbonised crap that’s on it.”
David Chang isn’t a BBQ’d burger fan (Credit: Getty)
But what about that distinctive BBQ taste that you just can’t get from a griddle?
Turns out the chef doesn’t believe it’s a thing.
“You would need to cook a burger over charcoal for 12 hours to get that smoky flavour,” he said. “A backyard burger is an experience that you try to convince yourself is better than it actually is.
“It’s the nostalgia, it’s the smells, it’s your friends. But if you actually take it out of the context, it’s not that good.
“How many places where you think have a good burger, cook it on a grill?”
Ouch. Don’t tell your Dad, we bet he thinks his is world class.
Veggies are still all good, though (Credit: Getty)
The chef isn’t totally anti-BBQ though.
In fact, he recommends putting chicken, pork, lamb and seafood on the barbie, and a plethora of veg, too.
Squash, aubergine and corn are some more of his suggestions, and he suggests cutting them so they can fall through the gaps of the grill.
Will we still be using the BBQ for a burgers in summer? Honestly, yeah. There’s just something fun about it, isn’t there?
But if you’re looking to go gourmet then maybe steer clear…
Featured image: Getty
