Signature Series: Burgers

What is better than a really good burger? A burger you can't get anywhere else! As part of our ongoing Signature Series, FSD spoke to operators about how they take classic hamburgers and turn them into something worth coming back for again and again.

Smoked Cheddar Cheeseburger
Michigan State University, East Lansing

When Kurt Kwiatkowski, corporate chef of Culinary Services at MSU, set out to create a signature item for the department's new Eat at State ON THE GO food truck, he quickly decided he wanted an item that showcased the campus's commitment to local products.

"That led me to our MSU beef," Kwiatkowski says. "At first, it was going to be a bacon cheeseburger, but I started playing around with the cheeses from our campus dairy and I fell in love with the smoked cheddar."

Kwiatkowski says the smoked cheddar was too strong on its own, so he decided to cut it with a tradition sharp cheddar, also from the campus dairy. The burger also features product from the campus organic farm, when in season, as well as a bun from a local bakery.

"The nice thing is you get a little bit of the carmelization of the meat, which gives a really nice meat flavor. Then you get the smoky sensation from that cheddar, the crunch of the lettuce, the acid of the tomatoes and the bite from the red onion. It all just plays really nice together. People have told me it's the best burger they've ever had. I’d say about 40% of our truck sales is the burger."

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Custom-Blend Burger
Fauquier Hospital, Warrenton, Va. (Unidine)

This burger calls for a custom blend of beef including chuck, brisket and sirloin. The hospital offers customers special toppings, such as crispy fried onions and barbecue sauce, every Friday.

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Tuscan Margherita Burger
University of Kentucky, Lexington

At the University of Kentucky, the burger program is be reimagined in light of a construction projects, says Scott Kohn, executive chef/assistant director. However, he says the department is considering moving the program to its new butcher shop.

"We've been experimenting with our aged beef," Kohn says. "We age the animals for three weeks before we start processing them. The ground beef is aged and top quality."

For this burger, the ingredients take their cue from a Margherita pizza. The burger features mozzarella, red sauce, fresh basil and a balsamic mayo. 

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Asian Twist Mandarin Beef Burger
Alfred State University, N.Y.

When the team at Alfred State University heard about the NY State Burger Contest, it decided to create a few signature burgers to try for the win. This burger came out victorious for the operation's region. Bron Norasethaporn, catering manager, says the burger has been a success because of the fusion of flavors.

"We top it with a Mandarin orange dressing, red onion and use panko breadcrumbs in the meat," Norasethaporn says. "We top them with fried rice paper, like a spring roll, romaine lettuce and sliced tomato. We also serve it with cucumber ajari instead of standard pickles."

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BabyBerk Burger
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

This burger was created as the signature burger at the UMass food truck BabyBerk. The burger features applewood smoked bacon, salsa, cheddar and Montreal steak seasoning.

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