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This post was authored by the one and only Shannon McKinney (aka Dad), owner of McKinney & Doyle, in April of 2015.

One of my favorite duties at McKinney and Doyle is creating new dishes for our menus.  I’ve got it made when you think about.  I have access to almost any ingredient I need through our suppliers and 3 walk in coolers filled with fresh seafood, meats, vegetables, cheese, herbs and spices.  Plus I have a wonderful group of chefs and prep cooks that make sure plenty of onions, potatoes and carrots are already cleaned and peeled, stocks are ready to use and when it comes time to clean up?  well, lets just say that aside from wiping down the table I used, that gets done for me too.  Not a bad gig if you can get it.

There is a secret I learned early in my career though, that really elevates even the simplest dishes from good to great and it’s really pretty easy.

The trick is to treat each and every component of your dish as if you were going to eat it all by itself.  A great burger is a perfect example.

Lets say you want a hamburger with lettuce, tomato and sauteed onions.  Try and think about each ingredient when you shop for it.

The ground beef should have a decent fat content (80% lean to 20% fat is what I prefer) because lets face it, a juicy burger is not filled with actual juice. The fat content is what gives off that wonderful hot liquid that runs down your wrists when you take a bite.

The bun should be fresh with a little crust but soft in the center; lettuce nice and crisp; tomato ripe and onions? Vidalia’s are my favorite because they are wonderfully sweet.

Now you’re home and its time to cook.  Remember, we are going to pretend that each component is going to be eaten on its own and not combined so think about it now…

A nice fresh bun is great but wouldn’t it better toasted face down on a grill with a little butter?

Fresh lettuce and tomato are usually salad components so why not dress them with a little vinaigrette?

Sautéing onions softens them up but why not let them get fully caramelized into that wonderful onion sweetness found in great onion soup? Season them up with salt and pepper too.

Finally our main ingredient, the beef.  Form your patties with as little pressing as possible.  We’re not making meatloaf here so try to shape them leaving the meat looking like it just came out of the grinder. This makes the burger much more tender and less mealy.  I leave the ground beef in the plastic tray it comes in and just divide it with a knife into however many patties I want to make.  Pick up each square and mold it just enough to make it round.

Now and most importantly, SEASON it!!!  How many times have you gone out for a burger and found the meat portion bland and tasteless?  You wouldn’t grill a fine steak without at least salt and pepper so why wouldn’t you season ground steak?  You get where I’m going here. Use salt, pepper, ground garlic, onion powder, whatever flavors you like, just keep imagining that that piece of meat is the only thing that will be on your plate.

Now cook it on a grill or in a heavy bottom pan but make sure that whatever you use is HOT.  You know how everyone likes to pick at those burnt ends on a roast or the crispy skin on a chicken?  That’s what a nice hot surface will do for your burger by making a nice caramelized crust on the outside.

So what could be just a hamburger is now a tasty, charred ground steak on a buttery toasted bun with a tangy, tart salad and sweet onion soup.

Try this with everything you cook and you will always have people wondering why the food is so much better at your house.

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

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