so what makes a good veggie burger? (in my not so humble opinion)

The point of a good veggie burger is not to “replace” or “emulate” a beef patty. Though that may have been part of the original purpose, those in the “veggie know” realize that the veggie burger can be even more flavorful and nuanced than the ol’ beef patty. Obviously this is on account of the plethora of ingredients available. Usually beans of some sort, lentil usually, as well as corn, soy and mushrooms as well as a protein source such as tofu or TVP are used. But that doesn’t mean other things can’t be used. Usually the lentil, corn, and tofu are ground together into a paste that acts as the combining agent for the other whole ingredients which then get mixed in. These whole ingredients can be sauteed, marinated, etc to add additional flavor (caramelization, etc).

After the patty has been made all thats left is to grill it! Obviously grilling can be done, over medium to medium-high heat for about 5mins a side. If your grilling a garden/boca burger from frozen it may take a little longer, and you’ll want to start at a lower heat or it won’t cook all the way through.

Another cooking option if your inside is to pan sear it. This method requires a small pan, hard anodized or cast iron (ie a skillet) work best as they do better to distribute their heat evenly over over the entire surface of the patty over the course of cooking it. From there, you heat the pan at high heat, place a dalop of butter or spray on some pan then turn it down to medium and throw the patty on top for about 2-3minutes. You want to get a good sear without totally burning the side. This will have the effect of lightly caramelizing the patty. from there another small dalop of butter or spray of pam and flip it for about the same length of time.

FIRST!

Welcome! In honor of the great "The Burrito Blog" I've started this, The Veggie Burger Blog. Same basic premise. Find, eat and review all the best (and worst) of the veggie burgers restaurants and pubs have to offer.

So like The Burrito Blog I will give some quick info on the restaurant, then meals in general, and information on the veggie burger itself. I'll also give it a rating. Ratings will obviously be pretty subjective at first and will evolve over time, so keep that in mind when you read older ratings.

Hopefully this is just a temporary home. I'd like to setup a better blog system to be able to customize things.