The History of the Burger, and the Ten Most Expensive Burgers
by V. Laherty Adams
Hamburgh, Germany was known as a place that really knew how to chop meat. Asking for a hamburger meant for a long time that you wanted meat chopped Hamburgh style. But Hamburg steak has been available since at least the 17th century in Germany, known as Frikadelle. And way before that, the earliest precursor to the hamburger dates from the 4th century in Ancient Rome. It was a preparation of a beef patty mixed with pine kernels, black and green peppercorns, and white wine, a dish that was known as isicia omentata.
Invention claims of the hamburger range from 1885-1904, and it grew especially among the growing immigrant population in America needing to be fed. Meat shredding techniques improved the chopping of the Hamburg steak. The first meat grinder was invented by German engineer Karl Drais in the early 19th century. Before this, it was labor-intensive and time-consuming to chop meat. Hot dogs and meatloaf followed.
It was in the United States that the tradition of putting chopped meat between slices of bread began. With the advent of the automobile in the early 20t century, the idea really took off. It was something you could eat with your hands. If you were motoring long distance, it was a quick meal that didn’t leave sauce all over your hands – usually! Toppings of onion, tomato, pickles, and lettuce soon followed. Roadhouses sprang up, and soon the drive-in restaurant came to be. People would park at the restaurant and a waiter would come to the car to take the order.
The birth of the burger stories vary. Here is one story from Buffalo, New York: Brothers Frank and Charles Menches were food vendors at the 1885 Erie County Hamberg Fair outside of Buffalo. They ran out of pork and so butcher Andrew Klein suggested they use ground beef. They made up a recipe of ground beef, coffee, brown sugar, and other ingredients, all of which provided a unique taste. They served it with sliced onions. And it was a hit. They named it the Hamburger.
Another origin story of the burger is of Charlie Nagreen (1871 – 1951) in Seymour, Wisconsin. At the age of 15, Charlie sold Hamburg steaks out of a stall at te Outagamie County Fair. His sales were slow because people wanted to move freely around the Fair. Charlie then flattened the chopped Hamburg-style beef and put portions between slices of bread in 1885. The sandwich was then called the Hamburger Charlie, which was served at the Fair until Charlie’s death in 1951. Seymour, Wisconsin still celebrates a BurgerFest annually in Charlie’s honor.
In the 1920s, White Castle’s Billy Ingram launched their burger. It was during this time that the Wimpy character in the Popeye cartoons appeared. His catchphrase was, “I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” MacDonald’s followed in the 1940s.
On the other side of the palette, in fine dining, there are creations of a house burger in various restaurants, the top versions of which are made with Kobe beef. The Kobe cows are known as Wagyu. These cows are treated very gingerly, given massages; they are fed grasses, corn, soybeans, beer and even sake. A Wagyu Kobe burger can cost upwards from $50.
From the least expensive of the ten on up, first, we start out with:
10. Million Rupiah Hamburger $110
This is a concoction served at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is designed to combine the flavors of the East and the West. It is made with Japanese Kobe Wagyu beef, Italian portobello mushrooms, wasabi mayonnaise, a handmade wheat and onion bun, served with French fries, French foie gras, and an Asian pear.
9. The DB Royale Double Truffle Burger $120
This delight emerged in 2007 at the DB Bistro Moderne in New York City, based on an idea from celebrated chef Daniel Boulud. It’s made with root vegetables, foie gras, red wine braised ribs, and fresh black truffles. It also comes with parmesan, poppy seeds, a combination of horseradish and tomato sauce.
8. The Tri-Beef Burger $125
This luxury burger was first known in 2006 at the Old Homestead Steakhouse in Boca Raton, Florida. It is made up of three distinct types of cattle: Japanese Wagyu, Argentine beef, and American Prime. The ketchup that it is served with is an intoxicating combination including champagne and truffles.
7. The X Burger $160
The mysteriously named X burger was created by Chef Ciaran Hickey. It’s made up of Australian Wagyu steak, foie gras, and black truffles. The dish is topped with lobster tail, grilled red onion, tomato, and wild pine mushrooms, served with fresh asparagus. It is served with an assortment of truffle aioli, dark red truffle sauce, and brunoise tomato salsa.
6. The Richard Nouveau Burger $175
In 2008 the Wall Street Burger Soppe came out with the Richard Nouveau Burger, named after a fictitious character author of PocketChange. It is made up of Aged Gruyere cheese, wild mushrooms, black truffles, and seared foie gras. It is served on a brioche bun, but it has gold leaf flakes, which would put me off along with the price.
5. The Burger $186
This is sold exclusively in London at the Burger King’s West End location. It’s made with Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra prosciutto from Spain – among the very finest, and an onion tempura cooked with Cristal Champagne. Finished off with saffron and truffle buns from Iran.
4. The Indulgence Burger $250
The Indulgence Burger comes from Beer & Buns at the St. Giles Court Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. It is made up of Kobe beef, and to this is added caviar, white truffles, pancetta, and foie gras.
3, Le Burger Extravagant $295
This is a gourmet invention from Serendipity3 in New York, a place known for its extravagant offerings. The burger is made with Japanese Wagyu beef topped with white truffle butter, 18-month-old Cheddar cheese, shaved black truffles, a fried quail egg, Kaluga caviar, creme fraiche, and smoked marine salt.
2. The Absolutely Ridiculous Burger $1,999
They are having a bit of fun with this one. It is made with 30 pounds of bacon, 30 pounds of tomatoes, 36 pounds of expensive cheese, and 15 pounds of lettuce. It weighs in at 338.6 pounds. It can take up to 22 hours to make.
And the most expensive burger on our list is:
1. The Golden Boy $6,000
This extravagant offering is from Robbert Jan de Veen, of De Daltons in Voortuizen Netherlands. It is so delectable it is called ‘The Golden Boy.’ You can look past te gold leaf bun if you like, to the top level Japanese Wagyu beef and chuck short ribs. It’s then topped with white truffles, Paleta Iberico Bellota ham, onion rings that are made with Dom Perignon in the batter, Beluga caviar and king crab. The bun has gold leaf, but it is also made with saffron, the most expensive spice in the world.. The sauce it comes with is made with Kopi Luwak coffee and MacCallan single malt whiskey. For a description of the burger, De Daltons says it is ‘intense.’ I can only imagine.
The proceeds from The Golden Boy go to food banks and homeless shelters, so it stands to feed many.