Burger at The General Greene
When you read enough blogs about hamburgers, you come to find out about the mysterious thing of the outter crust on a hamburger patty. I think my very first hamburger was probably McDonalds or Wendy's and honestly I don't remember. Those things don't have crusts. The Shake Shack burger supposedly develops a nice crust on the outside of the patty but I've mostly encountered inconsistent crustiness (but that's not a diss on SS, still love their burgers). First bite of the burger at The General Greene was a lesson on a hamburger with a solid crust. Unfortunately it was also a lesson on too much crust.
The General Greene cooks their burgers and toast their buns on a grill. You'll find intense grill marks branded on the bun. They use a plain hamburger bun which is great because it puts the focus on the meat. The meat itself is encased in a hefty crust. From the color of the patty you can see that the crust comes from intense caramelization when something is charred on a grill.
My first bite revealed a true crunch, which was a completely new experience for me. But as I worked through the burger, the charred crust became too overpowering. The crust dominated the flavor of the burger.
I still really enjoyed it because a crust on a burger is enjoyable. There's something really satisfying when you bite and there's that slight resistance. The burnt outside might have affected the taste, but it also kind of reminds you of an outdoor grilling session. With the temperature hovering around 35 degrees the last couple of days, memories of anything warm and outdoorsy is welcomed.
The General Greene is located in Fort Greene Brooklyn and it's maybe a ten minute walk from another good Ft. Greene burger place, 67 Burger. I think between the two, 67 Burger is a better experience if you just want a hamburger.
I'm going to leave you today with a video from Funny or Die. I think y'all will like it. Now I need to go find a haiku...
The General Greene
229 Dekalb Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11205
718-222-1510
Once again Dannyboy, you have captured the essense of the burger. Next time just tell them you want less cancer on the patty (aka hold the carbon-14). What about a little bulls eye bbq sauce? Wouldn't that augment the taste? Ok, it's happy hour, time for this hungry bitch to find a cocktail.
Cups
Hungry Bitch
December 10, 2008 9:35 am
@Cups,
You right, less cancer on the patty = greater deliciousness. It was an oversight but who knew there would be that much cancer on it? Anyway I thought carbon is good for you? Aren't we full of carbon? Or maybe we're just full of shit. Same thing. I'm not a big fan of bbq sauce on the burger though. Maybe ketchup. Hope the cocktail hour was good.
Danny
December 10, 2008 2:08 pm
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Deborah
Deborah
December 11, 2008 12:34 am