Burger helper

[MarketStEl]

Now I really need to know where in the Midwest this will be located so I can go there. 

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What he said.

Indeed, I think I asked the same thing upthread.

That's one phat logo. I'd second TPO's recommendation to remove "dining car" from the logo, as it implies a larger menu than you plan to offer. Even though the logo is very classy, I don't think that "Burger Joint" would be demeaning at all. In fact, I kinda like the juxtaposition.

And as I said to you in a pm, I do hope that someday you will be able to move up to a real vintage dining car with menu to match. The Airstream is a good start, though.

You've put a lot of thought into this business. I hope you're mobbed on opening day.

Edited September 20, 2005 by MarketStEl (log)

[Magus]

Has anyone ever tried to marinade meat, grind the meat and then make burgers out of it. I have never tried it, it seems like it can be done. Also, has anyone ever try to grind chicken breast?

Come to think of it, I dont think restaruants had such things back then.

The also did not have diet soda.

Edited September 20, 2005 by Magus (log)

[Jason Perlow]

I would definitely go with "burgers and shakes" instead of "dining car"

[Chris Amirault]

You're going to turn a classic Airstream into a mobile burger joint?

I am not sure whether to be blown away or to recoil in horror!

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I had a similar reaction, but then thought of Providence's own Haven Brothers Diner, which -- though not an Airstream -- does have a few qualities in common with Magus's project. Click here (and scroll down) for a vintage shot and here for a more contemporary snap.

[phaelon56]

Gimme Coffee of Ithaca NY and Brooklyn built a gorgeous espresso bar in a 1948 aluminum trailer.

It;s installed on the Cornell University campus and the above page has a link to photos of the restoration, construction and installation project. Mega cool and i'ts been very well received.

Good luck on your project.

[Magus]

When I am done with it, it wont look like an travel trailer at all. I will be making aluminum skirts for it so it looks like an actual structure.

[jpdchef]

""Does any one know where I might start to look for Beef Tallow. It seems that this stuff is pretty hard to find""

not really.What you need to ask your purveyour for is a/v shortening.It's beef fat and veg shortening. " Shortening Cube A/V Stabico. Mfg. Code 51978. Meat/Vegetable Blend. Highly Stable With Long Frying Life. Usda Inspected. Sample By Packs "

[Shalmanese]

Ask your butcher for beef tallow or beef suet. You might have to render it yourself but it's the best possible fat (short of horse tallow which is illegal in the US) for fries.

I wonder if you could get some suet, freeze it, shred it very fine and then mix it with your ground meat to make some ultra juicy burgers?

[Magus]

""Does any one know where I might start to look for Beef Tallow. It seems that this stuff is pretty hard to find""

not really.What you need to ask your purveyour for is a/v shortening.It's beef fat and veg shortening.                                                " Shortening Cube A/V Stabico. Mfg. Code 51978. Meat/Vegetable Blend. Highly Stable With Long Frying Life. Usda Inspected. Sample By Packs "

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WOW! Thanks Alot

[Jason Perlow]

Short of beef tallow, the next best thing is pure peanut oil. Thats what the french fry places in Ocean City on the boardwalk use.

[Magus]

Well, I took a long look at the name Dining Car and all who responded to thiswere correct. I would rather have a limited menu but have everything taste GREAT! I am also working on making the logo look more aged...maybe it is not necessary to do so but here is my first try:

Vintage Look

New Look

As far as me making my own tallow, freezing it and mixing it with burgers. I have to make sure that the final secrets wont be let out by employees.

I may have to have two types of frying oil. If someone orders Veggie fries then I can cook thoes in regular oil.

I have also seen alot of post about hand cut fries and double frying. I have never tasted a fresh cut fry that was double fried. Can anyone weigh in on this. Is it worth the trouble.

From what I gather, you must cut, soak in cold water (how long I dont know) then let them dry on a towel, fry once at mabe 300 degrees, put them back in the fridge, then fry them again when ordered. If this is what it will take to make the best fries in town then I must do it. No one else in my city is doing it, so that would make me original.

Thoughts...

Edited September 21, 2005 by Magus (log)

[Jason Perlow]

You have some wasted space on the left and right sides of the logo... I'd use some sort of simplified, woodcut icons of a burger and a shake, perhaps. To sort of look like that old 1920's/30's five and dime store look.

Instead of "Vintage Flavor" I think "Classic Taste" or "Old Time Taste". That grabs me better for some reason.

[Magus]

You have some wasted space on the left and right sides of the logo... I'd use some sort of simplified, woodcut icons of a burger and a shake, perhaps. To sort of look like that old 1920's/30's five and dime store look.

Instead of "Vintage Flavor" I think "Classic Taste" or "Old Time Taste". That grabs me better for some reason.

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Thanks Jason....I will try....back to the computer I go....

[Chris Amirault]

I may have to have two types of frying oil. If someone orders Veggie fries then I can cook thoes in regular oil.

I have also seen alot of post about hand cut fries and double frying. I have never tasted a fresh cut fry that was double fried. Can anyone weigh in on this. Is it worth the trouble.

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I'd think about two types of frying oil -- which of course means having two fryers with two completely different sets of oil to prep, change, clean.... I've not spent that much time in professional kitchens, but I know enough to know that that means a big PITA times two.

And, while I wouldn't want to say that it's a sound business move, hand-cut, double-fried fries would be a marketing bonanza and a culinary boon for your customers. If you really are serious about frying those suckers in tallow, the world will beat a path to your door....

[TPO]

I like the new logo. Now "The Original" looks like it belongs with "No. 9" whereas before it looked like it belonged with "Dining Car." The colors alone are enough to give it character without the aging, but the aged one looks good too.

I have never made fries professionally, but I would think having two separate frying systems would be a pain. Also, people might wonder why they have to order vegetarian fries, then they might figure out that your fries are fried in beef tallow. For some, the magic might be over at that point as not everyone wants to know their food is fried in beef tallow.

You could just have some good kettle chips for vegetarian customers, or offer American fries for the vegetarian customers.

[Jason Perlow]

I really like the red color of that logo -- but wouldn't it be cool if you painted the whole Airstream that color? It would defnitely attract attention.

[wesza]

Mangus:

I posted previously on the "Cooking" thread on June 02, 2005 Posting # 936850 on the Topic of:

Triple Cooked Chips

The answer of how to prepare "French Fries" of the quality you require consistantly.

Sorry that I don't know how to enter the site attachment to this posting.

Irwin

moderator note: link here

Triple Cooked Chips

Edited September 21, 2005 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Shalmanese]

As far as me making my own tallow, freezing it and mixing it with burgers. I have to make sure that the final secrets   wont be let out by employees.

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For the most part, theres no real secret to making good burgers. Probably any half competent chef could make an excellent, unadorned burger if they put their mind to it. The problem is that good burgers a) cost more, b) take longer to make c) are more unhealthy for you and d) have greater variation in quality so most people don't go to the effort of making a truely great one.

[petite tête de chou]

Mangus:

I posted previously on the "Cooking" thread on June 02, 2005 Posting # 936850 on the Topic of:

Triple Cooked Chips

The answer of how to prepare "French Fries" of the quality you require consistantly.

Sorry that I don't know how to enter the site attachment to this posting.

Irwin

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Here ya go...click

[wesza]

Mangus:

I posted previously on the "Cooking" thread on June 02, 2005 Posting # 936850 on the Topic of:

Triple Cooked Chips

The answer of how to prepare "French Fries" of the quality you require consistantly.

Sorry that I don't know how to enter the site attachment to this posting.

Irwin

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Here ya go...click

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Thank you, "petite tete de chou"

My postings on the topic are the last [final ?] two posts currently on the thread "Triple Cooked Chips".

Sometimes I feel like the thread terminator.

Irwin

[Magus]

Good News...well maybe. I think I may have found a good source for Fryer shortening. One is called either A/V Animal & Vegetable shortening or M & V Meat and Vegetable shortening.

They come in 50lb cubes...I think I remember this from my days at McD's. The other is "All Beef Fat" I would imagine that this is Tallow.

My question is which one would be better? 100% Beef Fat, (tallow) or a blend of beef fat and a cottonseed oil.

I would love to try cooking in peanut oil but there is a growing population of people who have peanut allergies...including my youngest son.

But...I have no problem cooking fries in beef fat

[zilla369]

Magus: all you need after you figure out the fries is two very fine pie offerings for dessert. How about Apple and Peach?

[Magus]

Beef Tallow, I just spoke to a Beef Tallow Refinery and they educated me on the following:

They have two kinds of beef tallow. Deoderized and Undeodorized. The Deoderized Beef tallow has been rendered down and refined. This does not contain any beef flavor, there was no meat protien added . The Undeoderized tallow has the natural beef flavor, this contained some beef protien added in the rendering. This is what give the oil a beefy smell and taste.

There is an 80-20% mixture and then there is a 99% mixture...I think I am gonna go with the 99% and if I need to cut the oil with another oil, I can do so at that time.

Price is about $22 for a 50lb block.

I can just taste thoes fries now thanks to everyone for giving input. Now for the milkshakes. With a premium icecream along with heavy cream (instead of milk), would one also use a syrup.

Also would it be worth trying to make my own custard instead of buying a premium icecream or custard.

Edited September 21, 2005 by Magus (log)

[Magus]

Magus:  all you need after you figure out the fries is two very fine pie offerings for dessert.  How about Apple and Peach?

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That sound like a great idea. My mom taught me how to make pies. She always made her own crust...so thats something I picked up. (parents are from the south)

But how about cookies as well, or Cookies instead of Pie.

A cookie, I can make the dough ahead of time and have anyone pop them in the stove at a certain temp. But Pies...that requires a lot of attention.

I think that may be appealing, Fresh warm cookies all day long.

[Chris Amirault]

Does McD's still serve hot apple pies? Or are they considered tiny, napalm-laden lawsuit bombs? I couldn't find a reference at their corporate website. Anyway, you can see where I'm going here, probably.... Might you figure out a way to reinvent handheld pie sans the third-degree tongue burns?