YouвЂ™ll get some browning on almost any burger thatвЂ™s cooked at the right temperature (too high, and the edges will burn before the middle is cooked through too low, and the burger may overcook in the middle before the browning happens). The Maillard reaction creates the crispy edges on a burger and produces a number of flavor compounds that makes food taste good. ThatвЂ™s a chemical process that rapidly takes place between amino acids and sugars, starting at temperatures between 280 and 330 degrees. Lopez-Alt explains that the crispy crust on a burger, just like the brown color on a seared steak, is an example of the Maillard reaction. So as with yesterdayвЂ™s post about crispy potatoes, I turned to Kenji Lopez-AltвЂ™s indispensable book The Food Lab for the answer. I almost couldnвЂ™t fall asleep last night, thinking about how I can get those edges on my own burgers. But what stood out to me most were the crispy edges that added a textural contrast and a ton of extra flavor. (Rough Draft is opening up their lower Queen Anne shop next month and is selling burgers until then on an irregular schedule thatвЂ™s announced on Instagram.) The burger was everything I had anticipated it would be вЂ“ well-seasoned beef on a soft bun with gooey American cheese, pickles, onions, and a tangy sauce. Two nights ago, I finally got to taste the burger from Rough Draft Burger Shop, one of the popup restaurants I wrote about last week.

Rd burger shop