Posted by Nick Solares, January 28, 2009 at 11:00 AM
For almost its entire existence, a hamburger has meant ground beef served on a bun. To admit ground beef on toast as a hamburger is to make the idea of a "hamburger" so loose, so abstract, so semiotically promiscuous as to have no meaning. —Josh Ozersky
Do you know why we insist on a narrow definition of what a slider is here at AHT? Because pretty soon anything stuck between two slabs of bread will be considered a slider. Just look at what was called a slider last night on the Food Network's reality cooking show Chopped. That does not even qualify as a hamburger, let alone a slider.
And what of the photo in the "photograzing" section of the page that calls itself "mini slider wrapped in lettuce"? Not only is that caption redundant and incorrect, the product looks disgusting.
I can agree one some standards but I have always enjoyed a burger on toast so I guess for me a meat patty on any leavened bread product is considered would be considered a burger.
i get the outrage but just remember we are a country full of muts & we bastardize everything we touch. that is not always a bad thing. also as far as i know (and accept) the first modern american application of a 'hamburg steak' in sandwich form was in that old joint in connecticut where they put ground beef on white bread. so what the fuck is a bun?
My gripe with the whole slider thing is that, in addition to it's diminutive size, a slider is cooked in a particular manner.
I'm okay with a grilled or fried patty between two hunks of bread as a "hamburger", since the meat is cooked right. The meat is more important than the carrier.
(Heck, yesterday I had another trip to Ted's in CT, and I'm still not sure I consider that a burger. In some ways, it's more of an Iowa Maid-rite than a burger...)
I'll admit I love a great hamburger-big well cooked (sour dough maybe -not).However-being born and raised in Da Bronx. U.S.A. unless you have ever(and I don't mean frozen from a grocery store) don't critisize the slider-I was fed these little square dellcacies since birth -He is definitely right about naming every thing a slider--and I don't think he was knocking LL's in CT. -just knocking the ranting by those who think they know everything,-granted they know what they are looking for--but not everything that tastes great has to have a big price tag..Thank God.
I'll admit I love a great hamburger-big well cooked (sour dough maybe -not).However-being born and raised in Da Bronx. U.S.A. unless you have ever(and I don't mean frozen from a grocery store) don't critisize the slider-I was fed these little square dellcacies since birth -He is definitely right about naming every thing a slider--and I don't think he was knocking LL's in CT. -just knocking the ranting by those who think they know everything,-granted they know what they are looking for--but not everything that tastes great has to have a big price tag..Thank God.
That red stuff on the side which I assume is the "onion gastrique" kind of looks like congealed blood. That might just be the surgery rotation talking.
Wan2eat: I don't think anyone is criticizing sliders. In fact, I would say the point is to promote sliders over the random stuff being called sliders.
That was no slider if was ground beef on Italian bread or French biquette?? Those fries or potatoes were terrible even he admitted they weren't cooked and he won give me a break.......
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20 Comments:
And what of the photo in the "photograzing" section of the page that calls itself "mini slider wrapped in lettuce"? Not only is that caption redundant and incorrect, the product looks disgusting.
blt76 at 11:38AM on 01/28/09
ok, so based upon what Josh says, does that mean Louis Lunch in New Haven does not serve hamburgers?
stewmeat at 12:43PM on 01/28/09
@ stewmeat yes, that is exactly what Josh says in his book - "the next hamburger that LL serves will be their first"
Nick Solares at 12:48PM on 01/28/09
I can agree one some standards but I have always enjoyed a burger on toast so I guess for me a meat patty on any leavened bread product is considered would be considered a burger.
That Josh is wacky!
stewmeat at 1:28PM on 01/28/09
That looks an awful lot like a sandwich to me. The word slider has been bastardized by the urge to be trendy, for sure.
simon at 2:02PM on 01/28/09
@blt76: That's been taken care of. Thanks for the heads-up.
Adam Kuban at 2:15PM on 01/28/09
Meatloaf sandwiches are sliders tacos are sliders chili is sliders gyros are sliders pizza is sliders
frackle at 3:05PM on 01/28/09
"Semiotic promiscuity" is now being recommended by teen abstinence proponents as an alternative to traditional promiscuity.
Michele Humes at 3:12PM on 01/28/09
i get the outrage but just remember we are a country full of muts & we bastardize everything we touch. that is not always a bad thing. also as far as i know (and accept) the first modern american application of a 'hamburg steak' in sandwich form was in that old joint in connecticut where they put ground beef on white bread. so what the fuck is a bun?
chefman at 3:29PM on 01/28/09
Hmm so according to Mr. Ozersky, Louis' Lunch doesn't serve hamburgers?
ratbuddy at 4:44PM on 01/28/09
My gripe with the whole slider thing is that, in addition to it's diminutive size, a slider is cooked in a particular manner.
I'm okay with a grilled or fried patty between two hunks of bread as a "hamburger", since the meat is cooked right. The meat is more important than the carrier.
(Heck, yesterday I had another trip to Ted's in CT, and I'm still not sure I consider that a burger. In some ways, it's more of an Iowa Maid-rite than a burger...)
kaszeta at 4:48PM on 01/28/09
ratbuddy, did you even bother to read any of the previous comments?
simon at 4:59PM on 01/28/09
Mr. Ozersky, seems a bit full of himself!
How made him Hamburger God?
Or better Yet Hamburger Limbaugh!
Chopped, patty formed beef is a Hamburger, on any bread!
(yes, even on a cheese eating surrender monkey Croissant)
Here is the Ozersky Conundrum,
Meat on a sour dough roll is a hamburger,
however Meat on slices of the same sour dough in Loaf form is NOT?
Meat on slices of sour dough Loaf is a Hamburger Simulacrum
phauxtoe at 10:10PM on 01/28/09
I have never seen ground beef on sourdough that's silly
frackle at 11:36PM on 01/28/09
I'll admit I love a great hamburger-big well cooked (sour dough maybe -not).However-being born and raised in Da Bronx. U.S.A. unless you have ever(and I don't mean frozen from a grocery store) don't critisize the slider-I was fed these little square dellcacies since birth -He is definitely right about naming every thing a slider--and I don't think he was knocking LL's in CT. -just knocking the ranting by those who think they know everything,-granted they know what they are looking for--but not everything that tastes great has to have a big price tag..Thank God.
Wan2eat at 2:08AM on 01/29/09
I'll admit I love a great hamburger-big well cooked (sour dough maybe -not).However-being born and raised in Da Bronx. U.S.A. unless you have ever(and I don't mean frozen from a grocery store) don't critisize the slider-I was fed these little square dellcacies since birth -He is definitely right about naming every thing a slider--and I don't think he was knocking LL's in CT. -just knocking the ranting by those who think they know everything,-granted they know what they are looking for--but not everything that tastes great has to have a big price tag..Thank God.
Wan2eat at 2:28AM on 01/29/09
Simon,
Nope.
ratbuddy at 11:40AM on 01/29/09
That red stuff on the side which I assume is the "onion gastrique" kind of looks like congealed blood. That might just be the surgery rotation talking.
Wan2eat: I don't think anyone is criticizing sliders. In fact, I would say the point is to promote sliders over the random stuff being called sliders.
wunami at 11:56AM on 01/31/09
Is an English Muffin a bun?
StarvinMarvin at 10:03AM on 02/01/09
That was no slider if was ground beef on Italian bread or French biquette?? Those fries or potatoes were terrible even he admitted they weren't cooked and he won give me a break.......
shammyrock at 8:05PM on 02/13/09