Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Mmmmm onions!
| So, now to wrap up my onion saga. (or is it an "onion opus?") I am sure you wonder how exactly does Krystal get that "steamed in onion flavor" in their burgers. Well, I will tell you how. It is really quite interesting. And once you know what to look for, you can enoy it yourself. I have gathered this from watching them make Krystals many many many times. It also helps to be tall enough to peek over the counter. (Any or all of the following may be wrong, this is all simply gathered from observation.) You probably already know that the Krystal burgers are placed on the grill frozen. This allows them to get cooked through but still remain fresh and tasty. However, when the burgers meet the grill, they have yet to meet up with any onions. You might not know that the onions on a Krystal are not fresh but dehydrated. Obviously that saves on transporting them to stores, and allows the store to stock up on them and keep them longer. But there's even more to it. Click on the picture below and you'll see a few of the item's I am about to describe:  You fill the container with dehydrated onions up to the lower line and then fill to the top line with water, and set it aside. On the side facing you, you'll also see a brightly colored sticker. It had three letters printed on it. The top one is an M, and beside it they write in the date the onions were "Made". The next letter down, I don't recall off hand, but it is something like a U for the date they are to be "Used" and the lower letter is a D for the date to "Discard" them. Once the bugers are placed on the grill it's time to add the onions. In the picture above you may notice a small coffee cup. This cup is dipped into the bucket of onions to scoop some out. The onions are then moved from the cup to be placed in small very juicy piles on each burger, and then they are covered to steam briefly. Often the remaining "onion juice" in the cup is poured onto and around the cooking burgers to provide the water for the steam. Thus the "steamed in onion flavor." But they're not done. After a couple of minutes, the lid is lifted and the burgers are flipped over so the onions are down on the grill with the burger on top. Now the onions cook, releasing more concentrated "onion steam" that rises up into the burgers. The buns are then placed on the burgers: the bottom goes down first, with the top placed on top of that. They are then covered to steam some more. The burger and the buns steam together in the oniony mist. After a couple more minutes they are done. With a quick flip of the spatula, the burgers are lifted (usually 2 at a time) the bun tops are lifted up, and the burgers placed right side up on the rack beside the grill, and then the top is placed on the burger. Finally the pickles and mustard (and whatever else you ordered) are placed on each burger as they are then tucked into their little boxes for the quick ride to your tummy. Now for those that hate onions, you'll be saddened to know that a Krystal cannot be made without onions. A Krystal without onions is really just a Krystal that has had the onions scraped off prior to adding the mustard and pickle. Frankly I can't imagine a Krystal cooked with absolutely no onions involved. Ugh. Can you say "Bland" Now that you know of the hard work and the many steps it takes to make those wonderful tasty Krystals, I hope you'll appreciate them even more in the future. If it is possible to appreciate them more than you already do. Please also note that the BA Burger is cooked a completely different way. It is cooked on flames. And it is cooked while you wait. Everything on it is fresh including that amazing bun. OK, I am now so hungry I think I need to get something small, square, and steamy!  |
Labels: Onions
