How in regards to the burgers? Fast Meals Burger Match, Colombia vs. USA

I was simply recently down in Colombia killing geese and going to my fiancée’s sister’s bridal ceremony and took the prospect to evaluation a story for the Boston Globe on Colombian street meals. Being the hardcore burgervore that I am, I moreover wished to utilize the prospect to do a comparability of Colombian burgers vs. American burgers. Nonetheless understanding all too successfully that there’s such a big variance in opinion on what makes an unimaginable burger (and already holding a bias in direction of your widespread Colombian restaurant burger because of they almost always mix onions and spices into the meat—an enormous no-no for me), I was at a dilemma.

Colombia doesn’t have the styles of consuming locations or burger varieties we bear in mind common in America. There’s no pubs serving 9-ounce flame-grilled patties, no ice-cream stands griddling up 4-ounce seaside burgers, no diners steaming sliders. In its place, you’ve obtained enormous hacienda-esque consuming locations with Italian-themed burgers with mozzarella and marinara, or small family-owned consuming locations with menus consisting of arepas, mojarra, rice fried with soy sauce (arroz tai), alongside handmade meatloaf burgers.

I’m not saying I couldn’t uncover good burgers amongst all the alternative unbelievable meals Colombia has to provide; all I’m saying is that I couldn’t contemplate an incredible benchmark to test them to the American burger experience.

Until the ultimate day, that is. I was on the airport heading residence as soon as I observed the great burger equalizer: the fast-food courtroom.

So proper right here now, a two-round match-up pitting two Colombian fast meals chains (every found on the Bogotá airport), and two American fast meals chains (one in Miami, and one in Boston).

Spherical 1: El Corral vs. McDonald’s

El Corral is Colombia’s largest burger chain. The concept of fast meals, for increased or for worse (I’d say for increased), has not exactly caught on in Colombia however (our El Corral order took virtually 20 minutes to fulfill, compared with the 47 seconds at McDonald’s). Nonetheless whereas it’s commonplace to see any individual strolling down the street consuming a cheese-filled arepa or corn-on-a-stick, the norm is for people to sit down down or lean at an outdoor stand as they devour their meal. Although El Corral serves what many Folks would bear in mind to be a “fast meals” kind hamburger (i.e., skinny, ordered at a counter, and served in a disposable wrapper), significantly in locations exterior the airport, you’d be greater than seemingly to sit down down and take care of the issue choose it was an precise restaurant meal (albeit a low-end restaurant meal). That’s the one with the faux-hacienda locations.

El Corral’s schtick is their toppings—they boast over 16,000 combos! Optimistic, you might get the plain outdated cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, nonetheless you might also get the Italian with mozzarella and marinara. Or you might get Criolla with mozzarella, fried egg, and “stunning” grilled onions. Actually really feel like having one factor from up north? The Mexicana’s obtained American cheese, guacamole, and spicy refried beans. You get the picture.

The burgers themselves come each the essential griddled, or for a variety of hundred pesos further, grilled. I clearly opted for griddled and made optimistic to get the similar toppings that I’d be succesful to get wherever: cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and their default sauce.

McDonald’s, you all know. I’m going for the Giant N’ Tasty, because of it sports activities actions the similar lettuce, tomato, and onion topping combo (forgot the cheese—whoops!)

On to the competitors.

Dimension: El Corral’s monster patty has the Giant N’ Tasty feeling Small N’ Wasty. This burger’s a meal sooner than you even get to the toppings or fries.

Toppings: El Corral’s obtained a slice of chilly cheese (to be sincere, I might need opted for the “Queso Fundido,” aka Cheez-Wiz), a fairly underripe tomato, respectable onions, and watery iceberg. McDonald’s has no cheese (whoops as soon as extra!), a fairly underripe tomato, respectable onions, surprisingly current and flavorful inexperienced leaf—and proper right here’s the kicker—pickle. Pickles had been woefully lacking from every burger I had in Colombia. I’ll have to remember to carry spherical a jar with me subsequent time. This may be the first time {{that a}} McDonald’s burger appeared virtually just about nearly as good as a result of the menu image! Good work, McDonald’s employees of Miami.

Bun: El Corral’s first primary loss: artificial butter style. It rang a bell in my memory of the Nation Crock I used to positioned on my toast once more inside the days as soon as I used to be nonetheless in my Winnie-the-Pooh pajamas, I nonetheless obtained up an hour early to take a look at Mr. Wizard, and margarine was increased for you than butter. McDonald’s has obtained no butter, nonetheless in my e-book, no butter is finest than faux butter.

Patty: That’s the one which seals El Corral’s future: an almost entire lack of sear—the hallmark of an unimaginable griddled burger. My fiancée assured me that this was a fluke because of airport location—and I take her phrase for it. It’s gotta be the popular burger in Colombia for a function, correct? Nonetheless on the very least on this sampling, Mickey D’s beats it hands-down with their deep-brown (albeit softened from sitting in a warming drawer) patty. By the way in which during which, every patties equally lacked 100% beef style.

Fries: El Corral has two varieties: plain curly ones or seasoned matchsticks. The curlies end up considerably greasy and mushy (as almost all curlies I’ve ever encountered have—one factor to do with the way in which during which the potatoes steam in that kind, I’d take into consideration). The matchsticks are a powerful Wendy’s-level entry: barely under-crisped, nonetheless potatoey and engaging nonetheless. I’d do with out the seasoning, nonetheless I suppose it takes a number of type of fry to fast-feed the world. The McDonald’s fries are, as commonplace, peerlessly scorching, crisp, golden showers of enjoyment.

Now all this can appear to be it’s leading to a McDonald’s shoe-in, correct? Not so fast. My fiancée affords me a bit of her Italian, and I imagine to myself, “That’s actually a fairly good meatloaf sandwich.” Now I understand why this place is so commonplace. The trick is not going to be to consider it as a burger joint, nonetheless to consider it as a sandwich retailer. My suggestion to people who make it to El Corral? Enable them to do what they’re good at: Go for the toppings.

So regardless that toppings and non-burger sandwiches ain’t truly my issue, for those who occur to’re at this restaurant, presumably they’re yours.

Winner: McDonald’s (Burger + Fries class), El Corral (each factor else class)

Spherical 2: Presto vs. Burger King

If El Corral is the McDonald’s of Colombia, then Presto is definitely it’s Burger King—the slightly-less-crowded rivals you go to when the strains are considerably too enormous. I’m moreover suggested by my fiancée’s mother that Presto is for teens and El Corral is for adults. Apparently there’s some type of ceremony involving reward giving, flowers, and milkshakes when you ship your daughter to a Corral for the first time.

Burger King, I moreover presume you all know.

Dimension: We obtained the choice winner proper right here: The Whopper trounces Presto’s modestly (I say appropriately) sized offering.

Toppings: Presto’s obtained the identical outdated watery iceberg, sort-of-melted cheese (I would like American had been further extensively on the market down there), some rattling tasty Presto Secial Sauce that calls to ideas Michael Schlow’s well-known horseradish-spiked mayo, and (gasp!) ripe tomato! This could be a major inside the historic previous of fast meals. Burger King is downright sorry compared with this. We obtained the on a regular basis non-lettuce lettuce, a tomato slice which is able to successfully have been dyed and molded out of the similar lettuce, pungent onions, and way-too-much mayo and ketchup. The one redemption it should get is the melty American cheese and pickles.

Bun: Let the photographs do the talking. Burger King was memorable for being unmemorable. Presto’s, then once more, stood tall nonetheless squished small, and featured a super golden-brown toast job. The combination of squishy bun, mayo and ketchup gave this burger a distinctly Wendy’s-esque style. One different one up for Presto.

Meat: Starting with Burger King: They supposedly flame-grill their patties, nonetheless the style of the grill is completely misplaced on me. As you might even see inside the image on the becoming, it’s obtained somewhat little bit of charring throughout the perimeters, nonetheless not rather a lot color to speak of inside the coronary heart. Burger King’s meat has always been bland and dry to me. Of the 4 burgers I had between airports, Presto’s merely had the hardest sear and the meatiest meat—the two most important points in a griddled burger—which you’ll inform from the crispy, brown, almost Shake-Shack-quality crust on the patty pictured above. (Disclaimer: This burger—and never one of many others, for that matter—acquired right here close to touching the Shack burger by the use of normal style. Or in nerd talk, a troublesome sear and meaty meat are wanted circumstances for a super burger, nonetheless not ample circumstances.)

Fries: Presto’s weak spot. The fries had been the fully forgettable Roy-Roger’s type: floury, mushy, under-seasoned, and under-fried. Nonetheless, proper right here’s a message to Burger King: A batter-like coating on french fries is nice for two points:

1. Holding fries additional crispy and retaining them which means.

2. Making fries not model like fries.

So two enormous fails on this class, nonetheless Burger King devoted the bigger sin by making an attempt to cowl their lack of frying expertise beneath a starchy sheath.

Winner: Presto (by a landslide).

So who would win in a McDonald’s vs. Presto matchup? I’d ought to try them every as soon as extra in quick succession. Sadly, one other individual goes to ought to in the end resolve that issue, because of if there’s one issue that consuming burgers in Colombia made me perceive, it’s that I don’t want to eat further burgers in Colombia. Not because of they’re unhealthy, nonetheless because of why would I want to eat this:

As soon as I might probably be out consuming this:

This:

Or these in its place?:

I'm very foolish! Stick with it the arepas!