Swing by the swanky Biltmore Fashion Park, weave through the well manicured green space between various designer stores, and out front you’ll find Zinburger. And Maseratis… and non-native palm trees… and physically augmented people sporting designer jeans that look like a bleach toting badger attacked them. Anyways, burger.

At first blush Zinburger is an airy splash of green, blonde wood, and glass. Then you notice the cow, spanning 10 feet of drywall, all majestic and shit. Finally, if you’re a facts nerd you’ll think “Hey, that cow is a Holstein. Burgers don’t come from Holstein cows, milk does. wtf.” But Zinburger has a plethora of shakes on the menu so I guess that can slide.

I ordered their self-titled Zinburger which comes fully strapped with Manchego cheese, Zinfandel braised onions, and mayo. Then I added bacon. Why? Because bacon. Delivered just a few minutes later the bun is formidable in size and scarily healthy looking. A tentative poke and a bite later my fears were washed away as it squished nicely and lacked any taste of whole grains or their pesky nutritional value.

The patty appears to be formed using a mold but thankfully with a gentle hand, no compressed sausage beef here thought it could use a little salt. Cheese may as well have been absent. Couldn’t taste it. The caramelized onions were really really sweet, again some salt on the meat could have helped balance it out. Juicy? Oh yes, check the puddle in the pics below.

All in all Zinburger serves up a good squishy burger with quality meat cooked to your temp and served up on an airy patio with enough traffic to make for interesting people watching. When I return, I’ll try their basic cheeseburger to see if it brings the party to my mouth.

Pro tip: Park around back by Saks Fifth Ave and take a quick walk south through the mall courtyard to avoid the rash of valet services and 15 minute parking spaces.

Zinburger Phoenix
2502 E Camelback Rd. #127
Phoenix, AZ 85016
P: 602-424-9500

Tags: Burger, Patio, Phoenix, Review, Zinburger

Before the invention of refrigeration our forefathers needed a way to keep meat from spoiling. It would be mighty wasteful to spend a year plus raising livestock only to get a meal or two out of it before mother nature’s vast horde of composting bacteria turned the bulk of the animal into fertilizer. Various methods of preservation were born out of necessity. Packing in salt, smoking, canning, drying, or adjusting the pH level to extreme ends of the scale all share the purpose of making  an inhospitable environment for microscopic nasties.

Thanks to the icy box whirring away in the kitchen, we don’t need to go through all this trouble anymore, but centuries of refinement in technique and seasoning has given us irresistible recipes that are still popular today because they’re just that irresistible.

Like many of the recipes on this site, I’ve scoured the series-of-tubes to find what i believe is the best balance between historical accuracy, technique, and taste. I kept the seasoning pretty basic, but because I don’t have a hot smoker and I like my pastrami all loose and hot like old delis serve out of steam tables, the steps in cooking got a wee bit long.

1. Make the Curing Rub
Below is the list for the first rub that we’ll use for the curing portion of this adventure. Grind what you need then combine everything.

• 2 Tbsp kosher salt per lb
• 1 Tbsp white sugar per lb (It’s what I had on hand, many preach the benefits of brown sugar)
• 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper per pound
• 1 bay leaf (ground) for every 2 lbs
• 1 tsp granulated garlic powder per lb
• 1 tsp ground coriander per lb
• 1 tsp crushed juniper berries per lb
• 1/4 tsp Prague powder per lb

The Prague powder is optional to retain the beautiful red color we associate with pastrami and corned beef. Since I only had the option of cold smoking, it was a necessary addition to ensure nothing started growing during the several hours it took to smoke.

2. Rub and Bag
Apply the rub to your beef brisket, working it into all the nooks and crannies. Toss it your sealed container of choice. If you have any left over rub that didn’t stick, toss that in too. Flip the brisket every day for at least 4 days or up to a week. I left mine for just about 3.5 days and there was a thin 1/4″ stripe of brown uncured brisket in the center of the thickest piece. While this doesn’t affect flavor or safety, it really could have used a little more time in the curing rub.

3. Wait for Days
Work, eat, sleep, murder prostitutes, do whatever is is you do to waste time for the 4-7 days the pastrami needs to turn up the awesome to 11.

4. Rinse and Soak
The wait is over! But right now you have a piece of meat only a deer would love to lick. Rinse and let soak in water for an hour or two to leech out some of that salt. I opted to let it rest in the sink, sealed in a Ziplock bag packed with ice.

5. Dry and New Rub for Smoking
Towel dry thoroughly and place uncovered in the fridge until it’s nearly dry to the touch. I left mine for about 3 hours though many go overnight. While you wait, you can prep the second rub we’ll be adding just before we begin smoking.

• 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper per pound
• 1/2 Tbsp coriander per lb
• 1/2 tsb juniper berries per lb (measured whole before grinding)

Once the meat has dried to a lightly tacky feel, work in the new rub and continue on to smoking.

6. Smoke
Since I don’t own a full-blown hot smoking rig I used my old dual box setup, seen in previous meatsperiments, feeding it a steady stream of hickory smoke for 3 hours. If you are extra awesome and own a proper hot smoking rig, stab your thermometer probe into the thickest part of the meat and keep your smoker in the low 200′s F until the probe reads an internal temp of about 165 F. You can also skip step #7.

7. Cook Through
If  your available method of smoking didn’t cook through, fling your smokey but not yet cooked pastrami into the oven. Place a bowl of water on the shelf below the meat and bring up the oven to 225 F until core hits about 165 F. It took about 3 hours for my two 2 lb pieces of brisket.

8. Rest
Wrap up the hot brisket in foil and place in the fridge overnight. This will give it time to suck all the meaty juices back in as it cools. The next day decide of you want it cold and sturdy enough to thin slice, or if you want it hot and falling-apart-awesome. If the former, you’re good to start slicing now. If the latter, continue on the step number 9.

9. Steam and Eat
Steaming for about 3 hours is enough to break down any connective tissue into soft gelatin. The slicing pic in the gallery was taken after 3 hours. Out of curiosity I continued on to 6 hours to mimic the beloved pastrami of Jake’s Deli that sits in a steam table all day. When I finally pulled out the 2 lb piece of the brisket it was threatening to come apart like pulled pork. While it was just what I was looking for, it’s totally unnecessary to steam this long. Pic of the completed pastrami on toasted rye was taken at the 6 hour mark.

Done! Shove that tasty mess into your face! Or if you can wait just a little longer, throw it on some rye bread and toast in a pan with a little butter. A squirt of spicy mustard and you’re good to go.

Also check out this article if you want to skip the smoking and give brine-cured corned beef a shot.

Tags: Dry Cured, Pastrami, Rub, Smoked

At the end of this summer, I wrote up an account of my experiences as I tried to land a writing gig as a contributor for Serious Eats. To briefly recap, it appeared that I had been accepted and I was just awaiting access to the content submission site until my emails went unanswered.

About a month ago (yes I’ve been seriously slacking at updating Meatsplosion…) I received an email from someone that stumbled across this little site and works as a writer for Serious Eats! It’s an interesting counterpoint from an insider who has genuine experience contributing articles to the undisputed king of all food blogs:

Hello Kyle,
Based on my email address it’s probably obvious I’m not a frequent reader of your blog, but I happened upon your “How to Land (And Lose) a Writing Gig for SeriousEats.com” and wanted to send a few words of encouragement! 

So there you have it, answers to many of my questions about what to expect if you are pursing a job as a writer for Serious Eats. If you also aspire to get into the business, I hope you find this as interesting and useful as I did.

-k

To save you time, let’s just skip to the conclusion. Should you get the Outlaw burger at Jack in the Box? No, don’t do it.

I think their target market must be those that are too busy drunk driving to get out of their car and find a decent burger elsewhere. Sadly, I was perfectly sober when I decided to try Jack’s for the first time.

Look at that burger patty above. Looks weird, right? Like a more finely ground version of a Jimmy Dean sausage patty. Appearance aside, there’s no similarity to my beloved Jimmy Dean tube-o-meat-product. The meat wafer on this burger is a whitish tan on the inside, hinting that it’s just brimming with fillers, absolutely dry and flavorless. Ever wonder what happens to the wood chips that don’t make the cut at IKEA? Wonder no more.

On with the other details, not like it matters: There is a bun that is toasted in color only, no crunch. Bacon is limp, about half the thickness of your average supermarket bacon, with no discernible smoky flavor.  I didn’t realize when I ordered it, but it came topped with BBQ sauce. Not my preference… but I’ll ignore that and be objective – it’s sweet and one dimensional, may as well be smokey corn syrup. I spotted a fried breaded onion ring in there but couldn’t taste or feel it.

What is good at Jack in the Box? After having tried their burger, taco (two bites then thrown away) and fries, I can say they’ve got pretty good fries. They’re very delicately crispy on the outside and have squishy potato goodness inside.

So next time you’re out busy drunk driving and cannot find a gas station hot dog, get the fries at Jack in the Box.

Tags: Jack in the Box, No

When I first came to Phoenix, I immediately began searching for businesses here to replace the beloved ones I’d left behind in Milwaukee. The Meat Shop was one of the first places I visited, hoping to find a ribeye steak worthy of celebration, rather than the wimpy little 3/4 inch thick ones offered up at the local supermarkets.

While I didn’t find that mind’s-eye ribeye ready to grab and go that day (they take special orders given a day’s notice) I did take note of everything they had on hand and vowed to return. A few days ago, I realized I had been neglecting my friendly duties and went off to The Meat Market in search of a nice piece of Chuck to transform into burgers for my friend Zoe and roomie Sara.

What makes this place stand out among Phoenix’s many Carnicerias? Locally raised, grass-fed, free range beef without any hormones or additives. All their beef is sourced from Black Mountain Beef Co right here in Arizona. You can rest assured the cow handed to you did not smoke meth at any point in its life, unlike many of the zombified locals wandering the streets… Speaking of which, as I sit outside of JoBot Coffee and type this up, a local has been muttering to himself about face tattoos for the last ten minutes. Don’t make eye contact…

Pedigree aside, what difference does it make to the actual burger? I noticed a few things:

• The meat was a very deep reddish purple, which went a vivid bright red once ground.
• When cutting into chunks small enough for the KitchenAid grinder to handle,soft bits were more similar in texture to tenderloin rather than the dense wafer of beef often served up by grocers on a Styrofoam tray complete with a “meat-xi-pad”
• The flavorless grease that is often experienced in under-seasoned grocery store ground chuck was entirely absent.
• Somewhat unexpectedly, I imagined it would have that funky gaminess that is so common with grass fed beef, instead there was a subtle undertone of mushrooms, which I guess would be called “Umam..” no.. I can’t say that word.
• Put simply, once cooked* it has big beefy flavor through and through.

If you’re looking for beef that is free of modern day oddities, or just want to ensure that your food lived a good life before it reached your plate, definitely check out The Meat Shop just south of the heart of Phoenix.

The Meat Shop
202 E Buckeye Rd, Phoenix, AZ
(602) 258-5075

*If you want to recreate the burger as pictured, cut the chuck into one inch cubes and firm up for about 45 minutes in the freezer. Pass it through the KitchenAid grinder twice, using the smaller (3/16″) of the two provided plates. Each patty is 3 oz, balled and rolled in a 50/50 mix of kosher salt and coarse ground pepper. Plop each ball (two per burger) onto a heavy skillet preheated to about 450-500 degrees. Immediately smash each ball-o-meat to about 3/8″ thick, time for 45 seconds. Flip each patty, add 1 slice American cheese onto the cooked side, time another 45 seconds. Done! Move your now med-rare patties to a butter toasted bun and top how you like.

Tags: Butchers, Phoenix AZ, The Meat Shop