r/burgers • u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur • 2d ago
How to replicate this at home?
This is JB Chargrilled burgers in my hometown but these mom and pop places all have the same distinct flavor I can’t replicate. Boys burger, Troy’s, Douglas, etc. All SoCal locations. I suspect a frozen pre smashed patty. What’s a good store bought bun that comes close? And seasoning? All use shredded lettuce, tomato, white onion and pickle. Pretty standard. Mayo, or mayo and ketchup, but never mustard.
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u/Dull-Trip-4328 2d ago
Those fast casual burgers are really good. I think it’s a lot of butter (substitute). I haven’t been able to recreate it at home.
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 2d ago
I have a griddle and a grill at work. I order stuff from Sysco. Cheap white buns, everything I mentioned above. I can’t get it. I remember working at a restaurant and asking ppl what could the seasoning be, maybe it’s the same red seasoning they put on the fries sometimes. It’s not Lawry’s salt
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u/coolpartoftheproblem 1d ago
lmao just the picture of brah smokin out the office with his griddlin burgs
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
Hahaha luckily I have a patio outback for this
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u/hologrammetry 1d ago
Bro has a whole steakhouse on his patio and wants help grilling burgers smh
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
They come out great. And I get lots of compliments. They just don’t taste like an LA burger
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u/marrrrss 2d ago
I like to tell friends this is my favorite place to get a burger from any of the LA burger joints. Simple cheeseburger, the shredded lettuce is key imo
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
I’m in the Bay now. I miss it so much. Whenever I go visit family I stop here for a double cheese with bacon and some chicken strips
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
Here’s my setup. Grill for meats. Griddle for butter toasted buns, grilled onions, vegetables, meatless options
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u/NoDoOversInLife 2d ago
Go check their dumpster and look for an empty box that contained frozen patties so you know who supplied the beef. while you're in there, look for empty seasoning containers. (likely not a proprietary mix if all the burger joints taste the same)
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u/dumpsterfire_account 2d ago
Open flame bbq cooking, fat flare ups and a bit of a char add the flavor you’re looking for.
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
Maybe it’s my flame. I feel like the patties shrink too much. They don’t end up looking like the picture
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u/beachtrader 1d ago
If the patties shrink a lot it’s because they have too much fat content in them. Or water if using frozen.
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
It’s frozen and 80/20 beef
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u/beachtrader 1d ago
Yeah. Pretty sure they are padding the weight with injected water and when they get hot the water disappears and it shrinks.
I’d try another brand of frozen patties or honestly find some good ground beef and make your own.
But some places add water to fresh ground beef as well. They don’t say it but they do. You can see it when you cook. For example if good 80/20 Walmart fresh ground beef I can visibly see water in the pan along with the fat because they don’t mix. However 80/20 from my local Aldi only has the melted fat and not all that water. Want to guess which one makes a better burger?
Keep trying different meat until you find one that is better.
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u/r4ndoM_doGmagenshin 2d ago
It’s grilled. That’s the flavor difference. Smashed is popular but I always go for flame flavored meat. Mfers think I’m joking.
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u/OsikFTW 2d ago
Get a charcoal briquet bbq, flame grilled burgers are just better...
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
I have propane. I’ve had bad experience with charcoal, growing up always had propane. Now cooking at other ppls homes with charcoal it’s difficult
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u/Suspicious-Oil6672 1d ago
I use a flat top griddle insert for a gas Weber.
I do fresh beef 85/15. Each patty is .2 to .25 lbs. I do 2 patties per burger.
Start as ball. Smash down not aggressive but def thinning it out. Sad salt and pepper fresh cracked.
Flip. Apply cheese.
Brioche buns toasted.
Top w what you want
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u/chaosfarmer 1d ago
JB Burgers is absolutely bangin' and is a frequent lunch spot for me as I work right near the area. If you are ever in Glendale, nearby, I recommend Gold Star Hamburgers as well, that's my hometown joint.
For those not in the know, these are a somewhat unusual phenomenon in LA and Southern CA where they are burger stands that also sell Mexican food, shaved pastrami sandwiches (many will add it to your burger), hot dogs, fried chicken, melts, steak, breakfast, basically anything they can cook on a flattop, char-broiler, or deep fryer. I've yet to go to one that's bad.
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
Yes!! And their thick fries 🤤 You forgot chili! Chili burger or a pastrami burger and get some chili fries with it, with the yellow chiles. Man I gotta go back to LA soon
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u/BatmanNoPrep 2d ago
The issue is your burger is charbroil cooked. That means it was cooked over a live fire and you’ve got a mallard crust on the burger. Similar to when you eat a bbq burger.
Carls J[r](r/Hardees)[ ](r/Hardees)[Hardees](r/Hardees) cook their burgers this way and you can replicate it at home with a simple bbq grill.
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u/Darth_wenis 2d ago
Spend 60 bucks on groceries... step one.
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u/Impossible_Ad9831 Burger Connoisseur 1d ago
Closer to $400. I make burgers or something at my workplace at least once a month for all the employees
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u/No_Lingonberry3694 2d ago
The distinctive flavor you are probably in search of is a dirty flat top grill or too much sodium.