Recreating Japan's Viral Sizzling Cheeseburger: A Tasty Challenge

The Viral Cheeseburger Challenge

• 💡 Tasty producers Kelly and Ivana attempt to recreate the viral Japanese "touchdown cheeseburger" after seeing it on social media.
• 🎯 The primary challenge is identified as replicating the molten cheese sauce, which is considered the star of the dish.

Crafting the Cheese Sauce

• 🧀 The team hypothesizes the sauce contains white American cheese and possibly a roux or béchamel base due to its gelatinous texture and ability to not break when heated.
• 🥣 Evaporated milk is added to increase the sauce's viscosity, and a combination of white cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses are used.
• ⚠️ Initial attempts require adjustments, including adding salt and more cheddar to balance the flavors, and thinning the sauce slightly.

Assembling the Smashburgers

• 🍔 The producers opt for a smashburger technique, pressing thin patties into a hot cast iron skillet to achieve crispy edges.
• 🥩 They use 4 oz burger blends, breaking them in half to create 2 oz patties, aiming for three patties per burger.
• 🍳 Seasoning is kept simple with just salt and pepper before smashing the meat.

Creating a Yum Yum Sauce

• 🥣 A variation of yum yum sauce is made using mayonnaise, tomato paste, rice vinegar, garlic, paprika, melted butter, and sugar.
• ✨ The sauce is described as "damn good" and "amazing," with one producer saying they could eat it as soup.

The Final Taste Test

• 🍔 The burgers are assembled on brioche buns with yum yum sauce, three patties, ketchup, and the cheese sauce.
• 🍳 A crucial step involves heating the assembled burger in a skillet to achieve the signature bubbling cheese effect seen in the viral video.
• 😋 The final burger is a success, with the cheese, onions, and garlic praised for enhancing the overall flavor, leading to a declaration of loyalty to "Cafe Kevin."