It takes a lot to stand out in New York’s world of burgers: From Shake Shack’s populist Pat LaFrieda blend to DB Bistro Moderne’s sirloin offering filled with braised short rib and black truffle, there are a lot of contenders.
But every now and then, an innovative rendition comes along that makes even the most discerning mouths water. Chef Hugue Dufour and his wife, Sarah Obraitis, who co-own M. Wells Dinette inside MoMA’s PS1 in Long Island City, introduced M. Wells Steakhouse in the neighborhood in November.
On the menu, along with Chateaubriand and cote de boeuf, you’ll find a $17 “bone-in” meat bomb that’s had snap-happy bloggers in a tizzy. Here’s the story behind the dish.
Inspiration
The idea was first conceived when Dufour was growing up in a small town north of Montreal.
Among his favorite childhood comfort foods was a classic dish called Grand-Mère: essentially, a pork chop that’s been ground and then reassembled in its original shape on a bone.
“It would be sacrilege in America to take a perfectly good pork chop and grind it down, but where I grew up, kids loved it,’’ he explains.
Evolution
The first time he remembers making Grand-Mère was at culinary school in Montreal. (“They threw me out after six months, because I didn’t get along with the head chef,’’ recalls Dufour, now 36.) He revisited the dish last year at M. Wells Dinette, serving a reassembled, “bone-in” pork chop over mashed potatoes with mustard sauce.
Then, when Dufour and Obraitis were developing the menu for their steakhouse, “We had a fantasy of doing a whole bone-in section,’’ he recalls. “There was going to be French onion soup with bone and marrow and escargot with bone. We had a lot of stupid ideas and laughs, and the only thing that survived was the bone-in burger.’’
The recipe
The dish’s meat comes from famed Jersey City butchers DeBragga and Spitler. “We had like 175 different tries,’’ says the chef. They settled on a blend of 30 percent brisket, 40 percent grass-fed top round and 30 percent gamey aged trims, along with onion and thyme. “It’s like aging wine — sometimes there’s not enough funk,” he says. “The main flavor of the patty comes from the aged trimming.”
Initially, the restaurant used bones from rib steak, but that didn’t last long. “The dish became so popular, we couldn’t keep up, so now the supplier sends us bones from all kinds of different animals,” Dufour notes.
The bun is a chanterelle-enhanced brioche, and the sauce is a far cry from pedestrian ketchup: Shallots and carrots are macerated in red wine and cooked slowly, then pureed with butter and red wine vinegar. A dollop of tartar sauce and a chunk of iceberg complete the burger.
But don’t ask for cheese. “We don’t give that option,’’ Dufour says.
Etiquette
So how do you eat this monster? The short answer: Anything goes. “It’s funny to see how people attack it,’’ says Dufour. “It’s very cumbersome for some people, and they immediately pull the bone out and eat the meat on it later. Some eat around the bone and some eat it with a fork.’’
Furry fans
Even once the burgers are eaten, those bones get recycled yet again. M. Wells’ sommelier, Etienne Guérin, began collecting the leftover bones and packing them in, yep, doggy bags. Guerin gives favorite customers his cell number, and they text him photos of their pups enjoying the upscale scraps. “I am collecting the photos and calling the project ‘The Medium (Rare) is the Text Message,’ ” says Guerin. “Soon I will start a blog.”