By Guo Ying

Hamburgers are often seen as the pinnacle of American junk food. Burgers, however, are quickly popping up on gourmet menus around the world, led by chefs like Daniel Boulud, who is credited with starting the gourmet burger trend in the United States. Boulud’s famous DB Burger gives this all- American dish a fancy French makeover that packs a serious culinary punch.

Talking about the DB Burger, Boulud said, “A journalist from the New York Times told me about the story of a French farmer who defaced McDonald’s restaurants. The sentiment of anti-globalization and anti-McDonald is very common in France. Maybe the French are a little bit jealous because they did not invent the hamburger themselves. That’s why I am dreaming of making a French American burger. A burger where there is everything about French cooking and everything about the American icon.”

Unlike its simpler predecessors, the DB Burger is made up of more than 20 complex ingredients. Boulud starts by braising his imported Australian short-ribs in red wine for 12 hours, until the ribs are tender and literally melt in ones mouth. Along the way, Boulud adds carrots, onions, celery and garlic into the red wine for flavoring. When ready, the tender ribs are then “pulled” from the bones and made into a sausage, with foie gras and truffles wrapped up in the middle. Finally, the sausage is sliced and grilled as any normal burger and served elegantly with French fries. The end product is a burger bursting with distinctive flavors and with differing texures that redefines the defination of a hamburger.

The DB Burger made its first appearance at the Bistro Moderne in New York. Now, Boulud is bringing the DB Burger to China, with his new restaurant Maison Boulud a Pekin situated in Beijing’s famous Legation Quarter.