kitchendecanted

I’m a bit of a food snob.  Some folk would tell you I’m a lot of a food snob, but I don’t think that’s true.  I do try to avoid overly processed foods and I prefer organic chickens to mass produced supermarket ones, but I also love baked potatoes with cheddar and baked beans…..as long as it’s good cheddar of course, and I’m medically addicted to peanut butter.

The one thing I am snobby about however is fast food.  I haven’t had a Burger King (or Hungry Jacks as it is here in Oz), McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC or Subway for years.  I think I had a Subway once at uni when I’d had an ale or two but I’ve not had a McDonalds for at least ten or twelve years (and more like twenty years for a McDonalds burger).  I’ve never had a kebab and never plan to.

My aversion to fast food originally stemmed from concern over the quality of the meat that is involved.  I don’t insist on organic meat, but I do get a bit funny when I’m not quite sure about the quality.  For me it’s a no brainer that what you eat should probably be treated with a bit of care and respect before you eat it, especially when you’re planning to at an animal.  I’m not suggesting that all beef cattle be treated like original Kobe Beef, but I think we should be aiming slightly higher than the high density feed lot.

When I roast a chicken I like it too have huge legs and wings worth talking about.  For Christmas three years ago I roasted a 5kg chicken.  It was absolutely incredible.  When we ate it juice ran out over our chins and it had a much stronger taste than I’m used to.  It also made fantastic stock.  When was the last time you saw a 5kg chicken in the supermarket?  Never, that’s when.  Most mass produced broiler chickens are slaughtered at six to eight weeks old and a roaster might make it to thirteen.  During that time they stand in a shed.  If some die they aren’t necessarily removed and build up of faeces can result in ammonia burn on the skin (look for the dark marks).  They are also routinely fed antibiotics and often contain arsenic from antimicrobial drugs.  Nice.

While that is reason enough to be a bit wary about the origins of some fast food, I also don’t eat fast food because it tastes disgusting.

Or does it?

If I haven’t had a McDonald’s burger for twenty years am I really in a position to tell people that they taste disgusting?  I can’t remember exactly when I decided that they were unpleasant tasting, but I’m pretty sure that as a nine or ten year old, when I reckon I ate my last one, I loved it.  Is it just my food snobbery and prejudice that’s making me shun McDonalds due to taste?

I say we find out.  I propose a Burger Off……maybe not the best name actually.  Let’s go with Grand Burger Showdown instead.  Over the next few weeks I’m going to document my eating experience with five different burgers.  I’m going to be as open minded as I possibly can be and try to write an honest appraisal of each one.

The burgers I propose to eat, in no particular order, are as follows:

• A McDonalds Big Mac;
• A Hungry Jacks Whopper;
• A 600-day grain fed wagyu beef burger from Plan B (Becasse);
• An organic beef burger from Pulse Organic; and
• A homemade beef burger

I’ll posts notes and photos from each ‘event’ and provide all the relevant information regarding cost, nutritional info etc.  

It’ll probably take me a good few weeks to get through this lot as I can’t really see me managing more than a burger a week, but I promise to be as objective and impartial as possible.

I’ll post any further rules and regulations as I think them up.  Suggestions are certainly welcome!

Let the feasting commence.