Burger King Whopper

[nebulized]

Burger King Whopper

1 Sesame-seed hamburger bun
1/4 Pound Ground beef
1 d Salt
3 Dill pickle slices
1 Teaspoon Catsup
4 Onion rings
2 Tomato slices
1/4 Cup Chopped lettuce
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

Preheat a barbecue grill on high. Toast both halves of the bun, face down,in a hot skillet. Set aside. Form the beef into a thin patty slightly larger than the bun. Lightly salt the hamburger patty and cook on the barbecue grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Build the burger in the following stacking order from the bottom up: bottom bun, hamburger patty, pickles, catsup, onion rings, tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, top bun.

[copymike]

Hi all,

while McD's recipes almost all are perfectly cloned, the Whopper still needs some research.

A few recipes can be found in the net... I think I read and tried them all.
From horseradish in the mayo to celery salt on the patty.

I dont really know where they got THESE ideas from, but they got nothing to do with a whopper. So I started experimenting on my own a bit, and so far I have to say that the recipe that nebulized found is pretty close to my findings.

I got all perfectly cloned, but the Beef!

How do they generate this yummy smoked flavour? They say its from they "flame broiled" meat. I saw one of their (gas)grills and I did not see a n y little bit of smoke that would add flavour there. Ok, I had no opportunity to inspect it carefully. But according to their nutritional info it is 100% beef only. Huge secret... but who cares. I am much more interested in how we can reproduce anything near this flavour.

What I tried so far:

- Cook it on a coal grill (not working)
- all those celery additions (not working)
- liquid mesquite smoke (not working)
- burn surface of beef patty with a gas flame (not working)

I am running out of ideas and possibilities. I wonder if anyone of you has a suggestion or an idea what this flavour could be made of. Do you know anything that tastes similar?

Help me to get this last big Burger-Secret revealed! Thank you so much in advance!

[Kitchen Witch]

Well I got this from a BK manager - the grill is just a basic grill for cooking. Absolutely no smoke flavoring is involved - it's the temp of the grill itself. Once prepared they are usually stuck in the "warmer" to stay hot until needed. The patty is 100% beef - just don't know what body part it came from.

The patties are placed on the "chain" which acts like a conveyor belt taking the patties through the grill and then dumping them to go into the warmer. Which to me is cooking on one side only - like Maid Rites. That is why the warmer and then the microwave to bring them up to temp for safety purposes. The "grill marks" are from the chain itself.

When a whopper is ordered - the meat is removed from the warmer and placed on the heel of the bun. Which is then placed in the microwave to heat up to temp. A couple rings of onion, 3 dill pickle slices, two "rounds" of ketchup from the squeeze bottle, one smaller round of mustard from the squeeze bottle.

The crown of the bun is slathered with mayo, lettuce and 2 thin slices of tomato.

Result - the WHOPPER.

Ask for an "extra hot" sandwich to take home - they put it in the microwave longer. That's it.

Now back to the beef - there are different grades of beef - and you can bet your sweet bippy that places like McD's and BK get the lowest grade - they need to make their profits.

There has been a lot of controversy about the countries selling the beef patties to these places.

Before they closed down due to e-coli - TOPPS burgers were a close match. Both the regular patties and the 1/4 lb ones.

No secret at all -

[bennybbc]

Originally Posted by nebulized

Burger King Whopper

1 Sesame-seed hamburger bun
1/4 Pound Ground beef
1 d Salt
3 Dill pickle slices
1 Teaspoon Catsup
4 Onion rings
2 Tomato slices
1/4 Cup Chopped lettuce
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

Preheat a barbecue grill on high. Toast both halves of the bun, face down,in a hot skillet. Set aside. Form the beef into a thin patty slightly larger than the bun. Lightly salt the hamburger patty and cook on the barbecue grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Build the burger in the following stacking order from the bottom up: bottom bun, hamburger patty, pickles, catsup, onion rings, tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, top bun.

This recipe is an exact reprint, word for word from Todd Wilbur's, "Top Secret Recipes" cookbook that came out in 1993. I don't know if posting recipes like this is acceptable on this forum or not but I have seen at least a few requests for Ron's KFC chicken recipe and the answer was, "Buy the book". I don't have a problem with that and I don't really have a problem with copying a recipe out of someone else's cookbook. But I think if you're going to copy someone else's work, word for word, you should at least give them some sort of prominently posted credit. Don't you think that would be fair? If it came from some other website then you might want to mention that also. I know that if I had written a cookbook and I saw my hard work posted on a recipe website without any credit given to me at all I'd be a little bit annoyed, (at least). If Ron doesn't want his recipes handed out for free, (I don't blame him at all for that) then I think that maybe the same standards should be used for other author's recipes too.

Bruce

[Ron-Douglas]

Actually, Gloria Pitzer was the first to publish this recipe. She was the original copy cat recipe guru.

In reality, that's Burger King's recipe and no one elses. It's just instructions with no real original descriptive wording.

It's like publishing a generic recipe for making a hard boiled egg and trying to take credit for it because it's in your book. If someone else posts on a forum how to boil and egg should they give you credit?

[bennybbc]

Originally Posted by Ron-Douglas

Actually, Gloria Pitzer was the first to publish this recipe. She was the original copy cat recipe guru.

Hi Ron. Are you saying that Gloria Pitzer published this exact recipe, (Exact same ingredients and amounts) before Todd Wilbur did in his Top Secret Recipes book? Could you give a reference to that book, please? I'd be interested in seeing that for myself.

I could be wrong about this but it is my understanding that one can't copyright the ingredients and techniques of a recipe but they can copyright the exact description of how to prepare that recipe. In other words, you may use the same ingredients and same amounts but you need to change the wording before you publish it as your own. Is this more or less correct?

Originally Posted by Ron-Douglas

In reality, that's Burger King's recipe and no one elses. It's just instructions with no real original descriptive wording.

I dunno about that. When something is published in a, "Copycat book" and the author basically just guessed at the ingredients, who's recipe is that? It's unlikely that you or Todd Wilbur or Gloria Pitzer ever gets a recipe exactly dead-on identical to the printed recipe/method locked away in the company vault somewhere. Unless the author has somebody on the inside of that company or worked for that company themselves and has first or second hand knowledge of the exact recipe, the author is just making an educated guess. Therefore, I would say that the printed copycat recipe as it is written belongs to that author.

Originally Posted by Ron-Douglas

It's like publishing a generic recipe for making a hard boiled egg and trying to take credit for it because it's in your book. If someone else posts on a forum how to boil and egg should they give you credit?

[quote=Ron-Douglas;53463]

No, it isn't like posting on a forum at all. It's like reprinting copyrighted material from a copyrighted book written by someone else. Todd Wilbur isn't taking credit for the original Whopper recipe. He's taking credit for his version of the recipe and for the exact words and the order of those words he put into his copyrighted book. The wording in the posted Whopper recipe is exactly, word for word, the same recipe posted in Todd Wilbur's book. I don't know if taking someone else's copyrighted recipe like that and posting it to a forum without giving the original author any credit is illegal or not. I doubt that it is but it might be. But in my opinion, (And I would hope your opinion too) it is at least immoral.

I've seen more than once that you don't want your version of the KFC recipe posted on this forum because you want people to buy your books. I think that's completely fair and I would do the exact same thing if I were in your position. However, if I were in your position I would also stand up for the rights of other cookbook authors and apply the same standards to their works as well.

I recently received both of your, "America's Most Wanted Recipes" books in the mail along with, "Tried and True Secret Recipes". I'm pretty sure If I started to post every single recipe, (Including the KFC recipe) on this forum you or a moderator would put a pretty quick stop to it. Right? Again, I would do the same thing you would do. But how would you feel if I were to go to another recipe website and I posted, word for word, your recipes from your books? I'll bet I'd be hearing from your lawyer pretty quickly. I certainly have no intention of doing this because I have a sense of right and wrong. That would obviously be wrong.

With that in mind, I'm surprised and a little disappointed that you don't hold yourself or your website to the same standards when it comes to other author's works. I'm not trying to be disrespectful to you but I am disappointed that you don't see anything wrong at all with posting an exact copy of the words written by a fellow cookbook author without the post giving even so much as a few words of credit to Todd Wilbur. I am certain you wouldn't be happy if I went over to Recipe Zaar and posted your recipes word for word on their, "Copycat" section without at least giving you credit. I'm just sayin'...

Hopefully me disagreeing with the owner of the forum doesn't get me booted from the forum. I enjoy this forum and I've bought your books. I intend to use both of them, FOR MY OWN PERSONAL USE. If I ever post a recipe I've found on this forum to another recipe site I will certainly give credit where credit is due. That's a promise from me and one I think everyone should make.

Bruce

[Ron-Douglas]

I absolutely encourage people to give credit for recipes posted and have expressed that on this forum many times, but according to copyright law:

"Mere listings of ingredients as in recipes, formulas, compounds, or prescriptions are not subject to copyright protection. However, when a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection."

There is no substantial literary expression in that recipe. It's just plain instructions which is why I gave the hard boiled egg analogy.

And yes, that recipe was originally from Gloria Pitzer years earlier. But I'm not here to promote her outdated products.

[nebulized]

I didn't copy this recipe from anyone's cookbook. I received the recipe quite awhile back from a friend. Where she got the recipe, I have no idea. So, I really couldn't give someone credit without knowing who they are. If it is a problem I will no longer send any clone recipes that I find on the web or in my own recipes since I won't know who to give credit to. Didn't realize this would cause such a problem

jackie

[Ron-Douglas]

It's not a problem.

[kaci]

Maybe the following will enlightened you about Todd Wilbur.

Gloria Pitzer was the ORIGINAL AND FIRST CLONER OF COPYCATS.

Here is an article I found on the Internet.

Gloria does make the same recipes because of this but only she gives them
a different name close to what Todd has. They had quite a to do about this
between them.

Todd stole Gloria's Recipe/ The recipe is below in the article.



Recipe:"Clone" HoneyBaked Ham Glaze

Todd Wilbur took many of Gloria Pitzer's recipes and re-worded them to make them his to sell his book Top Secret Recipes. I knew Gloria Pitzer, some time ago, and Todd said he will sue anyone that prints anything off of his website, which is TopSecretRecipes.com

URL is TopSecretRecipes.com archivebbs.pl?read=28525


Here is a copy of what I found on their message board for the recipe that you were asking about (along with the notes that were written there)...(BTW, I have never made this version, myself)

Todd Wilbur took many of Gloria Pitzer's recipes and re-worded them to make them his to sell his book Top Secret Recipes. I knew Gloria Pitzer, some time ago, and Todd said he will sue anyone that prints anything off of his website, which is TopSecretRecipes.com

URL is TopSecretRecipes.com
archivebbs.pl?read=28525


(BTW, I have never made this version, myself)


HoneyBaked Ham Glaze

You might find it a bit of a surprise that this clone for America's favorite holiday ham has no honey in it. According to several employees of the spiral-sliced ham chain that Harry J. Hoenselaar started back in 1957, honey is not a component of the sweet, golden-brown glaze we've enjoyed on
HoneyBaked hams during the holiday season. TSR has discovered that the tender hams are delivered to each of the 250 Honey Baked outlets already smoked, but without the glaze. It is only when the ham gets to your
local HoneyBaked store that a special machine thin-slices the tender meat in a spiral fashion around the bone. One at a time, each ham is then coated with granulated sugar which has been mixed with spices -- a blend
that is similar to what might be used to make pumpkin pie. This sweet coating is then caramelized with a blow torch by hand until the glaze bubbles and melts, turning golden brown. If needed, more of the sugar-coating
is added, and the blow torch is fired up until the glaze is just right. It is this
careful process that turns the same size ham that costs $10 in a supermarket into one that customers gladly shell out 3 to 4 times as
much to share during this holiday season.

For this "limited-time-only" holiday clone recipe, we will recreate the glaze which you can apply to a smoked/cooked bone-in ham of your choice. The slicing, which will not be spiraled for this clone, will have to be performed first with a sharp knife, and then the glaze will be applied. To get it right
you must use a blow torch. If you don't have one, you can find 'em in most hardware stores for around 10 bucks. Hope you enjoy this original TSR recipe and the best happy holidays to you!!

1 fully cooked shank half ham (bone-in, any
size)
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/8 teaspoon paprika
dash ground ginger
dash ground allspice

1. First you must slice your ham. Use a very sharp knife to cut the ham into very thin slices around the bone. Do not cut all the way down to the bone or the meat may not hold together properly as it is being glazed. You
want the slices to be quite thin, but not so thin that they begin to fall apart or off the bone. You may wish to turn the ham onto its flat end and cut around it starting at the bottom. You can then spin the ham as you
slice around and work your way up.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.

3. Lay down a couple sheets of wax paper onto a flat surface, such as your kitchen counter. Pour the sugar mixture onto the wax paper and
spread it around evenly.

4. Pick up the ham and roll it over the sugar mixture so that it is well coated. Do not coat the flat end of the ham, just the outer surface which you have sliced through.

5. Turn the ham onto its flat end on a plate. Use a blow torch with a medium-size flame to caramelize the sugar. Wave the torch over the sugar with rapid movement, so that the sugar bubbles and browns, but does not burn. Spin the plate so that you can torch the entire surface of the ham. Repeat the coating and caramelizing process until the ham has been well-glazed (don't expect to use all of the sugar mixture). Serve the ham cold or re-heated, just like the real thing.

[copymike]

to come back to topic

As Kitchen Witch said, it seems that there is no smoke flavour added to the beef. But where does this flavour then come from? Just from the heat?
I was never able to reproduce anything that has this sweet smoke flavour.
I recently tried to smoke the beef in a smoker for a few minutes, but -at least with beech wood- it does not taste like BK.

This has to get solved!

[Kitchen Witch]

and it won't - their burgers are broiled over an gas flame - period - it's the grade of beef they are using

the frozen beef pattie is taken out of the freezer and placed on the continuously moving chain and broiled over natural gas - at the end of the chain the patties fall off and are picked up and placed in a warming bin -

when sammies are made - the burger is placed on the heel of the bun and nuked in the microwave - to make it appear "fresh and hot" - taken out and dressed as ordered

[copymike]

I believe you. In fact, I saw it myself ... it is a simple conveyor belt with gas flames on top and bottom.

But... I can broil any grade of beef, but they wont develop that typical sweet smoke flavour. Did anyone else?

Maybe the flavour is added before freezing the patties. With a sort of liquid smoke. Which in fact consists of only water and smoke. I dont know if they had to declare this in the nutrition facts. It could then be 100% beef anyway.

[AuntieV]

The flavor just might be from the chain. I am sure that this chain gathers some of the dripping from the meat and cooks on to the chain. With the build up it probably adds a little flavor of it's own to the current patty. Also the spaces between one patty and the next is going to get broiled in the process and new patties will not be placed exactly over where the lst one was.

I always wondered how often that chain is cleaned.

[Kitchen Witch]

Those chains do not get cleaned often enough! They wait until they are caked so bad before they do it.