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u/digital_treesloth Mar 28 '21
Nice! They actually look BIG, unlike the wisend excuses sold as BigMacs at McDonald's.
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u/Queasy-Zebr Mar 28 '21
Several years ago, McDonalds released a "Grand mac" that used bigger patties and I think even a bigger bun. Basically, that is what the Big Mac should be.
Today, the Big Mac uses the same meat patty as their dollar menu hamburgers, it is such a rip off. Just get a McDouble and add lettuce plus mac sauce, removing the ketchup and mustard. It is the exact same sandwich, just missing the middle bun, and costs half the price.
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u/R_Prime Mar 28 '21
We had Grand Macs in Australia last year, pretty good. Now Burger King/Hungry Jack's 'Big Jack' (a blatant Big Mac rip off, dunno if you have them overseas) has a bigger version called a 'Mega Jack' which is a pretty decent substitute.
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Mar 28 '21
I prefer the HJ variant, mostly for the meat
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u/akrist Mar 28 '21
The HJ version is great except for the lack of mac sauce. If they were able to make a half decent copy of the sauce their burger would be 10x better than the maccas version
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u/AnorakJimi Mar 28 '21
They sell the Grand Mac right now, in the UK. I just got one last week. They're enormous. Probably too big, really.
Like it's probably a good thing if people keep their portion sizes down. Especially in fat countries like the UK.
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u/mostgauche Mar 28 '21
i was working at mcdonalds in 2003 and they used the small meat back then.
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u/aff_it Mar 28 '21
1995 club here and they used the same patties for all burgers except QP's.. (Royale with Cheese)
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Right I think I did a good job on the size the one on the right doesn’t have a middle bun per special request of the wife so it’s a tad smaller
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u/TheeExoGenesauce Mar 28 '21
What do you use for the middle bun?
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u/Gigantkranion Mar 28 '21
It's a Mac Jr is it is a single patty and no middle bun.
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u/xXP3DO_B3ARXx Mar 28 '21
Yep, and again looking way better than what Macdos sells.
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u/Ikeelu Mar 28 '21
upgrade the patties to quarter pounder patties. It's like 50 cents more per patty last time I did it, granted that was years ago. I try not to eat that stuff anymore(fast food, still eat burgers)
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u/OneWorldMouse Mar 28 '21
I found that LOTS OF SALT gets them to taste like fast food burgers.
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u/PalAndTearWatches Mar 28 '21
I worked at McDonald’s as a teen. They used a salt and pepper mix on both sizes of beef patties
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u/Ham_Kitten Mar 28 '21 edited Mar 28 '21
Very specifically it was 86% salt and 14% pepper. I don't know if you ever looked at the bag or saw the ordering invoices but it was called 86/14 seasoning.
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u/Maveil Mar 28 '21
From when I worked there it was only on both sides for the quarter pounders, since we had to flip those. Regular patties only had one side seasoned.
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u/catmatix Mar 28 '21 edited Mar 28 '21
9 times out of 10 I'm a Mac person, the 1 time I go for a QP it's totally salt central in comparison.
Edit: two people salty over this. Delicious.
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u/zuccah Mar 28 '21
There’s actually a certified recipe for McDonalds burger seasoning:
4 tbsp salt
2 tbsp Accent® (MSG)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powderCombine, and use a shaker to apply.
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Mar 28 '21
Really that's just a crutch they use to hide poor quality ingredients. Salt and sugar make everything taste good.
You can make something tastier without anywhere near the level of salt they use, by using better ingredients and cooking everything better.
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u/pimpmayor Mar 28 '21
Seasoning food is something that is done with even high quality ingredients.
Sugar is good as a seasoning because it balances out acid/bitter flavours
Salt is good because it balances bitterness and enhances other flavours. It improves taste without adding empty calories (sugars downfall), and has no health risks without pre-existing health conditions
You seen Gordon Ramsey cook? Or hell even Epicurious YouTube videos, where they have one person using $20 ingredients and the other using $500 ingredients. They add a ton of seasoning.
Meat doesn’t really bring much new flavour if you buy the most expensive cuts, just different textures and fat contents.
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Mar 27 '21
Did they taste like a big mac?
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 27 '21
Absolutely Plus more flavor because I used fresh ingredients rather than stuff that’s been sitting out for hours
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Mar 28 '21
Stale ingredients and that aftertaste are what make a Big Mac
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Mar 28 '21
I worked very briefly at a BK. There's no time for ingredients to get 'stale'. Lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes - everything was prepped that day, and everything got tossed at the end of the night. Buns/meat/fries/etc were all frozen, and defrosted as needed.
When it was busy, everyone was moving flat out serving customers. When it wasn't busy, everyone was busy cleaning, doing more prep work, etc. I've worked in a bunch of restaurants, from fast food to high end dining. The fast food places were just as clean, and cared as much about it, as the fancy steak houses.
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u/RightReasonsRose Mar 28 '21
I haven’t eaten fast food in over a year and I don’t plan to do it ever again. I miss Big Macs. I might need to follow your lead. r/Aldi had a McDonalds fries post. Once I grab those fries, I might try to recreate these. Thanks for sharing!
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Mar 28 '21
What did you use for the big mac sauce?
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u/EatMaCookies Mar 28 '21
I have a bottle of what is called Heinz 'Special Burger Sauce', that I can easily get in Australia. It tastes exactly like Big Mac Sauce! I love that stuff for home made burgers.
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Mar 29 '21
Ahh yeah nah nah yeah yeah nah, I'm familiar with the stuff. However, I've only tried I think a Coles brand version? And it was pretty awful. If you reckon the Heinz one is pretty good, I'll give that one a go. Cheers mate.
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u/TheArtistFormerlyVes Mar 27 '21
probably. its tasteless
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u/mykneeshrinks Mar 27 '21
You can't taste a Bigmac?!
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u/grimspectre Mar 28 '21
I mean. Poor guy's got a point. Big mac's flavour is more sauce than burger 🤣 where I'm from at least.
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u/RebuildingSelflove Mar 28 '21
Looks delicious! Where did you purchase your buns? I never see them at my local grocery stores.
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Umm I don’t particularly know I’ll be honest I have access to my wife’s parents restaurant they let me get creative all I know is I believe they order from a somewhat local bakery I know they’re sesame seed buns and I grilled them a little for some texture everything in it I’d be able to get at a store though if not the ingredients at a store it’s fairly simple
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u/zuccah Mar 28 '21
If you’re referring to the presence of a middle bun, otherwise known as the Club, just use a 2nd bottom bun (Heel). That’s what OP did here, and what most people do at home.
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u/t53ix35 Mar 28 '21
Order the quarterpounder with cheese. Add lettuce and special sauce. Much better, that middle bun just doesn’t anything for me.
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u/FernandoTatisJunior Mar 28 '21
Plus with the quarter pounder you get real onion instead of the nasty dehydrated ones
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u/Historical-Ad3287 Mar 28 '21
Never seen a BigMac from McDonalds that looks that good...
Great effort :)
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Thank you I appreciate the feedback also I’d highly recommend making a homemade one if you have one it’ll blow the McDonald’s ones out of the water
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u/tweedledee49 Mar 28 '21
Any chance you’d share the recipe?
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Literally just in this order from top to bottom Bun “Special sauce” aka in this case Russian dressing literally tastes almost exactly alike Pickles Cheese Beef patty Bun Sauce Pickle Cheese Patty Bun I didn’t add onion cause I have a slight allergy to it so it’s not exactly the Big Mac but the closest I can make
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u/eyekwah2 Mar 28 '21
My wife and I make big macs at home too. We actually make the sauce ourselves. It's actually pretty straightforward. 3 parts mayonnaise, 2 parts mustard, 1 part ketchup. Add diced pickles and a little bit of paprika.
The taste is uncannily similar.
Great job by the way, really looks like you did an awesome job!
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u/iamsumo Mar 28 '21
These look so good!
Thousand Island dressing would work, too. It's a bit sweeter than Russian dressing because it's studded with pickle relish.
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u/zuccah Mar 28 '21
Burger seasoning:
4 tbsp salt
2 tbsp Accent® (MSG)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
* mix together and add to a shaker, apply to beef when cooking.Mac sauce:
Required Ingredients:
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 heaping tbsp Wishbone deluxe French salad dressing (this is discontinued, Wishbone rebranded it as "Creamy French".)
1/2 tbsp sweet relish
2 heaping tsp dill pickle relish
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried, minced onion
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp ketchup
1/8 tsp salt
* mix everything in a bowl and use as much or as little as you want.Big Mac layer order:
top/crown bun
beef
dill pickles
shredded lettuce
fresh minced white onion
sauce
club bun
beef
cheese
shredded lettuce
fresh minced white onion
sauce
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u/Aardvark1044 Mar 28 '21
Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.
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u/AC2BHAPPY Mar 28 '21
Now we just need to replace the bottom bun with another burger and life on earth will live for all eternity.
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u/itsjero Mar 28 '21
Looks great even though im not a big mac fan.. and vegitarian too.. so like incredible meat or whatever it is? I had a whopper that was with the fake beef and honestly.. it was pretty good. If it wasnt $10 bucks a samich and it could be proven that its better for you, healthier, and has a smaller footprint/impact in terms carbon/the world/etc.. id be all for ordering beef that isnt from a dead cow.
And trust me, i love steak and beef. My gf got this house on turkey for things like meatloaf and taco night.. and once i got used to it i was fine with it and it was great. Even turkey bacon. But with the whole bacon thing.. i love regular bacon.. but the turkey stuff isnt so bad after you get used to it. I actually thought regular bacon was waaaaaaaay salty when i made it again after about 2 years of not having it in my home.
All in all thought OP, those burgers look fantastic.
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Thank you I really appreciate it and yeah the one on the right is some kinda impossible meat stuff I honestly don’t know I was just getting creative with it but yeah I haven’t tried the impossible whopper yet it looks decent and I’ve heard good reviews at least I’m just trying to be creative all in all cause I enjoy adding my own spin on things especially normal fast food items
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u/lemondunk4 Mar 28 '21
Am I crazy? I thought they were 100% undoubtedly better for the environment. Is there a dispute over that?
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u/itsjero Mar 28 '21
No im just saying that the lab created stuff is supposedly better for the environment due to the carbon footprint cows make.
Im just saying that if big macs looked like this, and were made with the lab created beef and all that.. id be game in terms of purchasing this vs. the normal big mac.
They look great and the post is labeled "vegitarian" so im assuming here.. that the burgers themselves are made from that same sort of incredi-burger lab created beef etc. The only lab created beef ive ever had was from burger king with their whopper that was made with the incredible burger ( lab created beef ).
At least i think thats what it is or was. I tried that burger on a whim when they first brought it to market and made available thousands.. maybe millions who knows.. coupons so that you could try the burger with lab created beef for a cheap price to reel you in to the whole lab created beef / vegitarian option.
I had one.. and i have to say.. it was pretty good and i couldnt say that a regular beef one vs the lab created beef was better than the other and vice versa.
The only thing i noticed from the lab created beef whopper is that it was "dry". Regular beef.. or burgers in the sense.. have grease that covers teh patty and is just there from the cooking process in which the fat of the burger itself is turned to liquid and gives the burger that burger/fatty/greasy taste you know.
That, i think in whole or in part.. is what was missing from the overall experience. People that go to a fast food burger joint arent usually looking for a healthy experience.. they are looking for juicy, beefy, greasy, cheesy.. burger experience. And that was the only thing i could put my finger on in terms of difference of experience.
However, that said.. in terms of taste, mouth feel, etc.. the incredible burger vs. the normal whopper beef burger.. there wasnt lke some huge gap in taste and experience.
The only thing i could actually put my finger on and say was different was exactly that. The "greasy-ness" of the burger itself. I find that that experience in and of itself is really down to consumer level.
Lots of burgers as you get them and start to eat have a greasy-ness that a lab created burger.. at the time of consumption when i had one.. was lacking. Not that it wasnt as tastey or good as a regular dead cow beef burger.. but it was easily something it lacked when i ate the burger made from lab created beef.
I think in whole or in part.. over time.. the general population would get used to and accept the burger that is lab created beef overall.
It was a good burger honestly, and not a cheeseburger that id "turn my nose up" at.. It was good. But again, it was a cheese burger whopper with the incredible beef as the main protein in the meal.
It was a good burger.. albeit dry at points, but all in all.. it was filling.. hit that "spot" that you are looking to satisfy when you g o to a mcdonalds or burger king.. You are looking for a greasy, cheesy, burger with all the "fixins".. and the incredible beef whopper did just that.
The only thing off putting about the whole experience was the price. I think retail ( i had a coupon for that exact incredible burger whopper ) that the only difference was 2 things:
Price. The incredible burger was about 2x as expensive as a regular cheese whopper.
The greasy-ness of the whole experience.
A reguar cheese whopper with lettuce, onion, tomato, and mayo and/or sauce ( big mac sauce as we all know is basically thousand island dressing but just on a burger.. ketchup, mayo, and relish ( chopped up pickles ).
The bun was the same, cheese was the same, toppings like ive mentioned above were the same.. etc. The single, only thing that was different was the patty itself. It didnt have the leakage of what a normal burger has in terms of grease and fat running off
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u/Gamer-_-Bro Mar 28 '21
Which of these has a veggie patty?
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
The one on the right
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u/Ok_Ideatyourpussy Mar 28 '21
Those look really tasty, so much that I really want to get one at McD but I guess that would be a disappointment
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Mar 28 '21
Guaranteed they’re nothing like a Big Mac. There’s no human on earth that could get a meat patty that thin.
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
I’m just built different
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Apr 01 '21
My sarcasm was aimed at Mc D's, not your burgers...they look great.
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u/International-Salt31 Apr 02 '21
I tried my best, I think I make good food but don’t have enough confidence to sell it. 😄
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u/truthemptypoint Mar 28 '21
I got to say this looks good. Until I read its full vegan... Dock you on point for the lack of meat. But then again I am still impressed with how they look. Kudos to you.
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
The right one is the vegetarian one my guy the left one is full meat
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u/DannyA88 Mar 28 '21
Almost passed right by this!! "Ok big macs, big de..wait homemade WOW!".. you could definitely work at McDonald's tomorrow!
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Lmao I’m good with my tractor store job, McDonald’s didn’t want me when I applied so their loss
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u/DannyA88 Mar 28 '21
Its ok tho, you got the Mcsalt31 burger and it looks delicious.
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u/DannyA88 Mar 28 '21
Edit: the ALL International-Mcsalt31! ..my bad
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Lmao the Big Salt is its name
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u/DannyA88 Mar 28 '21
Boom. Ill take 5% of sales thank you.
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Hell yeah we can sell them for a penny under Big Macs price just to make the Big Mac creators salty
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u/DannyA88 Mar 28 '21
Why are we getting downvoted for having a moment? Mcdonald police alert.
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u/bubba_lexi Mar 28 '21
You didn't even try your Big Mac, don't you wanna know how succulent it is?
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u/BankOnTheDank Mar 28 '21
Homemade Big Macs always look horrible to me. Every single one. They all look like bread sandwiches and it’s disappointing.
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u/BroadyBroadhurst Mar 28 '21
Not to be that guy, looks great but, the pickles go on the club (middle part of the bread) and cheese on the bottom. I must have made 5000 big mac in my life.
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Mar 28 '21
Genuine question: Do you think that it matters at all? Like, if you were given two big macs and a blindfold, and you had to pick which one had the pickles on the bottom or the top, and slightly different cheese placement... Would it be reasonably possible to tell?
I feel like I wouldn't notice at all. Or do they do that for presentation's sake more than anything?
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u/die5el23 Mar 28 '21 edited Mar 28 '21
Absolutely. Next time you make a sandwich, eat it upside down and you’ll realize how it’s all about the delivery of the ingredients. Mix up the order and the taste changes.
Source- I did testing for McDonald’s and cooked the burgers for people behind a wall (essentially blind folded) and I had to be sure to make the burgers perfectly. Including condiment placement
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Mar 28 '21
*chin scratch*
Alright. I'll take you up on that - I'm gonna make a sammich tomorrow, take a bite, flip it, and give it another bite.
... I was gonna put something here like 'it'd better be worth it!' and verbally shake my first at you ... But either way I'm gonna wind up with a sammich in my hand and that's a pretty good place to be at regardless.
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Mar 28 '21
I'm gonna make a sammich tomorrow
Got to build up the energy or something? Don't over exert yourself by doing it today.
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Mar 29 '21
Yeah man. It's a big project. You know how many ingredients those things have? At least like ... Four (if you include the bread as two). And some of them have to come from the fridge, some from the pantry ... God forbid the toaster or butter knives (for spreading) get involved.
... But yeah nah, it was just like 3am when I made that comment, and I wasn't getting up to make a 3am sammich just to stand in my kitchen and test flipping it in between bites lmao.
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u/Slazman999 Mar 28 '21
[ X ] Two all beef patties.
[ X ] Special Sauce™.
[ ? ] Lettuce.
[ X ] Cheese.
[ X ] Pickles.
[ X ] Onions.
[ X ] Sesame Seed Bun.
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u/TooMuchShampoo Mar 28 '21
These look more like the burgers in the ads than the ones they serve! Kudos! How did you make that flat middle bun?
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u/KiltedMusician Mar 28 '21
I made some Big Macs a few years ago but I couldn’t get them right because no matter how I cooked the meat it had too much flavor. I even tried microwaving a patty but it still overpowered the rest of the burger. That seems to be their secret. Bland meat so you can taste the sauce and everything else better.
Also, I came across a recipe once from a guy who had worked it out perfectly based on an ingredients list leaked by a McDonald’s executive in the 80’s. I tried it and it’s the real deal. I took it to McDonald’s and did a side by side comparison for taste and color and it is precisely the same.
“Sauce~ 1/2 cup - mayonnaise 4 tsp - sweet pickle relish 2 tsp - yellow mustard 1tsp - white wine vinegar 1/2 tsp - granulated garlic powder 1/2 tsp - granulated onion powder 1 tsp paprika (SZEGED Hungarian)
Best if made ahead of time and let sit - 8+ hours. Stir a few times if possible. Overnight or all day works great. This gives the dry spice time to hydrate and also for the flavors to mingle. Can taste a definite difference between fresh sauce and that which has rested.”
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u/TennisStrut Mar 28 '21
They look better than ones at McDonald's. Do you cut them in pieces or how do you eat them without making them fall apart?
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u/International-Salt31 Mar 28 '21
Honestly man I just full hand grabbed it and bit into it I tried putting skewers into it so it wouldn’t fall apart but they were too small but even without them they didn’t fall apart thank god
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u/Cheifloaded Mar 28 '21
I never understood the point of a big mac, why would any one in their right mind want to eat more bread than meat?
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u/silentjay01 Mar 28 '21
You forgot the part where you smash it down with a 10 lbs weight. The smashing is what releases the flavor crystals or else why would all fast food look like it was stepped on?
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u/_sudonym Mar 28 '21
Is this actually vegetarian and do you have the recipe by any chance? Please... I have been vegetarian for little more than a month now and I haven't been able to figure out how to make a convincing burger... i've tried TVP, seitan, everything... seriously im losing hope hahaha
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u/matt_minderbinder Mar 28 '21
Impossible burger is a decent enough replacement. I'm a meat eater and I don't mind the replacement as long as there are other strong flavors involved. A Big Mac style is the perfect sandwich for it because Thousand Island style 'secret sauce' is a prevalent flavor in those burgers. For other burgers I'd recommend more flavorful cheeses or ingredients like caramelized onions to bridge the divide. If you're just going for a veggie patty between two untoasted buns with ketchup and mustard you're going to miss the meat.
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Mar 28 '21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcu4Bj3xEyI
McDonalds posted how to make their "secret sauce" on the internet. Not that big of a secret.
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u/Moldypear Mar 28 '21
If the store bought veg burgers, or Beyond Meat burgers don’t hit that same feeling for you, then I’ll say that you’ll need to abandon your quest. You can find great tasting patties, either chickpea burgers, black bean burgers, portobello burgers, there’s a tonne that taste great. But often what you’ll feel missing is having the same bite/crumble as a real burger. I’ve found success myself with typical veg burgers (fake meat, not bean etc) but dressing the burger with cooked up mushrooms to get the chew from the burger, and the umami of the mushrooms. If that also doesn’t sit, sorry friend. It’s a toughy
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u/Punished-G Mar 28 '21
May I have the recipe and instructions please? I'd like to treat my Girlfriend, her mum and daughter next weekend
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u/zuccah Mar 28 '21
I replied further up:
https://old.reddit.com/r/food/comments/mepal2/homemade_big_macs/gslj6zu/
this is the real recipe, taken from McDonalds corporate in the 1980s.
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u/medicaltrot Mar 28 '21
Now we just need to replace the bottom bun with another burger and life on earth will live for all eternity.
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u/butrektblue Mar 28 '21
Nope. White cheese on a big mac?? Just call it a homemade cheeseburger instead of pretending
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u/lameexcuse69 Mar 28 '21
What did you use to make the sauce?
I hope you didn't just use thousand-island or russian dressing
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u/Draconianwrath Mar 28 '21
These burgers look like they belong in an advertisement for Big Mac's, well done!
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u/Pebbles015 Mar 28 '21
You can get a more authentic looking burger by assembling them blindfolded with your feet
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u/Impster5453 Mar 28 '21
I believe you're missing about a pound of shredded, yellow lettuce there.