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Testing: Pub & Kitchen's Churchill Burger
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Testing: Pub & Kitchen's Churchill Burger
Yesterday, the crew at Pub & Kitchen (1946 Lombard St.) was kind enough to have us in for a taste of their new burger, the Churchill, which officially launched today. This eight-ounce, juice-oozing beast, which replaces the long-running Windsor (RIP), has the very rare distinction of being custom-blended by Pat LaFrieda, the New York butcher responsible for creating some of the most-hyped specimens in American burgercraft.
P&K chef Jonathan Adams and partner Ed Hackett first started chatting with LaFrieda about a year ago regarding sourcing for their Avalon BYO The Diving Horse, eventually landing in the butcher's good graces; he agreed — and he doesn't agree to do this with everyone — to begin R&D on a unique-to-P&K beef blend earlier this summer. LaFrieda is basically nocturnal, cleaving and trimming and grinding through the night while most of us are snoring, so Adams received many a wee-hour text and phone call from the butcher as he tested dozens of mixes designed to meet the quite-particular chef's flavor specifications. What specs, exactly? "I wanted the beef flavor to kick you in the teeth, and I wanted it to be fatty, with a warm, rich mouthfeel," says Adams. Mission accomplished — the thing's an unapologetic celebration of Black Angus badassery, bursting with so much capital-B Beef flavor that she'll surely become a brioche-bunned seductress targeting anyone in a committed relationship with a Philadelphia burger. (Floozy!)
As far as what exactly goes into the LaFrieda blend to satisfy Adams' parameters — we tried, y'all, we really tried, but Adams ain't sayin' nothin'. The man doesn't have a choice he signed an agreement never to talk specifics, just as LaFrieda signed a document stating that he will never provide this blend to anyone else. The Churchill, like other LaFrieda-sourced burgers (Minetta Tavern's $26 Black Label Burger, The Spotted Pig's signature patty, etc.), works off a base of the good stuff — dry-aged beef, in this case from Creekstone Farms — but that's all the world will ever know about this unassuming hunk of meat, named for our favorite immensely quotable British PM.
Speaking of quotes, some might be struck by ground-steak sticker shock when presented with their bill for the Churchill — the burger, which comes topped with sautéed, thyme-kissed onions and a side of fries, is $18. Adams is fully aware that this ain't cheap for a burger, but is adamant that they're charging a fair price when quality's taken into serious consideration. (They do offer an $11 burger, also a LaFrieda blend but not custom.) If you try the Churchill, sound off on the burger in the comments.
The Windsor was near perfect. The clear winner on the Foobooz Burger Cruise last year. I need to try this. ASAP.
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[...] Testing: Pub & Kitchen s Churchill Burger [Meal Ticket] [...]
Can. Not. Wait. Here's to constant one-upsmanship in the Burger Game!
[...] p.m. to grub out on P&K chef Jonathan Adams‘ Churchill sliders (shrink-rayed versions of their new signature burger), pork terrine studded with pistachio and brandied cherries (“Pulling out my old [...]
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