This Is Why David Chang Refuses To Grill His Burgers

Even if you abide by all the rules for grilling burgers like a pro, they may not be to everyone's tastes. This is especially true for David Chang, Michelin-star chef of Momofuku, who said on his podcast, "The Dave Chang Show," that "the grill is a horrible thing for a hamburger." Though not the most popular opinion, Chang points out two fundamental flaws with grilling burgers: grease fires and a lack of smoky flavor.

Ground beef, particularly high-fat blends, tends to drip directly onto coals or gas elements. At best, this causes flare-ups and unevenly cooked patties. At worst, the excess grease can reignite the coals until you have a grill full of fire. Chang adds that while grills are fantastic for other meats and for corn, which can be grilled to perfection, a burger patty would need 12 hours on the grill to develop any real smokiness — and after 12 hours, the patties would more closely resemble the charcoal they cooked over.

Chang also believes a burger patty won't gain any flavorful texture from the grill. Instead, it simply picks up the gunk stuck to the grill grate and ends up tasting like "carbonized crap." Between that and the hassle of cleaning up, he insists there are far better methods for cooking the perfect burger.

David Chang is a strong proponent of cooking burgers on a griddle, even crediting the popularity of smash burgers to the fact that they must be cooked on one. While the Maillard crust produced on a griddle provides a flavor advantage with its roasted meat taste, it's not the only reason Chang considers griddles superior.

Free of long clean-up times and any risk of grease fires, griddles are the tool of choice for many burger establishments, from McDonald's to Five Guys. Chang also notes that burgers succeed far more consistently on a griddle than on a grill, thanks to even cooking. Even when placed over an open flame, a wide metal sheet disperses heat much more evenly than direct exposure to fire.

Don't have a griddle at home? No problem — a large frying pan works fine. But if you really want to elevate your indoor burger game, skip the pan and reach for a plancha. Both a griddle and a plancha have low sides, which allow enough air circulation to evaporate the juices and fat that run from your patties as they cook. To caramelize those sugars and get the Maillard crust Chang values so highly, your cooking surface needs to stay fairly dry.