Burger Meets Meatloaf At Corkbar
Corkbar is a wine bar, but that doesn't mean they consider themselves above serving a burger. Chef Thomas Lamont created Corkbar's signature burger with some intriguing alterations. His burger draws inspiration from meatloaf (the food, not the singer). This may seem old-fashioned to some. After all, it is the product of a bygone era of 1950's housewives and bad taste in the name of easy and convenient cookery. Perhaps you're of the opinion that meatloaf should be locked away in the pantry along with fruit cakes, frilly aprons and T.V. dinner trays.
Those are actually my opinions, and maybe I'm wrong. For all I know, meatloaf's the next comfort food to be revived, even if I will probably just stuff it with mac and cheese. Imagine that sandwich! Corkbar's meatloaf-style hamburger certainly has me reconsidering, though. After all, meatloaf and the burger are not so far apart... still, there always seemed to be a world of difference between the two. Perhaps that's because I prefer my ground meat on bread and not in the form of bread (i.e. a loaf). Whatever the case, Chef Lamont has expertly melded the two meat forms.
The Corkbar burger patty combines chuck, short rib and pork fat from Huntington Meats (a meat purveyor local to LA), which is then finely ground to give it a texture closer to meatloaf, and mixed with grated parmesan and herbs. Unlike its loafy counterpart, however, the burger sits on a toasted challah bun with housemade pickles, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and special "burger sauce" made with roasted tomatoes and undisclosed spices. I will gladly eat meatloaf in this guise, especially since it comes with suggested wine pairings (Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel). Way to prove me wrong and make meatloaf modern.
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