three raw beef patties on cutting board with coarse salt and fresh herbs
FOOD NEWS
Steak Haché Vs. Burgers: What's The Distinction?
BY MATTHEW SPINA
two beef patties in pan
Steak haché and a hamburger are both simple dishes that consist of ground beef shaped into patties, but they differ in how they’re prepared and served.
beef patty covered in sauce and mushrooms
Steak haché is a French dish where choice cuts of beef are freshly-ground, cooked, and served like a steak. It’s topped with sauces and seasonings and eaten with a fork and knife.
Meanwhile, many of us are familiar with an American hamburger, but if you take away the bun and toppings, the patty becomes a lot harder to differentiate from steak haché.
There's no one recipe for burger patties or steak haché, which makes them tough to compare. A tentative difference is that burger purists don't add any extras to burger meat.
A traditional beef burger patty uses nothing but beef, salt, and pepper. Meanwhile, steak haché recipes often call for mixing the beef with herbs, mustard, and onions.
Also, steak haché uses a single cut of steak like a sirloin, chopped up and re-formed right before cooking. Burger meat is often a premade mix that may use one or many cuts.
Ultimately, steak haché is a fancy French dish with an emphasis on freshness, while a burger is an American staple that doesn't require fancy mix-ins, sauces, or expensive meat.