Chicken burgers are not burgers

WE NEED TO talk about burgers. You know, those delectable patties made of minced meat, cooked over a hot griddle until pleasantly charred but still juicy, and served in a bun (I’m a fan of brioche, but there are strong arguments on all sides). The operative words in the previous sentence are ‘minced meat’, because that is the foundation of a burger. And that, my friends, brings us to an uncomfortable truth: what we are calling chicken burgers are not burgers. They are chicken sandwiches. Ground meat is the key to a burger – in fact, it is the definition of a burger. A slab of beef between two buns is not a burger: it’s a steak sandwich. So why do we let chicken sandwiches into the burger club? Unless they’re made from ground chicken formed into a patty, they do not deserve the burger designation. The same can be said for veggie burgers. You want to grind up your pulses and vegetables and form them into a patty that can be grilled? Enjoy your burger. You want to put a whole portobello mushroom between two buns? That, friend, is a sandwich.