In 1999, French farmers rioted over the existence of McDonald’s in France. In 2000, French chef Daniel Boulud responded with his decadent DB Burger, featured at his DB Bistro Moderne and Daniel Boulud Brasserie (now closed) for $32. For those who may not be able to travel but want the experience, CHOW has attempted to re-create the towering hamburger, replete with fresh Parmesan Kaiser Roll, Tomato Confit, Horseradish Mayonnaise, red wine–braised short ribs, black truffles, and of course foie gras.
What to buy: We followed Chef Boulud’s lead and used ground sirloin for this recipe. It has a low fat content (15 to 20 percent), which helps counteract the richness of the shredded short ribs.
Preserved black truffles can be found in jars in specialty grocery stores or online. If you can’t find whole truffles, splash a bit of black truffle oil over the short rib mixture before you add it to the burger.
Foie gras can be found at specialty grocery stores and butcher shops and online. Its fatty, velvety texture adds extra indulgence to this burger, but if you can’t find it or prefer not to eat it, leave it out and use a little olive oil to sauté the vegetables.
This recipe was featured as part of our Hamburger Through Time feature.
Beverage pairing: Murphy’s Irish Stout, Ireland. The burger is complex, pitting short ribs, foie gras, truffles, and horseradish against each other. A wine would have trouble making peace with these diverse elements, but a good dark beer can calm the ruckus down, and this stout will also refresh with its creaminess.