hamburger — Germany

A hamburger is a sandwich built around a round bun and a seasoned patty of ground meat, most often beef. In its German setting, the dish draws on an older habit of frying seasoned minced steak and serving it plain or in a roll, a preparation reported from the port city of Hamburg long before the bunned sandwich spread worldwide. This version is placed in Germany, where minced beef dishes have a long-standing place in home cooking and casual dining, distinct from the fast-food format most associated with the sandwich abroad. It is documented in more than one country on AllGastronomy, each with its own page and its own place on the map, with no ranking implied between them. The beef is mixed with finely chopped onion, egg, and breadcrumbs, then shaped into patties and pan-fried in butter until deeply browned on both sides. A crusty roll is split and lightly toasted in the same pan, spread with mustard, and topped with the patty and sliced pickled gherkins. What distinguishes this preparation is the addition of egg and breadcrumbs to the meat, which gives the patty a softer, more binding texture than the plain grilled beef used elsewhere, along with the choice of a firm bread roll and tangy pickles rather than fresh salad vegetables.