What’s happening in Marsaskala? Wied il-Għajn has been categorically turning into a Burger-Wonderland since 2017. Luckily, there are no McD or Burger King in sight, so eaters can truly enjoy one of the copious burger offerings from the local ensemble of restaurants. And believe us when we say that this place is brimming with quality burgers, as we’ve been there, and tried them all! A new and notable burger spot on the rise is Mad Hatter. In Alice’s Wonderland, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare are tea party friends, but our Hatter is mad about burgers! Both characters are painted on a red wall that takes up one side of the restaurant, and they laughingly stare at you, as you enjoy your burger. Just like Alice’ rabbit tunnel, this hole in the wall that initially looks like a bar, deceives the eyes.
Although the place has been around for years, last August it was taken over by Keith Gatt, a young chef who has been working in and out of kitchens for the last 7 years or so. Since then, Keith has been churning out new burger after burger, almost every week, sprucing up his Burger menu to an unbelievable array of diverse burger options. And this is where we came across the burger of this week, aptly named The Rancher. This burger is made from 240gr of local chuck beef and topped with 2 slices of smoked cheese, a meat-hill made from pulled pork and drenched in thick bbq sauce, and crowned with crispy onions all battered in flour. All is encased in a 5-inch wide brioche bun. All these elements tick all the boxes to make this burger qualify as something out of a Texas ranch! You also get lettuce, tomatoes and pickles on the side, but they seem superfluous here. This is obviously a big burger aimed at the most primordial carnivorous eaters! This is the kind of chunky burger that our buddy, Big Bertu the Burgernator would devour on the go, but we could not send him this time, as he’s away testing burgers in Ireland.
There are numerous techniques to create a burger patty that impresses us. Keith is using prime chuck here, which has been ground course for good measure and consistency. A coarse mince is a surefire formula for success, as it gives the best texture. There’s also very little place for finely ground beef in a burger, as this generally produces a somewhat dry, crumbly patty unworthy of any notice. Generally, ground chuck has much less fat compared to other cuts of beef. But, this beef shrinks less during grilling and also provides enough fat content to add a gratifying level of flavour. According to a Fort Valley State University College program, many people cannot even taste the difference between ground chuck and something like sirloin! We can, and the flavour here is meaty and palatable, making a perfect base for a Texas quality burger. Chuck is cut from the shoulder, and sometimes it might turn dry when cooked beyond medium-rare. This was not the case here, as the patty is greatly charred, with a crunchy exterior that has been seared to sizzle-crisp, and tenderly chin-dripping juicy in the centre. This patty is pure beef in its simplest form, as it has nothing more than minced beef and seasoning, instilling that sense of optimism and fulfilment that good beef brings along. The scent of this grilled burger alone gives you the chills!
As much as we loved the chuck beef, the pulled pork deserves a notorious mention of its own. The amount of pork looks even more astounding than the 240gr patty itself, which is something that big eaters always welcome! The secret to pulled pork is using a flavorful rub and cooking it low and slow. This pork has been painstakingly prepared and pulled into moist strands by Keith himself. It’s sweet, savoury and subtly spicy with a tangy kick. And most important of all, it rocks with the silky smooth and delicious BBQ vibes that provide a marvellous browning! It’s ludicrously tender, succulent and moist that it legitimately ticks all our taste bud boxes! And there’s quite a lot of it, as in messy lot! It’s lick your fingers clean, major-league BBQ at it’s finest, so we were more than glad to eat it all without breaking a sweat! The BBQ flavour is strong and takes over the whole burger, so if you like BBQ flavoured burgers, this is the real deal in the whole Marsaskala-land! This is not the family-style BBQ pork shoulder you are used to, this is something you only get to eat when celebrating a lifetime achievement or after winning the gold jackpot!
Everyone agrees that fried onions are a great topper on a classic burger. For some, there’s no better crunchy comfort food on the planet than crispy fried onions! So it’s no coincidence that these made their way in the Rancher burger. These onions are golden crisped, and have a somewhat light texture and are crazy delicious. They are oh-so-oniony, yet when floured they don’t seem like veggies amidst all the meat! We could pluck them out of the sides of the burger one by one, and eat them all day long! They are also a staple in Cowboy burgers from Texas. Life’s problems are finally solved!
No burger should come without fries, and this one is no exception. These are premium crunch fries from Belgium, and some of them might actually even come from Malta! They are seasoned with Himalayan salt, pepper & garlic. It’s a truism that bears repeating: One of the greatest differences between ejja-ha-mmorru kitchen workers and professional cooks is that the pros use a lot more salt in their creations. And thanks God for that, as these fries are sublimely salted. These fries have a very light crust, a starchy inside, are fried well and have a nice potato flavour and texture.
If you find yourself eating silently, eyes closed, overlooking everything around you, you have come upon a burger that can be pronounced as an accomplishment. That’s what it felt like eating the Rancher burger at the Mad Hatter. We’re sure that we will be back sooner than later here, as Keith has managed to come up with a good number of burger inventiveness that you don’t need to wait for summer to visit Marsaskala again.
