Expert Backs American Cheese for Burgers as 71% of Americans Prefer Cheeseburgers
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 18
Expert Backs American Cheese for Burgers as 71% of Americans Prefer Cheeseburgers
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 18
Summary
American cheese is the most reliable cheeseburger topping, Gina Mode of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Research said, because a good slice must deliver flavor, melt smoothly and stay on the patty.
Melt performance comes down to composition, pH and intact casein: younger cheeses such as Colby, Monterey Jack, Muenster, Swiss, provolone and low-moisture mozzarella generally hold structure better than aged cheddar, which can crumble or oil off.
Emulsifying salts give processed American cheese its smooth, consistent melt by binding fat and water, while aged or specialty cheeses like blue or Brie work better crumbled, shredded or stuffed inside the burger.
Mode said cheese should go on at the very end of cooking, using the burger’s resting heat—or a cover for thicker slices—to finish the melt; she also pointed to cleaner-label natural American and spreadable cold-pack cheese as alternatives.