There is nothing like a good old food fact discussion. The difference between a slider vs a burger has been a hot topic of debate amongst many food critics and amateur foodies alike. We looked it up, and some of the findings may surprise you.
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Difference Between Slider and Burger
What makes a slider different from a burger? Isn’t a slider simply a miniature version of a burger?
You are not the only one who wondered about what makes a slider different from a burger.
Fortunately, we live in a time where you can find everything you want to know at the click of a button. However, that means there is also a chance of you stumbling upon varied information. And there is no clear way to know what is true.
Nonetheless, we want to share what we’ve uncovered. You are free to make your ultimate selection.
What Is a Burger?
We tend to think of the hamburger as a quintessentially American invention. Simply put, it is the fastest of fast food and relatively recent innovation.
However, the idea of grinding up leftover meat and forming it into a handy patty goes back hundreds of years. One may even date back its genesis to the city called “Hamburg” in Germany.
But, the first modern hamburger only came about in the late 1800s. The most commonly accepted theory is that Louis Lassan was the inventor.
He sandwiched cooked ground beef between slices of bread to make it simpler to consume.
It is now evident that a burger is a dish made up of the primary filling, which is generally a ground meat patty. The patty is then topped with various veggies and topped in sauces.
But then again, so is a slider. Is that to say that a slider and a burger are the same things?
To know the difference, let’s learn more about sliders.
What Is a Slider?
Sliders are one of the most recognizable foods in American cuisine. You may think of sliders as smaller burgers, but they are a separate entity from a hamburger.
A slider may appear to be a burger reduced down to a mini version of itself at first sight. But the slider is much more complex in reality.
Despite of how simple it is, a slider is a fantastically versatile dish. On certain menus, it’s classified as an entrée. But many menus list them as appetizers on others.
There is also the matter of how to tell the difference between a slider and a “mini burger.” That can be more contentious than one might think.
But why is a slider so incredible? And how is it different from a burger?
Why are they called Sliders?
When the U.S. Navy fed sailors “mini burgers” during World War II, the sailors said that the burgers were so small and greasy that they slid right down into their stomachs. Thus, sliders.
How big are Sliders Burgers
Sliders contain about 2 ounces of ground beef. Think of White Castle’s classic Sliders.
Burgers contain about 4 ounces to 8 ounces of ground beef. Think of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder (4 ounces = 1/4 pound).
Slider vs. Burger: Differences
You can say that a burger and a slider is the same. That is, if you use the basic definition of a piece of meat sandwiched between two pieces of bread.
That definition also supports the idea that they are both a sort of sandwich. That’s because burgers and sliders weren’t invented until sandwiches came into being.
The most compelling reason, in our opinion, is although both sliders and burgers are usually circular and feature ground meat patties, the difference lies in how chefs make them.
Cooking Technique
The main difference has a lot to do with the cooking techniques used to make a slider.
Sliders aren’t prepared in the same manner as grilled hamburgers or griddle-cooked burgers. Instead, they’re prepared from a meatball that’s cooked on a hot griddle.
The chef crushes the meat with onions on the griddle. That subsequently allows the wonderful juices of the onion to aid in cooking the meat.
The patty is then flipped after a brief sear. The toppings and seasonings are directly added to it and cooked rapidly on the griddle or grill. The hot griddle enables it to caramelize and sear perfectly.
Patty
To be precise, each slider patty has about 7g of fat. Because it’s designed in a way that one may eat two to three sliders in one go, each meal can include up to 28 g of fat.
In comparison to an average hamburger, which has only 9 g of fat, the difference is a large amount.
While this implies, sliders may not be the healthiest option for a daily meal. The flavour of the fatty patty is unmistakable and one cannot duplicate it in a lean burger patty.
At the end of the day, if you are managing your calories, you might want to limit yourself to just one slider.
But if you’re prepared to go all out, it’s the fats that’ll make your mouth wet and fill you up.
Size
The design is meant to be small enough so that you only require one hand to hold a slider in one hand. The modern slider is the creation of White Castle, an American fast-food business, with the philosophy of “less is more.”
They named the mini snack a slider since only one of them can easily slide down. A pound of beef can serve a total of 18 sliders.
Customers will want to eat them one after the other, which is why the design was the way it was. So, while they’re little, they’re nevertheless explosive in terms of taste.
Each slider has a burger’s worth of flavours packed into each small sandwich.
Final Thoughts
One still may consider burgers as their go-to comfort food at any family barbeque. At the same time, the slider revolutionized the restaurant business.
The concept of a tiny gourmet burger appeals to diet-conscious diners since it is less food for greater delight. On the other hand, some critics see sliders as merely a pretext for cooks to charge exorbitant rates for little buns. That too for even smaller quantities of meat.
But putting economics aside, there’s no denying that devouring a delectable and expertly made mini-burger is a lot of pleasure. You may experience a variety of different burgers by eating sliders instead of a normal hamburger. Sliders are also frequently served in pairs due to their tiny size.
The concept of a slider transformed into a completely new gastronomic experience. It’s also served in some of the world’s most sophisticated and expensive restaurants, with experienced chefs continually coming up with novel combinations.
Goodbye, classic beef burger, and welcome pork, chicken and veal!
