At around 9:30am today, several people formed a line infront of The Oinkster in Eagle Rock thus kicking off Burger Week IV. For those not in the know, The Oinkster has been hosting their annual Burger Week since 2010. For a full seven days they craft a different burger for each day of the week that will never be served again. They go all over the map, from homages to the titans of the burger world like the Big Mac and the Double Double to crazy off the wall collaborations with the guys from Grill ‘Em All. For the die hards out there that go all 7 days, a special prize will be given out on Sunday (in past years it has been a t-shirt). The Oinkster also have a pretty good beer list all year round, so for Burger Week IV Beer Guy LA will be giving you our suggested beer pairing for each burger.
Today’s burger is The Cheesesteak Burger of Philadelphia, an homage to the Philly cheese steak. This burger consists of Nebraska Angus chuck griddled with green and red peppers and onions, two slices of sharp provolone cheese on top of a Nebraska Angus patty, all served on a French burger bun. The burger is just what you’d expect for the bastard child of a cheesesteak and a burger, with gooey provolone, onions, and peppers melding with the differing textures of the sliced chuck and burger patty.
The Beer Guy LA recommended pairing for this epic creation is the Holy Jim Falls XPA from Cismontane Brewing Company. This XPA (or extra pale ale) is named after the falls at the end of Holy Jim trail in the Trabuco Canyon near their brewery.
The beer pours a hazy straw color with a small ring of bubbly head. The aroma has a nice grassy hop to it but doesn’t overpower the doughy malt. This brew is definitely on the lighter side with an average amount of carbonation and only coming in at 4.5% ABV. The flavor is pretty close to the aroma, with a nice mix of grassy hop bite and a pleasant doughy malt. The finish is crisp and dry with some lingering hoppy bitterness.
The beer compliments the burger well, with a slight hoppiness cutting through the cheese and meat and complimenting the fresh bun but still leaving the savory flavors intact. Have a sip between bites to cleanse the palate or with a bite to see how the flavor changes.
Stay tuned for tomorrows pairing, where I’ll tell you which brew will go best with the HotBurg on a Stick.
Cheers!
Jeff Prosser