DECODED: McDonald's Special (Big Mac) Sauce

DECODED:  McDonald's Special (Big Mac) Sauce

I gathered 21 copycat recipes for McDonald's special (Big Mac) sauce from 21 different websites, all claiming they have "the best tasting" - "closest to the original" sauce. 

Most of the recipe's ingredients and quantities of each are very similar so I enlisted the help of my son Anthony (the data guru). I gave him all the raw data which he put into a formula-rich spread sheet to be compared and analyzed.

Once completed, I chose the ten most reoccurring ingredients thinking this would guarantee me a sauce that would taste as close to the original recipe as possible. The quantities of the ten ingredients varied slightly so they were averaged and rounded for the final recipe. 

Mix all Ingredients and Refrigerate Overnight

NOTE: The Minced Onions need to be reconstituted dehydrated onions.

Ingredient                        Amount                    

•Mayo                                        1 cup 

•French Dressing                     2 tbsp

•Ketchup                                   2 1/2 tsp

•Minced Onions                       2 tsp

•Sweet Relish                          2 tsp

•Dill Pickle Relish                    2 tsp

•White Vinegar                        1 1/2 tsp

•Sugar                                      1 1/4 tsp

•Salt                                          1/8 tsp

•Garlic Powder                        1 tsp                          

•Onion Powder                        1 tsp

Slide 2 below shows the recipe which we formulated from the 21 copycat recipes (this is the slide you want). 

Here is my comparative analysis yielding what is possibly the best homemade McDonald's special (Big Mac) sauce recipe out there...

Slide 1 - Top 10 Ingredients

NOTE: The Minced Onions need to be reconstituted dehydrated onions.

Slide 2 - The Recipe

NOTE: See explanation of the 11th ingredient below

RAW DATA SHEET 1

(Excludes measurement quantities)

RAW DATA SHEET 2

(Excludes measurement quantities)

Mix all Ingredients and Refrigerate Overnight

NOTE: The Minced Onions need to be reconstituted dehydrated onions.

Ingredient                        Amount                    

•Mayo                                        1 cup 

•French Dressing                     2 tbsp

•Ketchup                                   2 1/2 tsp

•Minced Onions                       2 tsp

•Sweet Relish                          2 tsp

•Dill Pickle Relish                    2 tsp

•White Vinegar                        1 1/2 tsp

•Sugar                                      1 1/4 tsp

•Salt                                          1/8 tsp

•Garlic Powder                        1 tsp                          

•Onion Powder                        1 tsp

Tavern 292 - Fairfield, NJ

Where:

Tavern 292

292 Passaic Ave

Fairfield, NJ 07052

(862) 210-8867

http://www.tavern292.com/

What:

The Jersey Burger

Build:

8 oz. burger, Taylor Ham, fried egg, and cheese on a toasted brioche bun.

Comments:

I had heard Tavern 292's Jersey Burger is done right, so I opted for it and I'm glad I did! It was very good, juicy, hot, great beef flavor (I'm guessing 100% chuck), presented well, and was cooked a perfect medium rare. Coarsely ground, loosely packed beef always makes for a fantastic tavern burger.

Although I'm often trying burgers with crazy toppings, I personally don't care for them; I prefer my burgers with cheese, onion and pickle (always NFK) but this burger was downright awesome. The toasted bun was outstanding and the key factor to all these toppings working so well together.

I was told the place is owned and managed by a Greek family and it shows. The place is run as efficiently and with as much attention to detail as any Jersey Greek diner. I have nothing bad to say about our dining experience at Tavern 292. The burger was cooked perfectly to my taste, and served hot. The wait staff was great, the place was packed (which speaks volumes), and we left happy campers. What else can I say? If you are ever in Fairfield, NJ, try one of Tavern 292's burgers – you won't be disappointed.

Shout out to Steve Wildt - you NEED to try this burger!

The Jersey Burger receives an 8.9 out of 10 on the BC rating scale. 

Criteria & ratings for the Jersey Burger:

Meat flavor 9

Juiciness 8

Size 10

Freshness 9

Burger-to-bun ratio 8

Bun type 8

Overall taste with selected condiments 8

Eatibility 10

Temperature 10

Onion soups come and onion soups go, this one was perfect; not overly salty.

Harolds New York Deli - Lyndhurst, NJ

Where:
Harold's New York Deli
10 Polito Ave, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
(201) 935-2600
http://haroldsnydeli.com/

What:
California Burger

Build:
12 oz. burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayonnaise.

Comments:
A ¾-pound beauty. I'm not a fan of massive burgers, but since there’s only a 50/50 shot at being served pastrami at Harold's that's actually hot, I opted for the burger and I was glad I did.

I wasn't optimistic about the burger, but I placed my medium rare order anyway.

Not only was the burger cooked perfectly, it had a great leathery char. It was topped with crisp, cold iceberg lettuce, not the leafy green crap that's "good for you.” I could do without the tomato (unless they are blood red, in-season, Jersey tomatoes). The onion was as perfect as an onion can be; sweet with no bitterness that bites you back whatsoever – just pure, sweet juicy white onion. Hybrid bitter red onions are another pet peeve of mine, but that's for another day's rant.

A healthy gob of mayo and no less than three slices of cheese had me smiling all afternoon.

Pssst! Take advantage of the complimentary pickle bar and health salad. The potato salad and coleslaw are both homemade and delicious.

Harold's California Burger receives an 8.7 out of 10 on the BC rating scale.

Criteria & ratings for the California Burger:
Meat flavor 8
Juiciness 10
Size 9
Freshness 8
Burger-to-bun ratio 8
Bun type 9
Overall taste with selected condiments 8
Eatibility 8

Temperature 10

Mega Matzoh ball soup!!

The Shepard & the Knucklehead, Haledon, NJ

Where:
The Shepherd & the Knucklehead
529 Belmont Ave, Haledon, NJ 07508
(973) 942-8666
https://www.theshepnj.com/

What:
Shep's Classic Burger

Build:
Cheddar, pickles, lettuce, and tomato with house sauce on the side.

Comments:
The Shepard & the Knucklehead emits a great atmosphere; it's the kind of place you’d want to go to during a snowstorm to drink a beer and enjoy a hot juicy burger. My friend Steve recommended the breakfast burger with Taylor ham, egg & cheese, but I felt obligated to go with their namesake, Shep's Classic burger. No disappointment here folks, even the fries were great. Check out my autopsy shots and you'll see what I mean.

One con: The burger was so fat, is was difficult to eat which made me knock down some points for burger-to-bun ratio and eatibility.
Friendly wait staff, decent prices and a killer ambiance will make you a happy camper too.

Psssst!...try the Crab Rangoon appy.

Shep's Classic Burger gets an 8.1 out of 10 on the BC rating scale.

Criteria & ratings for Shep's Classic Burger:
Meat flavor 9
Juiciness 10
Size 8
Freshness 9
Burger-to-bun ratio 5
Bun type 10
Overall taste with selected condiments 8
Eatibility 4
Temperature 10

Crossroads Eatery, Wayne, NJ

Where:

Crossroads Eatery

10 Erie Avenue, Wayne, NJ

(973) 696-7887

https://www.facebook.com/newcrossroadseatery

What: 

Cheeseburger

Build: 

6 oz. patty, American cheese, fried onion, Kaiser roll.

Comments:
The Crossroads Eatery is in my opinion, by far one of the most nostalgic places to eat in north Jersey – it has been a landmark for as long as I can remember. Located in the Mountain View section of Wayne, NJ, it's situated directly across from the Mountain View train station. For you movie buffs, a scene from the 1996 movie City Hall starring Al Pacino and John Cusack was filmed here.

On this particular day, I took my grandson for a burger and we sat on a bench in the train station eating and waiting for a "big train.”
The burger was okay, but it could've been great. Although it was still a bit juicy, my medium rare order was served medium well and it could've used a lot more fried onion, but I still enjoyed the hell out of it and the roll was the epitome of a fresh Jersey Kaiser roll.

I'm not going to say much more because you need to get to the Crossroads Eatery and experience it for yourself. Once you cross the threshold of the front door, you’ll feel as if a time machine has brought you back to a quiet, unrushed lifetime, where a man can live his life full measure.

                                           "Next stop, Willoughby".

                                   

The Crossroads Cheeseburger receives a 7.5 out of 10 on the BC rating scale.

Criteria & ratings for the Crossroads Cheeseburger:
Meat flavor 8
Juiciness 7
Size 10
Freshness 8
Burger to bun ratio 5
Bun type 8
Overall taste with selected condiments 7
Eatibility 10Temperature 5