In the world of pre-made burgers, this one from Durham Ranch comes at a premium. I paid $10 for the duo of burgers at Sprouts Market. The patties comprise a mix of 50% Black Angus and 50% Wagyu. They come two the pack and wrapped in plastic and frozen. When you do defrost them, they’re separated by paper, so don’t worry about them peeling apart.
Cooking: It’s your call. The packaging simply recommends ‘low and slow’. I tried a couple of methods. First up a basic pan fry, the results were ok but I felt I let too much fat render out of the patties in reaching temp. Speaking of which, as I didn’t make these myself, I wasn’t confident cooking less than 165F, that’s my approach with all pre-made/frozen patties.
After that I tried a sort of reverse sear, which is to say an initial bake at 400F to cook roughly to temp, followed by a final high heat pan sear for final caramelization. I liked this approach much better, and felt the burgers retained a lot more flavor.
Taste and texture: There’s no doubting these pack a really solid, beefy full flavor. Juice flows freely provided you’ve not cooked them at too high a heat. I found myself really enjoying these, perhaps the best I’ve sampled from the freezer aisle.
The meat has a coarse texture and is densely formed, it’s certainly more tightly packed than I’d make. myself. The fact that they come in plastic shrink-wrap no doubt exacerbates that. Cooked gently though it’s not too bad.
Overall: These are big, bold patties. Compare the 600 calories they clock in at compared to say Sam’s Club Blank Angus burgers or Kroger’s Simple Truth brand. The latter both come in under 400 calories. I’d happily buy these again, though given the hefty half pound size, and commensurate fat and calories, they’ll probably remain a rare treat for me.
Durham Ranch Ground Wagyu Beef Patties nutrition
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Overall
Are Durham Ranch Ground Wagyu Beef Patties any good?
Yes, these half pound patties offer a heart mix of big, strong beefy flavor, with plenty of fatty juice. Just be careful to cook them over a lighter heat so not to lose all the flavor.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!
I recently tried the Durham Ranch ground Wagyu beef patties, and they exceeded my expectations! The patties were incredibly juicy and flavorful, thanks to the high-quality Wagyu beef. It’s a great option for gourmet burgers. Highly recommend giving them a try!