The Reason Your McDonald's Quarter Pounder Might Be Undercooked
When the people of TikTok want honest answers to their burning McDonald's questions, they turn to the chain's former Manager of Culinary Innovation,= Mike Haracz. Recently, a Golden Arches fan asked why their Quarter Pounder always seems to arrive undercooked, to which chef Haracz replied that it might have something to do with the fact that this burger is made from a fresh, not frozen, patty, as well as the potential for human error. McDonald's began using fresh beef for this iconic item back in 2018, a move that resulted in a higher quality burger along with an increase in sales.
According to Haracz, McDonald's staff presses a button to initiate the cooking process, with the Quarter Pounder patty typically being left to cook for 80 to 84 seconds. However, a few things can happen to prevent the burger from being fully cooked through, thereby leaving it a little pink inside. Pressing the wrong button could result in a shorter cooking time, while a dirty grill might also prevent the surface from reaching the proper temperature. Additionally, it's possible for the grill to malfunction, even when the proper steps are taken.
Your Quarter Pounder might not be underdone after all
In his TikTok video, Mike Haracz breaks down the process McDonald's uses to package fresh beef patties for the Quarter Pounder. Packs are filled with a special type of gas that protects meat from spoilage while being transported from one place to another. While inside the pack, the beef patties have a brown hue. When exposed to open air, the patties take on a vibrant red shade similar to the ground beef you might see on display in a grocery store.
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According to Haracz, the pink that customers claim to see in their Quarter Pounders may simply be caused by the gas flushing process. It's possible for the patty to retain some of the red coloring it developed after being taken out of the pack, even after being cooked correctly and for the appropriate amount of time. Haracz goes on to say that McDonald's makes a point of fully cooking burgers, so save for a mishap while cooking, the restaurant would never intentionally serve an undercooked burger to a customer.
McDonald's customers share their opinions on the Quarter Pounder conundrum
Mike Haracz ends the video by asking followers whether they've experienced the indignity of an undercooked Quarter Pounder. One commenter stated that their Quarter Pounder "always" has a touch of pink in the center, but they prefer it that way. Conversely, another person said they'd never encountered an underdone Quarter Pounder and subsequently praised the fast food chain for its "consistency."
Most commenters had similar experiences, ranging from the occasional undercooked Quarter Pounder to claims that the burger rarely came fully cooked. The same complaints were also shared on Reddit, with some wondering whether the pink-tinged burgers were actually safe to eat. A commenter claiming to be a general manager at the chain chimed in and stated that McDonald's insisted the burger was cooked until it reached an internal temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, burgers must reach a temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure safety. That means that McDonald's is above and beyond the minimum, despite the look of its fresh Quarter Pounders.